Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins
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These fluffy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins are made with fresh pumpkin, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and has a cream cheese swirl topping!
PIN Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins to try later!
If you bake one thing this Fall, you need to bake these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins! One of my favorite Fall treats are the Pumpkin Muffins from Starbucks and these muffins are even better. These muffins have so many warm spices that complete the pumpkin flavor.
If you’ve been in a Fall mood just like I’ve been, give this Apple Cinnamon Crisp recipe a try!
I use fresh canned pumpkin in this recipe so if you love pumpkin, you will truly appreciate all of the flavors in these muffins! They are sweet (but not too sweet), fluffy, moist and makes the best breakfast or snack!
The cream cheese swirl on top is similar to a cheesecake filling- just not as rich so it pairs perfectly with the pumpkin muffins. You can’t beat a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffin with a cup of coffee in the morning!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE SWIRL MUFFINS
For the muffins:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin puree
- Unsalted butter
- Oil
- Vanilla extract
- Egg
- Milk
For the cream cheese filling
- Cream cheese
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Sugar
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE SWIRL MUFFINS
- TO MAKE THE MUFFINS: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, egg and milk. Whisk until the pumpkin mixture is smooth- be sure not to overmix.
- Stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 1/3 increments at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined and the batter should be smooth. Set aside.
- TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE SWIRL: With an electric mixer, mix together the softened cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla extract and sugar in a small bowl for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. The cream cheese mixture will resemble a frosting.
- CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING: In another small dish combine the cinnamon and sugar and mix with a spoon.
- ASSEMBLE THE MUFFINS: Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and use a standard ice cream scoop to scoop out the pumpkin muffin mixture into each muffin cup. If you don’t have an ice cream scoop, simply fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. This batter makes 12-14 muffins.
- ADD CREAM CHEESE SWIRL: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin. Top off each muffin until you run out of cream cheese swirl filling. Use a toothpick or knife to carefully swirl the cream cheese with the pumpkin batter. Don’t mix the cream cheese in completely, a few swirls is perfect! Top each muffin with a pinch of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake the muffins for 15-17 minutes until the tops are set. Remove from the muffins from the muffin pan once they are slightly cooled and place on a cooling rack. Once cooled, enjoy!
PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE SWIRL MUFFIN TIPS
- You can make more muffins by only filling the muffin cup 1/2 way instead of 3/4 full.
- Some other additional toppings you can add to the top of these muffins are mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chopped nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or pecans and pumpkin seeds.
- These muffins will be just as delicious if you want to skip the cream cheese swirl on top!
LEFTOVERS
Store on counter: These muffins will stay fresh for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container or on a plate tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. Make sure to store in a cooled area.
Store in the refrigerator: You can place these in the refrigerator to maximize the freshness for up to 1 week. Make sure to store in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.
Store in the freezer: To freeze the muffins, make sure they are tightly wrapped with plastic wrap and then foil to ensure they don’t dry out and stay moist. You can also store them in a large ziplock bag. Muffins can be stored frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost completely and reheat in microwave for 15 seconds if you want them to be slightly warmed.
LOOKING FOR OTHER FALL DESSERT RECIPES? TRY THESE!
- Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Healthy Pumpkin Oat Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
- Apple Cinnamon Oat Bread
- Caramel Apple Toffee Dip
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Skinny Pumpkin Chai Tea
- Pumpkin Spice Granola
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Small bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Standard size ice cream scoop
- Toothpick or small knife to swirl
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice* (see notes)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup pure canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter; melted
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 whole egg
- 2 Tbsp. milk
For the cream cheese swirl
- 6 ounces cream cheese; softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
Cinnamon sugar topping
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- TO MAKE THE MUFFINS: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, egg and milk. Whisk until the pumpkin mixture is smooth- be sure not to overmix.
- Stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 1/3 increments at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined and the batter should be smooth. Set aside.
- TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE SWIRL: With an electric mixer, mix together the softened cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla extract and sugar in a small bowl for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. The cream cheese mixture will resemble a frosting.
- CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING: In another small dish combine the cinnamon and sugar and mix with a spoon.
- ASSEMBLE THE MUFFINS: Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and use a standard ice cream scoop to scoop out the pumpkin muffin mixture into each muffin cup. If you don't have an ice cream scoop, simply fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. This batter makes 12-14 muffins.
- ADD CREAM CHEESE SWIRL: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin. Top off each muffin until you run out of cream cheese swirl filling. Use a toothpick or knife to carefully swirl the cream cheese with the pumpkin batter. Don't mix the cream cheese in completely, a few swirls is perfect! Top each muffin with a pinch of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake the muffins for 15-17 minutes until the tops are set. Remove from the muffins from the muffin pan once they are slightly cooled and place on a cooling rack. Once cooled, enjoy!
Notes
- *To make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice, simply combine 3 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg. This is a great spice to have around, especially during this time of year!Â
OMG my mouth is drooling here. I love muffins for breakfast. I am a pumpkin fanatic…so these are right up my alley.
I hope you get a chance to try them out!
These pumpkin muffins are wonderful for breakfast or an afternoon treat. I love the cream cheese swirls in them.
Thank you Sharon! SO happy to hear that!
Those are great looking muffins! I’m always trying to figure out what to do with the leftover puree after baking pies.
These pumpklin cream cheese muffins look stunning! i love how you used the leftover puree and i love how fluffy they look. The cream cheese swirls in them just make this recipe so much better and it inspires me to make this as an afternoon treat later! thank you for sharing this recipe.
Oh my goodness, these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins look AMAZING! I can’t wait to give them a try!
Eek these look SO delicious!! I wish I could reach into my screen and grab one right now 😀 What a wonderful fall treat. Love the swirl of cream cheese baked into them 😀
Wow this muffins look amazing! The texture is perfect and I love the use of cream cheese here!
I am out of muffins, and that really means only one thing – I’ve got to make some more! This is definitely the recipe I would love to try – it sounds easy and fun!
I’m very slowly getting into the pumpkin craze. These muffins look right up my alley! I love that you add the cream cheese as a swirl into the muffins, great way to add some sweetness. These would be a hit with my family