Description

Delight in these moist and flavorful Best Swirled Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, featuring a perfect blend of warm pumpkin spices and creamy swirls of sweetened cream cheese. Ideal for fall or any cozy occasion, these muffins offer a tender crumb with a beautifully marbled cream cheese center that’s both visually appealing and irresistibly delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Muffin Batter

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted and cooled butter)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Swirl

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin pan with paper baking cups and set aside.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare Pumpkin Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Gradually whisk in the dry flour mixture until no lumps remain, forming a smooth batter. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with the batter.
Make Cream Cheese Swirl: In a medium bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, then beat until well combined and silky.
Add Swirl to Muffins: Dollop about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin batter portion. Using a toothpick or skewer, gently swirl the cream cheese into the pumpkin batter to create a marbled effect. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth; the swirls will bake into beautiful patterns. Alternatively, you can simply drop the cream cheese mixture in spoonfuls over the batter without swirling.
Bake: Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part of the muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Serve and Store: Serve the muffins warm or let them cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.

Notes

Make sure the cream cheese and egg yolk are at room temperature to ensure a smooth cream cheese swirl mixture.
You can substitute vegetable oil with melted and cooled butter for a richer flavor.
For a nutty twist, consider adding 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter.
Do not over-swirl the cream cheese to avoid blending it completely into the batter; visible swirls create the best look and texture.
These muffins freeze well. Freeze cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Use fresh pumpkin puree or canned 100% pure pumpkin to get the best flavor.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 320 kcal
Sugar: 22 g
Sodium: 230 mg
Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, pumpkin cream cheese swirl, fall recipes, baked muffins, pumpkin spice dessert