Description
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins are ultra-moist, warmly spiced, and crowned with a tangy cheesecake swirl that bakes into a gorgeous marbled top for bakery-style looks at home. Perfect for cozy mornings, snacks, or desserts.
Ingredients
For the muffins:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup neutral oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Optional: turbinado sugar for topping
For the cream cheese swirl:
8 oz block cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp granulated sugar (or powdered sugar)
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional mix-ins:
Mini chocolate chips
Chopped pecans or walnuts
Cinnamon-sugar sprinkle
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners or grease wells.
2. In one bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. In another bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, sugars, eggs, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Fold dry ingredients into wet just until combined; do not overmix.
5. Beat cream cheese with sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.
6. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full with batter.
7. Drop about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin and swirl gently with a toothpick.
8. Bake 18–20 minutes at 375°F, or use 425°F for 5 minutes then 350°F for 15–18 minutes for taller domes.
9. Cool muffins 5–10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Weigh flour for accuracy to avoid dry muffins.
Don’t overmix the batter to keep muffins tender.
Pipe several small drops of cream cheese for more defined swirls.
For high domes, start at 425°F for 5 minutes then lower temperature.
Refrigerate muffins after cooling due to cream cheese filling.
Freeze up to 3 months, wrapped well.
Reheat chilled muffins 10–20 seconds in the microwave or let sit 15 minutes at room temp before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 170 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg