Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Swirls (Print Version)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are a fall favorite! These soft, spiced muffins with a tangy cream cheese swirl are pure comfort. Easy recipe for home bakers.

# Recipe Info:

Prep Time: 20 Minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings
Difficulty: Intermediate
Cuisine: American
Dietary: Vegetarian

# Ingredients:

→ Muffin Base Ingredients

01 - 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
02 - ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
03 - ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
04 - 1 tsp baking powder
05 - 1 tsp baking soda
06 - ½ tsp salt
07 - 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
08 - 1 cup (240g) pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling)
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
11 - ¼ cup (60ml) milk (whole milk preferred)

→ Cream Cheese Swirl

12 - 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened (full-fat)
13 - ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
14 - ½ tsp vanilla extract

→ Optional Finishing Touch

15 - 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling

# Instructions:

01 - First things first, get your muffin tin ready. Line it with paper liners, or just grease it really well if you’re feeling rebellious. I always go for liners because honestly, cleaning muffin tins is not my favorite chore. Preheat your oven to a good hot 425°F (220°C). Yeah, it seems high, but trust me, that initial blast helps create those beautiful domed tops. This is where I usually get distracted by a podcast, so I set a timer for the preheat!
02 - Grab a big bowl for this. Toss in your flour, both sugars (granulated and brown), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and that lovely pumpkin pie spice. Give it a good whisk until everything’s combined. You want to make sure there are no lumpy bits of brown sugar hiding in there. I once thought I whisked enough, and then bit into a chunk of undissolved brown sugar in a muffin – not the worst thing, but not ideal either!
03 - In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together your pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, and milk. Make sure it's all smooth and homogenous. You'll see this beautiful orange liquid forming, and it just smells like autumn. This is a pretty straightforward step, but don't over-whisk; just get it combined until it's a uniform color.
04 - Now, pour your wet pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients. Grab a spatula and mix just until *just* combined. And I mean *just*. A few streaks of flour are totally fine, honestly! Overmixing is the enemy of a tender muffin; it makes them tough and chewy, and we want soft, fluffy muffins, right?
05 - In another small bowl, beat your softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until it's smooth and creamy. A hand mixer makes this super easy, but a whisk and some elbow grease work too. This mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape a bit. I sometimes sneak a tiny taste here – oops, quality control!
06 - Divide about two-thirds of the muffin batter into your prepared liners. Then, dollop small spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin. Take a knife or a skewer and gently swirl the cream cheese into the pumpkin batter. Don't overdo it, just a few swirls for that pretty marble effect. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for another 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin (not the cream cheese part!) comes out clean. The tops should be golden and springy. The smell filling your kitchen will be incredible!

# Notes:

01 - Don't overmix the batter, seriously. A few lumps are better than tough muffins, I promise.
02 - Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days on the counter, or freeze for longer.
03 - If you're out of pumpkin pie spice, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of cloves.
04 - Warming them slightly before serving makes them extra tender and fragrant.

# Equipment Needed:

01 - Muffin tin
02 - paper liners
03 - large mixing bowls
04 - whisk
05 - spatula
06 - hand mixer (optional)
07 - knife or skewer

# Nutrition (Per Serving):

Calories: 250
Total Fat: 12g
Total Carbohydrate: 32g
Protein: 4g

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