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Pumpkin cream cheese muffins are light, fluffy, and moist, full of pumpkin spice flavor, and swirled with creamy cheesecake.

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins are light, fluffy, and moist, full of pumpkin spice flavor, and swirled with creamy cheesecake.

Pumpkin muffins are even better with a swirl of cream cheese filling. Dare I say it, these are the BEST pumpkin muffins you will ever try!

The muffin is light and fluffy, but still moist, with plenty of pumpkin spices. I like to make my own homemade blend of mccormick pumpkin pie spice.

The cream cheese filling is lightly sweetened cheesecake batter that is folded into the muffin batter, making these muffins not only tasty, but pretty too.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are full of fall spices and a dollop of cream cheese filling swirled on top.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

When craving pumpkin desserts in the fall, it’s typical for me to combine my pumpkin treats with cream cheese (or chocolate).

I got to reminiscing about these pumpkin muffins with cinnamon chips and this pumpkin bread with cream cheese filling.

My idea was to combine those muffins (minus the cinnamon chips) with the cream cheese filling from the quick bread. Swirling the two together made the most delicious and beautiful pumpkin cheesecake muffins.

Spiced pumpkin muffins with swirls of cream cheese filling.

Yield and Ingredients

This recipe makes 2 dozen (24) pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins. If you can’t eat them all in a few days, they freeze beautifully. To make them, you will need:

PUMPKIN MUFFIN BATTER:

  • canola/vegetable oil
  • granulated sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • pumpkin puree
  • large eggs
  • milk
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • pumpkin pie spice (combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice)

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

  • cream cheese (I use Neufchatel)
  • granulated sugar
  • large egg
  • vanilla extract
Moist pumpkin spiced muffins with a creamy cheesecake swirl on top.

How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Muffins

  1. First, mix the pumpkin muffin batter and cream cheese filling, separately.
  2. Next, scoop muffin batter into paper-lined cupcake pans. Top with cheesecake filling. Use a butter knife to fold (not just swirl) the two batters together.
    • NOTE: The cream cheese batter is much thinner than the muffin batter. To fold the two batters together: Take a butter knife and insert it directly through the center of the muffin batter, gently scraping it along the bottom. Then lift the knife from the edge and fold the batter back towards the center. Repeat 2-3x. This will create a swirled look. With this technique, “less is more” for that marbled look.
  3. Lastly, bake at 375˚F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Do not over-bake! Cool completely and enjoy.
To make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Scoop the pumpkin muffin batter on bottom and the cheesecake batter on top. Fold the two batters together with a knife for a swirled look.

Storing

It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so if you’ve got room in your refrigerator for these muffins, then by all means, refrigerate them.

I’m going to be a little bit controversial here for a minute though and say:

Some cream cheese confections, like these muffins, can be stored at room temperature OR refrigerated.

Think about those cream cheese frosted cinnamon rolls, or those cream cheese filled pumpkin rolls at your local grocery store. Are they in the refrigerated section? Not usually. The sugar in the cream cheese helps act as a preservative to inhibit microbial activity. I wouldn’t leave them out at room temperature for more than 2-3 days though.

The most important factor for preventing foodborne illness with the cream cheese in these muffins is not waffling back and forth between the two methods of storing.

If you want to keep these pumpkin cream cheese muffins at room temperature (72˚F or cooler + in a dry/non-humid environment) after you bake them, do it. But if you decide to store them in the refrigerator, you must keep them cold.

Pick one method of storing, and stick with it! That means if you decide to refrigerate the muffins, you should eat them cold.

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins are light, fluffy, and moist, full of pumpkin spice flavor, and swirled with creamy cheesecake.

Freezing

These muffins can be frozen. Simply place the muffins in a freezer safe zip-top bag and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before consuming, and keep refrigerated once thawed.

Fluffy and moist pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese swirls.

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Pumpkin cream cheese muffins are light, fluffy, and moist, full of pumpkin spice flavor, and swirled with creamy cheesecake.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 24 muffins

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins are light, fluffy, and moist, full of pumpkin spice flavor, and swirled with creamy cheesecake.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Muffins:

  • 1/2 cup oil (canola/vegetable)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (stir, spoon, & level)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 8oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, and milk. Whisk until well-combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Slowly mix into wet mixture. Set aside.
  4. Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well, scraping the bowl as needed. Set aside.
  5. Line muffin pans with paper cups. Scoop pumpkin muffin batter into cups with a #24 scoop, or about 2/3 full. Spoon cream cheese filling over the top using a #50 scoop or slightly more than one Tablespoon per muffin.
  6. Use a knife to fold (not just swirl) the two batters together. NOTE: The cream cheese batter is much thinner than the muffin batter. To fold the two batters together: Take a butter knife and insert it directly through the center of the muffin batter, gently scraping it along the bottom. Then lift the knife from the edge and fold the batter back towards the center. Repeat 2-3x. This will create a swirled look. With this technique, “less is more” for that marbled look.
  7. Bake at 375˚F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Do not over-bake. Cool completely.

Notes

    • Store in an airtight container with a lid at room temperature (72˚F or cooler) for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
    • May freeze muffins in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and keep refrigerated.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 166Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 3g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and is an estimation only.

author: Amber | Dessert Now Dinner Later / Category: Breakfast and Muffins
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