December 28, 2023
Review RecipePumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Our creamy spiced pumpkin cream cheese muffins are spiced and comforting, making them the perfect fall muffin to whip up for breakfast.
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Our delicious pumpkin cream cheese muffins live up to all that is warm and cozy about (in my opinion) the best season of all. Spiced pumpkin muffins with a sweet cream cheese filling are just magical when the weather starts to cool and will find a permanent place on your breakfast table.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Ingredients
These muffins balance the creamy tanginess of the cream cheese filling with the rich, earthy flavors of pumpkin and warm spices like cinnamon and vanilla.
The sugars add a comforting sweetness, creating a perfect blend of sweet and spiced goodness in every bite.
You’ll need:
For The Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
For The Pumpkin Muffins:
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice blend
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can of pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup of vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- ¾ cup of light brown sugar
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
PRO TIP:
Watch out when you are at the grocery store that you buy pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling.
Substitutions And Additions
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Add chocolate chips to the muffins to create delicious pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
PUMPKIN SEEDS: I have seen variations of this recipe with pumpkin seeds baked into the batter or a few on top of the cream cheese mixture for decoration.
This would add a lovely crunch to an already scrumptious muffin.
VEGETABLE OIL: You can use any neutral oil for this recipe (canola, vegetable, avocado).
I would not use coconut or olive oil as they will give the muffins a stronger flavor that may not work well with the pumpkin and cream cheese for this recipe.
CREAM CHEESE: Make sure you use full-fat cream cheese for this recipe.
The one-third less fat and fat-free versions make the cream cheese mixture much thinner, and it does not work well for the recipe.
How To Make This Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe
Once you make the easy muffin batter, you will top it with dollops of creamy filling. Bake and enjoy.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard muffin tins with 20 paper liners. Set aside.
PRO TIP:
I like using muffin liners that are parchment paper because the muffins come out of the liners much easier than some of the paper brands available.
We do not suggest using generic brands of paper liners as they are pretty, but they tend to really make the muffins stick to the paper.
STEP TWO: To make the cream cheese filling, add the cream cheese and granulated sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
With a handheld mixer, on medium-low speed, beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar for one minute or until smooth.
STEP THREE: Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds to fully incorporate and create a smooth cream cheese filling.
Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Set aside.
PRO TIP:
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, or you will end up with lumps in your creamy filling.
STEP FOUR: In a medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice blend, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
STEP FIVE: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the canned pure pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, large eggs, vanilla extract, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
Whisk until all the ingredients are completely blended, and the mixture is smooth.
STEP SIX: Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk just until all the ingredients are combined, and the batter is thick and smooth.
STEP SEVEN: Fill all 20 muffin liners three-quarters full with the pumpkin muffin batter.
STEP EIGHT: Squeeze 1½ to 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each pumpkin muffin.
PRO TIP:
A 2-inch cookie scoop or ice cream scoop works well to fill the muffin tins.
STEP NINE Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part of the muffin comes out clean.
Allow the pumpkin cream cheese muffins to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
How To Serve
These moist pumpkin muffins would be perfect for a quick breakfast. Serve with a warm pumpkin spice latte or cup of tea.
Add these to a basket of muffins along with our peach cobbler muffins and blueberry sour cream muffins and share them with friends.
For more easy pumpkin recipes, you absolutely must try our homemade pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin delight.
MORE MUFFIN RECIPES
Storage
We’ll show you how to store the muffins so that you can enjoy every last one.
MAKE AHEAD: If you’re planning ahead or want to streamline your morning routine, you can make these muffins ahead of time.
Simply prepare the muffins as directed, allow them to cool completely, and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
When you’re ready to enjoy, give them a quick zap in the microwave to warm them up.
IN THE FRIDGE: Store the pumpkin cheesecake muffins in an airtight container for four days.
IN THE FREEZER: Freeze these pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling for up to one month, sealed in an airtight container.
Why We Love This Recipe
PERFECT BLEND OF FLAVORS: These muffins strike an ideal balance between the creamy, tangy goodness of cream cheese and the warm, earthy notes of pumpkin and spices.
EASY TO MAKE: The step-by-step instructions and helpful tips ensure that anyone can whip up a batch of these muffins successfully.
SEASONAL COMFORT: With pumpkin, cinnamon, and warm spices, these muffins capture the essence of autumn.
Pumpkin, spices, and sweet cream cheese are the flavors that are synonymous with fall. These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are the ideal recipe to enjoy that delicious combination of creamy sweetness and spice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep these muffins on the counter?
Because they have cream cheese in them, we would recommend keeping them in the fridge rather than on the counter.
If I can’t find pumpkin pie spice, what can I use instead?
If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice in the store, you could use either cinnamon or a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Can you freeze these muffins?
You can freeze the muffins for up to a month although the texture of the cream cheese filling may change slightly once thawed.
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Our creamy spiced pumpkin cream cheese muffins are spiced and comforting, making them the perfect fall muffin to whip up for breakfast.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 20
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two standard muffin tins with 20 paper liners. Set aside.
- To make the cream cheese filling, add the cream cheese and granulated sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl. With a handheld mixer, on medium-low speed, beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar for 1 minute or until smooth.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds to fully incorporate and create a smooth cream cheese filling. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice blend, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the canned pure pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, large eggs, vanilla extract, light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk until all the ingredients are completely blended and the mixture is smooth.
- Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and whisk just until all the ingredients are combined and the batter is thick and smooth.
- Fill all 20 muffin liners ¾ full with the pumpkin muffin batter.
- Squeeze 1½-2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each pumpkin muffin.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part of the muffin comes out clean. Allow the pumpkin cream cheese muffins to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Video
Notes
- Watch out when you are at the grocery store that you buy pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling.
- I like using muffin liners that are parchment paper because the muffins come out of the liners much easier than some of the paper brands available. I do not suggest using the generic brands of paper liners as they are pretty but they tend to really make the muffins stick to the paper.
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, or you will end up with lumps in your creamy filling.
- A 2-inch cookie scoop or ice cream scoop works well to fill the muffin tins.
Nutrition
Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 198IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb
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- 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- Cake Mix Muffins
- Mini Blueberry Muffins
- Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
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Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Dip
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- Mini Pumpkin Pies
- Pumpkin Ice Cream
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- Pumpkin Banana Bread
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- No Bake Pumpkin Pie
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Cheesecake Recipes
- Peach Cobbler Cheesecake
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- Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
Comments
Gloria says
How delicious! Love these, perfect for fall treats.
Glenda says
These recipes sound good and easy
Tammy says
I love this recipe!!
A couple of things I found when I made them…
*There is enough cream cheese mixture for 3 dozen muffins so I recommend tripling the muffin dough. You’re going to want more than 1 dozen anyway.
*The muffin dough closes the indentation almost as fast as you can make it so be prepared to pipe in the cream cheese mixture right away.
* Don’t forget to add this recipe to wherever you keep your favorites because you don’t want to lose this one!
Wendy Ing says
All of these sound delicious. Will need to make all of them. Thank you for sharing.
Judy Outerson says
Can this recipe be converted to a loaf and just increase the baking time?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Judy – we haven’t tested that so I am not sure!