Description
Pumpkin cream cheese muffins swirl delicious autumn flavors into a delightful breakfast treat. Warm spices and creamy filling make these muffins an irresistible morning companion you’ll crave with your first sip of coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
Muffin Base:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Swirl:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Gently fold until just incorporated, avoiding overmixing.
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, then blend in sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until creamy and uniform.
- Fill each muffin cup approximately 1/3 full with pumpkin batter, then dollop a spoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center.
- Using a knife or skewer, gently swirl the cream cheese into the pumpkin batter, creating a marbled effect.
- For the topping, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over each muffin.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Prevent overmixing by gently folding the batter until ingredients are just combined, which keeps muffins tender and prevents tough, dense texture.
- Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature for smooth blending and easier swirling into pumpkin batter, creating beautiful marbled effect.
- Use fresh spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to enhance the warm, aromatic flavor profile of these autumnal muffins.
- For gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend and check that all other ingredients are gluten-free certified.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg