Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

These bakery-style Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are perfect for fall mornings or holiday brunches. The cream cheese swirl adds a rich contrast to the warmly spiced pumpkin base, while a crunchy sugar topping gives them an elegant finish. Classic, crowd-pleasing, and just elevated enough for the modern home cook.

It’s fall, y’all! And that means its pumpkin season. I may not be a fan of PSL’s but I do love pumpkin spice flavoured everything else. On this blog, you’ll find sweet pumpkin recipes like Pumpkin Coffee Cake and Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes as well as savoury pumpkin ‘spice’ recipes like Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Hummus or this basic Pumpkin Pasta Sauce.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Word on the street is this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin recipe makes muffins that are even better than the popular coffee chain. You know the one, it’s also famous for its seasonal pumpkin spice and gingerbread lattes.

If you love pumpkin pie, there’s a good chance you’ll love anything made with pumpkin pie spice. The classic spice combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg serves as a harbinger of fall, the time of year for cozy tea dates, jumping into leaf piles, and football. 

One bite of these pumpkin cheesecake muffins will make true believers out of anyone who says they don’t like pumpkin spice. No one can resist the tender crumb and sweet cream cheese filling. No one.

While I love regular pumpkin muffins (especially with a crumble topping), these cream cheese filled beauties take the cake. They are simple to make and are ready in under an hour due to their quick baking time.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Besides the usual baking ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and baking powder, you’ll need pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice. Or, if you don’t have a premade spice mix, use regular ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in the pumpkin muffin batter.

PS. You can always skip the cheesecake filling and make simple pumpkin muffins!

• Cream Cheese
• Granulated Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Flour
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Ground Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Ground Ginger
• Light Brown Sugar
• Vegetable Oil
• Eggs
• Pumpkin Puree
• Buttermilk
• Turbinado Sugar
• Pepitas

The cream cheese filling will combine easier if you start with softened full fat cream cheese. Always check the expiry date on leavening agents and replace baking spices yearly to avoid loss of flavour.

Feel free to use any neutral vegetable oil or butter in these muffins. You can use buttermilk and or whole milk in this recipe. If you prefer buttermilk but don’t have any, add 1 teaspoon white vinegar to 1/4 cup whole milk and allow it to sit and curdle for 10 minutes before using.

How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Always begin a muffin recipe by making the toppings first. This way you won’t lose any lift from the leavening agents in the batter.

To make the topping mixture, mix turbinado sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil (or melted butter), eggs, pumpkin purée, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.

Divide muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups. Pipe about 1–2 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture onto the top of each muffin. Swirl gently with a toothpick or skewer. Top with additional cream cheese filling after swirling.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar along with a pinch of crushed toasted pepitas on top of each muffin. Bake muffins in preheated oven for 18–22 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• You can use a spoon if you don’t have a piping bag, just gently drop and swirl the cream cheese.
• Be careful not to over-swirl or it’ll sink. Less is more!
• Make sure the oven is fully preheated and test doneness with a toothpick near the muffin edge.
• Always check the expiry date on leavening agents (baking soda/powder) to avoid disappointment.

Sensational Substitutions

• To use homemade pumpkin purée instead of canned, strain any excess water through cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve before using.
• Buttermilk adds tenderness, but whole milk will also work.
• Using melted butter instead of oil will give a slightly richer, cakier muffin. Neutral oil keeps the crumb extra moist. Choose based on your texture preference.
• Full fat cream cheese provides the richest texture, but you can use reduced fat in a pinch. Avoid whipped or spreadable cream cheese.
• Add 1/2 cup white or chocolate chips to the batter for an extra treat.
• Instead of using turbinado sugar or pepitas for topping use coarse raw sugar or even granulated sugar for crunch. Chopped toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts also work in place of pepitas.
• To make gluten free muffins use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend. Results may vary slightly, but many readers have had success using King Arthur Measure-for-Measure or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour.

Leftovers and Storage

Allow leftover Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins to cool to room temperature before placing in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. PS. These muffins taste even better after a day of chilling. For best flavour, bake them a day in advance and store them covered in the fridge.

To freeze Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, individually wrap each room temperature muffin in plastic wrap before placing in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight or reheat briefly in the microwave.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the hearts and soul here at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!