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Decadent pumpkin muffins topped with a sweet cream cheese swirl, moist and tender, ready in about 30 minutes. Made with a full 15 oz can of pumpkin puree and simple pantry staples, yields 18 standard-sized muffins.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable oil, or melted and cooled butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Bring cream cheese and egg yolk to room temperature by cutting cream cheese into cubes and letting sit about 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
  3. Whisk together flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree with granulated and brown sugars, then beat in eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  5. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just combined with no dry streaks.
  6. Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full with batter.
  7. Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and combined.
  8. Drop about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture onto each muffin and swirl gently into the batter with a toothpick; it will bake into a beautiful pattern.
  9. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Let muffins cool about 10 minutes in the pan, then cool completely before storing or serving.

Notes

Store muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; do not leave at room temperature more than 1-2 hours due to cream cheese content., Muffins taste best at room temperature or lightly chilled; remove from fridge 15 to 30 minutes before serving if desired., Reheat muffins by microwaving 10-15 seconds or warming in a 325°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes., Freeze individually wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in fridge or at room temperature for a few hours before eating. You can also reheat from frozen in a 325°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes., Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for best results., Bring cream cheese and egg yolk to room temperature to prevent lumps in the cream cheese swirl., You can substitute melted and cooled butter for vegetable oil if preferred; oil keeps muffins moister., Optional additions: stir in chopped pecans or walnuts or sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top before baking., To make a loaf instead of muffins, bake same batter in a greased loaf pan for 45-60 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick., For mini muffins, bake about 12-15 minutes; for jumbo muffins, bake about 22-25 minutes; always test with a toothpick into the pumpkin batter.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/best-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-easy-pumpkin-recipe-for-fall/