Pumpkin cream cheese muffins are moist, spiced pumpkin muffins with a sweet cream cheese filling and a drizzle of cream cheese icing. They’re bakery-style muffins that make the perfect fall breakfast or treat.
Pumpkin and cream cheese are a match made in baking heaven, and these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins bring the two together in the best way. Each muffin is soft and tender with plenty of pumpkin spice flavor.
The muffins have a pocket of sweet cream cheese inside and are finished with a simple cream cheese icing that adds just the right touch of sweetness and tang. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack, these bakery-style muffins taste as good as they look and are a must-bake for pumpkin season.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Oil: You can use a similar neutral oil, like canola oil or olive oil, in place of the vegetable oil.
- Pumpkin puree: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Pumpkin pie spice: You can use store bought pumpkin pie spice, or you can make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Cream cheese: Using either full-fat plain cream cheese or 1/3-less fat cream cheese will give you the best results. I don’t recommend using fat-free cream cheese in this recipe.
How to make pumpkin cream cheese muffins
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 18 regular-sized muffin tin cups with paper liners.
Step 2: To make the muffin batter, add eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until fully combined.
Step 3: Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk again to combine. Don’t overmix! Overmixing will give you tough or heavy muffins. Set aside.
Step 4: To make the filling, beat together 4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, and 1 egg yolk using an electric mixer until well-combined. Set aside.
Step 5: Add 1 tablespoon of pumpkin batter to each muffin liner, followed by ½ tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture.
Step 6: Add remaining pumpkin batter on top of the cream cheese in each liner until each is about ¾ full.
Step 7: Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425F, then without removing the muffins or opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 10-15, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out just a few moist crumbs attached.
Step 8: Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 9: To make the icing, add 4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and milk to a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Step 10: Drizzle on top of each muffin.
Recipe Tips!
- Spices: Everyone’s spice preferences vary. Please feel free to adjust amount of spice according to your tastes.
- Variations: To make pumpkin cream cheese chocolate chip muffins, stir 2-4 tablespoons of mini semisweet chocolate chips into the cream cheese filling mixture.
Storage
Store any leftover pumpkin muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
The baked and cooled muffins can also be wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month.
More pumpkin breakfast recipes!
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin tin
Ingredients
Muffins
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cream cheese filling
- 4 ounces (½ a brick) plain cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
Cream cheese icing
- 4 ounces (½ a brick) plain cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 18 regular-sized muffin tin cups with paper liners.
- To make the muffin batter, add eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until fully combined.2 large eggs, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk again to combine. Don’t overmix! Set aside.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- To make the filling, beat together 4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, and 1 egg yolk using an electric mixer until well-combined. Set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of pumpkin batter to each muffin liner, followed by ½ tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture.
- Add remaining pumpkin batter on top of the cream cheese in each liner until each is about ¾ full.
- Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425F, then without removing the muffins or opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 10-15, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, add 4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk to a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Drizzle on top of each muffin.
Notes
- Oil: You can use a similar neutral oil, like canola oil or olive oil, in place of the vegetable oil.
- Pumpkin puree: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Pumpkin pie spice: You can use store bought pumpkin pie spice, or you can make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Cream cheese: Using either full-fat plain cream cheese or 1/3-less fat cream cheese will give you the best results. I don’t recommend using fat-free cream cheese in this recipe.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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