Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Moist, spiced pumpkin muffins are filled with sweet cream cheese and are topped with a light cream cheese icing. They're the perfect fall treat.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings muffins

Calories 196kcal

Author Kate @ I Heart Eating

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

US Customary - Metric

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