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Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins: Easy Fall Recipe

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These pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins are soft, tender, and packed with warm spices. The cream cheese swirl adds a tangy, creamy surprise in every bite that balances the sweetness perfectly.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup (60ml) milk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for cream cheese swirl)
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. Make the cream cheese swirl first. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar, 1 egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  3. Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Whisk until evenly distributed.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and slightly thickened. Add the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined.
  5. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold together gently until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  6. Fill the muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
  7. Add the cream cheese swirl. Drop a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each muffin.
  8. Create the swirl pattern. Use a toothpick or skewer to gently drag through the cream cheese in a figure-eight pattern, making two or three passes.
  9. Bake the muffins. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Cool properly. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Let cream cheese sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before mixing. Do not over-swirl the cream cheese; two or three gentle figure-eights are enough. For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure flour. Let muffin batter rest for 5 minutes after mixing for better rise.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese swirl, fall recipe, easy muffins, pumpkin spice

Find it online: https://perkypan.com/perfect-pumpkin-cream-cheese-swirl-muffins-easy-fall-recipe/