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These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are moist and packed with pumpkin spice flavor.  Make pumpkin cream cheese muffins at home that are better than the coffee shop!
Cross section of pumpkin cream cheese muffin cut in half

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pin image for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Season is in full swing and I am ready for it.  The internet has been going crazy over Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and so have I.  Since I already posted my DIY Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Recipe about a month ago, it has gotten super popular.  So I figured, while you are making your Starbucks copycat pumpkin cold brew at home, you might want a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin to go along with it.

Pumpkin muffin batter with cream cheese dollops on top before baking

I adapted these Pumpkin Muffins from my Pumpkin Bread Recipe – which if you recall, I tested over and over again until I had it just right.  I love the warm spices and rich flavor that these muffins have.  The pumpkin muffins are great plain – but I decided to make them extra by adding a vanilla cream cheese swirl.

Pumpkin muffin batter with cream cheese swirled in

Tips for making the best muffins

Muffins are easy to make, but there are a few things that can make them turn out even better.

Use the muffin method

The muffin method is first mixing together the dry ingredients, and in a separate bowl, mixing together the wet ingredients.  You then combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing them as little as possible. This helps you avoid over mixing the ingredients. The problem with over mixing the ingredients is that it will produce a tough muffin.  Using the muffin method will help keep your muffins tender.

Sift your dry ingredients

Yes, it is an extra step, but sifting the dry ingredients will lead to lighter, more tender muffins, because the dry ingredients will mix into the wet ingredients faster.

Start with a blast of heat

This pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin Recipe has you preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  After the muffins bake for 5 minutes, you turn down the oven to 350 degrees.  Why? Starting with a blast of heat will allow the muffins to rise quickly and give you a nice domed top.

 

Baked pumpkin cream cheese muffins in muffin tin

The Starbucks version of Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins has a big dollop of cream cheese in the center of the muffin.  But I prefer to swirl the cream cheese into the muffin batter just a little bit. I like to get a little cream cheese in every bite – plus they just look prettier that way.  I’ve also tried them without swirling and that is fine too.

pumpkin swirl muffins from above on a wire rack

Try these Recipes

Love this recipe?  I bet you will also love my Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Pumpkin Bread and my Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie.

Helpful Equipment

I use THIS muffin pan.

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

4.12 from 9 votes
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Servings 12 muffins

Equipment

  • Muffin Pan

Ingredients 

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour Spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick) melted
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with cupcake papers.
  • Add all dry ingredients to a sifter or fine mesh sieve. Sift into a bowl.
  • In a second bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until well mixed.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Using a mixing spoon or rubber spatula, quickly mix the dry and wet ingredients together until just mixed. Leave a few lumps, and do not over mix.
  • In a third bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Set aside.
  • Fill each muffin cup halfway with pumpkin batter. Use a spoon to make an indentation in the center of each muffin. Spoon about 1-1.5 tablespoons of cream cheese filling into the indentation. Top off with remaining pumpkin batter, so that each muffin cup is nearly full.
  • Use a butter knife or toothpick to carefully swirl the cream cheese with the pumpkin batter. Don't mix the cream cheese in completely, just a few swipes is enough.
  • Place muffins in the oven and set timer for 5 minutes. Leaving the muffins in the oven, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
  • Remove muffins from muffin tin as soon as possible and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 3630IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!

 

Hello! I’m Meghan.

I am so glad that you are here! I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at my blog Fox and Briar. I am a passionate, self-taught home cook and believe that most things are better homemade and that good food doesn’t need to be complicated.

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16 Comments

    1. These were great! Made a few modifications- used 2 c of whole wheat flour instead of white, subbed out all sugar and used 3/4 c of maple syrup instead and upped the pumpkin with another 1/4 c.

      1. So glad you love them Cathy! You may also like my healthy Pumpkin Banana muffins, they are made with whole wheat flour and maple syrup 🙂

    1. Hi Fran – I haven’t tried but muffins normally do freeze well. The only factor that would cause problems is the cream cheese filling, but I think it would be OK.

  1. 5 stars
    It was 👍, and super easy to make. I’m nine, and three quarters, and it was a big hit! ( my dad could not stop 👅 ing the batter.

    1. Hi Jamie – hey that should be fine! You will need to adjust the cooking time a bit it will probably be more like 10-13 minutes.