How to Make Soft and Moist Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
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Get ready to fall in love with these soft and moist pumpkin cream cheese muffins! 🎃
Perfectly spiced with warm autumn flavors and filled with a creamy, sweet cream cheese swirl, these muffins are the ultimate treat for cozy mornings or afternoon snacks.
Whether you’re hosting brunch, need a quick grab-and-go breakfast, or just crave something festive and delicious, this recipe is for you.
Best of all, they’re easy to make and guaranteed to fill your kitchen with the irresistible aroma of fall.
Let’s dive into this pumpkin-packed delight! 🍂
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are the ultimate fall indulgence!
Soft, moist, and perfectly spiced, the pumpkin muffin base is bursting with warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Add to that a luscious, creamy swirl of sweetened cream cheese, and you have a treat that’s as comforting as your favorite sweater on a crisp autumn day.
Whether you’re serving them for breakfast, enjoying them as an afternoon pick-me-up, or impressing guests at a fall gathering, these muffins are a guaranteed hit.
Plus, they’re simple to make and freezer-friendly, making them the perfect bake-ahead option for busy autumn mornings. 🍂
Ingredients for Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Stuffing
Ingredients for Pumpkin Seeds Topping
How to Make Pumpkin Seeds Topping (optional)
⭐In a pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin seeds
⭐Once the mixture is room temperature, gently grind the seeds to break them off while still having them in chunks
⭐In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
⭐Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or plastic zip-top bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
⭐Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
⭐In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
⭐In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
⭐Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
⭐Fill each muffin liner about ¾ full with the batter.
⭐Pipe or spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each muffin.
⭐Bake for 5 minutes at 375°F and 18–20 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the cream cheese) comes out clean.
Tips for Making Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Want to bake the best pumpkin cream cheese muffins every time? Here are some helpful tips!
🧡First, make sure your cream cheese filling is smooth and slightly chilled; this makes it easier to swirl into the muffin batter.
🧡Use 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) for a rich and authentic flavor.
🧡Be gentle when mixing the wet and dry ingredients—overmixing can make your muffins dense instead of soft and moist. For that perfect bakery-style look, save a little batter to cover the cream cheese swirl.
🧡Finally, don’t forget to check for doneness with a toothpick (avoiding the cream cheese) and let the muffins cool slightly before digging in.
These tips will have you baking picture-perfect muffins every time! 🍂
Storage Tips for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Keeping your pumpkin cream cheese muffins fresh and delicious is easy with these simple storage tips!
Once baked and fully cooled, store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The cream cheese filling needs to be kept chilled, so refrigeration is a must. For longer storage, you can freeze the muffins by wrapping each one individually in plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
They’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months! When you’re ready to enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature or warm them in the microwave for that fresh-from-the-oven taste.
Perfect for meal prepping your favorite fall treat!
More Muffin Recipes
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup milk
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 cream cheese package
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping (optional)
- 1 tbsp butter unsalted
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds natural or salted for that salty and sweet combo
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Topping Preparation
- In a pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin seeds
- Toss frequently for 5 minutes and transfer to a sheet pan so that the pumpkin seeds mixture can fully cool
- Once the mixture is room temperature, gently grind the seeds to break them off while still having them in chunks
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling:
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or plastic zip-top bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the Muffin Batter:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Assemble the Muffins:
- Fill each muffin liner about ¾ full with the batter.
- Pipe or spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each muffin.
Bake:
- Bake for 5 minutes at 375°F and 18–20 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the cream cheese) comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage Tips for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Once baked and fully cooled, store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.The cream cheese filling needs to be kept chilled, so refrigeration is a must. For longer storage, you can freeze the muffins by wrapping each one individually in plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
They’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months! When you’re ready to enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature or warm them in the microwave for that fresh-from-the-oven taste.
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I’m Cath!
Foodie at heart
Welcome to my corner of the internet where I share my favorite food recipe. Food lover at heart I love cooking and food photography hence the combination of both creating this fun blog!
I hope you enjoy, bon appétit!
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