These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are bursting with classic warm spices and swirled with creamy cheesecake filling. The streusel crumb topping is the final touch for the ultimate holiday brunch recipe.
1 ½teaspoonPumpkin SpiceI have a recipe in the notes below if you don't have any on hand.
¼teaspoonSalt
Cream Cheese Swirl
8ozCream Cheesesoftened to room temperature
½cupGranulated Sugar
2Large Eggs
1teaspoonVanilla Extract
5tablespoonAll-Purpose Floursifted
Crumb Topping (Optional)
1cupAll-Purpose Flour
3tablespoonLight Brown Sugar
2tablespoonGranulated Sugar
1teaspoonBaking Powder
6tablespoonButter, meltedsalted or unsalted
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcakes liners.
Pumpkin Batter
In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 Large Egg, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, and 1 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree until smooth. Add the ½ cup Light Brown Sugar and ¼ cup Granulated White sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in ¼ cup Sour Cream and ¼ cup Vegetable Oil until blended.
In a separate bowl, combine the 1 cup All Purpose Flour, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Spice, and ¼ teaspoon Salt. Add 1 cup of the dry mixture into the wet mixture at a time and mix between each addition.
Cream Cheese Swirl Batter
In a separate bowl, combine 8 oz Cream Cheese and ½ cup Granulated Sugar with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat until creamy. Make sure to blend until there are no lumps in the batter.
Mix in 2 Large Eggs, 5 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, and (optional) orange zest until smooth.
Crumb Topping (Optional)
In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar, 3 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, 1 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder and 6 tablespoon Butter, melted. Using a spoon or your hands, mix the ingredients. Break up any large lumps.
Layering and Baking
In a standard muffin tin, alternate adding spoonfuls of pumpkin batter and cream cheese batter until all the muffin tins are about ¾ full. Gently swirl the tops of each muffin with a toothpick till you've reach the desired effect.
Sprinkle crumb topping onto the muffins if desired. Lightly press the crumb topping into the tops of each muffin to prevent it from moving while baking.
Bake muffins for about 32-37 minutes or until center rises slightly and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove muffins from oven.
Allow to cool in the muffin tin for at least 15 minutes. Once the pan is cool enough to handle, remove muffins from the tin and continue to cool on a wire rack until cooled completely and enjoy!
Notes
Storing: Cream cheese, even after baking, must be refrigerated. Store in an airtight container or wrap individually. Lasts 3-4 days.Doneness: As ovens temperatures may vary, I usually check my cakes or muffins by touch. You can check by gently jiggling the pan. If there is still movement, give the muffins a few more minutes. Secondly, I press my fingertips very gently into the center. If the center feels spongy and bounces back, the cake is done. You can also check the doneness of your muffins by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean, your muffins are done!Pumpkin Spice Recipe