You found it — the ORIGINAL Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin recipe everyone fell in love with. Swirled with a sweet cream cheese that melts into the tops as they bake, these pumpkin muffins are guaranteed to become your favorite.
These swirled Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are pure melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Don’t worry, while I updated the photos (in 2022), this is still the original recipe that first went viral all those years ago.
I make these bad boys by the batches every single year. I don’t think my family would forgive me if I skipped a year! Judging by the amount of glowing reviews, I think it’s safe to say they’ve become a tradition for many of you too.
Just like my favorite pumpkin bread recipe, these muffins use an entire can of pumpkin to keep them moist. (Yay for no leftover pumpkin to worry about.) They are also simple to make and ready in just 30 minutes!
“Super moist with just the right amount of spices, we love this pumpkin cream cheese muffin recipe! Make sure you let your cream cheese come to room temperature before starting, the swirl was lumpy in my first batch because I did not wait. They were great warm and at room temperature, but I personally love them best chilled straight out of the fridge!” — Brittany, home cook, homesteader, and recipe tester.
Key Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best! Be sure to fluff the flour, then measure it by spooning it into a measuring cup. Don’t dip the cup straight into a packed bag of flour, or you will make overly dense muffins.
- Pumpkin Puree: I use a 15 oz can of pumpkin. Make sure it is pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which is already sweetened.
- Sugar: I use a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar for the best consistency and sweetness, but you can use just one kind of sugar if you prefer.
- Vegetable Oil: For an extra-moist muffin I recommend using oil, however you can use melted and slightly cooled butter instead.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese (not low fat) for the best taste and texture.
- Egg Yolk: This is used for richness and to help with the texture of the cream cheese swirl.
- Pumpkin Spice: To make your own, combine 4 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp allspice. If you don’t have all the ingredients on hand, you can also use just cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg instead!
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How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
I like to have everything I need measured and ready to go before I start baking! Visit the printable recipe card below for full directions.
Start with room temperature ingredients. This helps the cream cheese swirl into the muffin tops beautifully without sinking or separating. I usually cut my cream cheese into cubes and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes. And for the eggs, a quick trick is to place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
Don’t over mix the batter. Once you add the dry ingredients into the wet, resist the urge to keep stirring! I like to switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold the ingredients together just until there are no dry spots. Over mixing can lead to extra-dense muffins.
Don’t overfill the muffin cups. Remember, once you add the cream cheese dollop on top, it will take up even more of the space in the muffin tin.
Don’t overfill cups with muffin batter. As you add the cream cheese dollop on top, it will take up some of the volume too.
Use a toothpick to get the perfect swirl. Use a spoon to dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin muffin batter and then gently swirl it with a toothpick. Watch the video in the recipe card below to see how I do it.
Keep a close eye on the bake time. Every oven bakes a little differently, so I recommend checking them around the 18-minute mark. They are done when a toothpick is inserted into the pumpkin part (not the cream cheese swirl) and comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Variations To Try
- Filling Instead of Topping: Don’t have time to swirl? You can add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture to the center, or directly on top, of the batter instead.
- Add Nuts: You can stir chopped pecans or walnuts into the muffing batter or sprinkle the tops with pepita seeds, also known as pumpkin seeds.
- Bake A Loaf: If you would prefer to bake a loaf of bread instead of muffins, head over to my pumpkin cream cheese bread. It’s the same recipe, but baked into a loaf!
Swirled Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin:
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or melted and cooled butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Swirl:
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cups into muffin pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, until there are no lumps. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter. This will not look smooth, but it will bake up much prettier. You can see exactly how I did this in the video below. You can also just drop it by rounded spoonfuls to the centers of the muffin batter, swirling is optional!
- Bake muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the pumpkin part comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs stuck to it. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm or let cool completely to store.
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Notes
Video
Nutrition
Categories:
More Pumpkin Recipes To Try
- Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake: Easy to make and always impressive.
- Pumpkin Crisp: Served warm with vanilla ice cream.
- Pumpkin Muffins: Big bakery style pumpkin muffins.
- Pumpkin Cookies: Extra soft with thick frosting on top.
- Pumpkin Cake: Layered cake with cinnamon frosting.
- Pumpkin Dip: No-bake dessert with just 5 ingredients.
- Pumpkin Bars: A must-make classic fall treat!
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I know there have already been more than enough comments, but I just had to add my thumbs up! I made my first batch this week, and for sure it won’t be my last! These are the perfect combination of just sweet enough, moist, and smooth going down!
I’ve made these dozens of times but with 1 small addition, I add pepitas on top to make a dupe of my fav. starbucks muffin I remember from back in the day! I always get comments on how delicious they are!
Great recipe! I’ve made this a number of times now and always receive great compliments and I love how impressive they look with the cream cheese swirl 🤩. I have doubled this recipe and made jumbo muffins as well, and both versions came out great!
Made these for work, everyone loved them. AM team had them warm, fresh out the oven. PM team had them chilled from the fridge. They debated which was better.
These are so moist & delicious! I will definitely make these again. I did not change a thing.
Fantastic recipe. I made these for my staff meeting, but my family got to them first, so I had to make another batch. Everyone raved, saying these were the best pumpkin muffins they’d ever had.
I did add some turbinado sugar to them at the end of baking. Super yum.
So so so good !!! It’s also the pumpkin season here in Québec, Canada and what an incredible recipe to pass the pumkin purée.
The cream cheese swirl is perfect ! I made some adjustments : 1/2 cup of white sugar instead of one, light version of cream cheese and melted coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. I added some pepitas on top and it was fabulous. My boyfriend love them so much !! Thanks again for this recipe, it’s definetly a keeper !!!!
I made these today for the first time and they are dangerously delicious! Great fall recipe.
Can almond flour be used instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Carol, almond flour reacts differently than all purpose flour and usually needs different ratios. I have not tried it, so I can’t tell you for certain how they will turn out. You may do better looking up a recipe for pumpkin muffins that uses almond flour, then use the cream cheese topping directions from this recipe on top. Would hate for you to waste expensive ingredients and it not turn out!
Absolutely delicious! Have made several times and everyone loves them! Only change I made was subbing gluten-free baking flour, since family members require gf. I’ve had them with and without gluten and they are amazing either way. Thanks so much for sharing!
Mine look great but taste ‘eggy.’ I accidentally allowed some egg white into the egg yolk cream cheese mixture, and my eggs were large: could it be that? I hope once they cool and I add some pumpkin spice to the tops they taste more like pumpkin and less like egg.
Hi Jennifer – Hmmm maybe? I have never had anyone say they tasted eggy – so that’s a new one for me. Was it a lot of egg white?
Hi! I think it had to do with the eggs being extra large. And only some tasted like that, but still a great recipe! Very moist!
So.. I totally forgot to mix in the flour… Had to pour the pumpkin puree & cream cheese back into the bowl, mixed in the flour, then refilled the cups.. Now they don’t look pretty but I’m sure they taste good… Hahaha
Can you use sugar substitute in the recipe
Hi Shelia, yes it should work, but I personally don’t have any experience baking with sugar substitutes. Hopefully another reader can offer some advice!
I made these last night and I am technically off of dairy, gluten, and sugar. I ate one and then hate another and wanted another. I had a gluten pill and did great. I’ve eaten one tonight and am dying to eat another. They are moist, not too sweet, and fairly easy to make. What a great muffin for Thanksgiving! Try them! You will not be disappointed. And don’t change a thing in the recipe.
So glad they were worth the treat and didn’t cause you any gluten issues. 😉 Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Amazing recipe! I can’t believe it has been around that long, and I’ve never found it before. It’s easy enough for the home cook, but tastes like a pro made them. These muffins literally just melt in your mouth. Saying this is a winning recipe, is an understatement. Thank you so very much for your generosity in sharing it!
Can I use whipped cream cheese?
Hi Jean! I haven’t personally tried it, but google says not to because the extra air that is whipped into the whipped cream cheese can alter the final texture of baked goods. If you try it, make sure to measure by weight, you will need 8 oz worth.
This is our go to pumpkin muffin recipe. The kiddos love the cream cheese top the most. Perfectly moist and delicious and just in time for that cool fall weather! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
This recipe is a keeper! We love the cream cheese with the pumpkin, and the cream cheese swirl is lovely! We added chocolate chips inside, and it was delightful!
Can u use real pumpkin for these muffins?
Yes! Just make sure it’s the same consistency as canned pumpkin puree. If it’s a lot thinner (or watery) strain it well with a thin tea towel to get out the excess liquid.
These were very good, moist and tasty and easy. I will try adding some espresso powder to the batter next time or a shot of espresso to the cream cheese 🙂
Love it so much!! Made it today and it’s so yummy!!
Hi! Must these be refrigerated due to the cream cheese or is it not necessary since they are baked?
Hi Melissa! Yes, you should store them in an airtight container in the fridge because of the cream cheese just to be safe. People have commented that they have left them at room temperature for a couple of days and been fine, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Great recipe! Have made them twice! Second time, I saved a little muffin batter in icing bag to swirl over the cr. cheese (before baking), to give them cinnamon-roll effect.
Hi- can you make these in jumbo muffin tins?
Hi Jennifer, yes quite a few readers have made big jumbo versions! They will need a few minutes more of cook time, so watch them carefully!
I add a tsp of baking powder to the pumpkin batter and bake at 425° for the first 5 minutes so that they dome otherwise they come out flat because of the moisture and acidity of the pumpkin. My son asks for these each year around fall.
These muffins taste even better the next day. After they came out of the oven, I let them cool completely and put them in a glass container with lid. The next morning, I took one out and let it sit for about 25-30 minutes. Made me some coffee, and now I am on a coffee and pumpkin muffin-bliss. Thank you for this great recipe.
I haven’t made this exact recipe I have made the cream cheese filling and used it in any flavor of cupcake. We called it self filled cupcakes.
Yummy! Turned out perfectly! Made 12 regular size and 24 mini’s! The mini’s came out of oven about 7-8 minutes before the others. Followed the recipe exactly. Very moist and soft fluffy texture.