Go Back

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

Pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins with tender crumb and warm fall spices, baked until lightly golden. Each muffin gets a marbled cream cheese swirl for a creamy bite in every piece.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Pumpkin Muffins
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Swirl
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and mix the pumpkin batter
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease the cups, so the muffins release easily after baking.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture just until combined, watching for no dry streaks, and stop immediately to keep the crumb tender.
Make the cream cheese swirl
  1. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
Assemble and bake
  1. Fill each muffin liner about two-thirds full with pumpkin batter so there’s room for the swirl to set.
  2. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each muffin.
  3. Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese into the batter in a few light passes, creating a marbled pattern without overmixing.
  4. Bake for 20–24 minutes at 375°F, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin portion comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
  5. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving for clean slices and best texture.

Notes

For the best swirl, use softened cream cheese and stir the batter only until the flour disappears—overmixing makes muffins tough. Store muffins airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, swap half the granulated sugar with an equal amount of a 1:1 sugar substitute (cream cheese swirl will still marble well).