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    Home » Muffins and Scones

    Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

    Published: Oct 16, 2019 by Ashley This post may contain affiliate links. 5 Comments

    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are soft and fluffy, perfectly spiced and filled with lightly sweetened cream cheese. Topped with a crunchy pepitas and cinnamon sugar – all the familiar flavors of your favorite coffee shop’s pumpkin muffins but so much better.

    baked muffins in baking tin

    My pumpkin muffins are one of the first pumpkin things I ever baked years ago and we’ve loved them every fall since. They’re a quintessential fall breakfast staple. My Brown Butter Pumpkin Madeleines and Pumpkin Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are also fall must-bake recipes!

    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This Recipe
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Baking Tips
    • Storage and Freezing
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    • Muffins are light, tender, super flavorful, and they stay moist for days.
    • No mixer is needed and they’re simple to make.
    • Only 10 minutes of prep time.
    • Easy to follow step by step recipe instructions.
    Muffins with one cut in half to show interor

    Recipe Ingredients

    All purpose flour

    Baking powder

    Baking soda

    Fine sea salt

    Spices – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves (You can also substitute and use pumpkin spice)

    Granulated sugar

    Brown sugar – adds a molasses, caramel-like flavor to the muffins

    Pumpkin purée – NOT pumpkin pie filling

    Eggs

    Canola oil – keeps the muffins moist and tender

    Vanilla extract

    Cream cheese

    Pepitas – adds crunch and flavor to the topping

    step by step cream cheese filling and pumpkin batter

    Recipe Ingredients

    Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

    1. Whisk together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
    2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. 
    3. Whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs and oil. 
    4. Whisk the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Only whisk until no pockets of the dry ingredients remain.
    step by step pumpkin muffin batter
    1. Divide the batter into the each of the cupcake liners.
    2. Distribute the cream cheese filling into the centers of each cupcake, about 1 tablespoon each.
    3. Mix together the 1 tablespoon of sugar and the ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
    4. Sprinkle the pepitas and the cinnamon sugar mixture around the edge of the muffins. 
    5. Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
    baked muffins

    Baking Tips

    • Don’t over-mix the batter after adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Over mixing can cause the muffins to be tough.
    • Don’t worry about the batter and cream cheese overflowing the liners in the oven. Each muffin should be filled to the top. This makes for large bakery style muffins.
    • Ingredients must be at room temperature for a smooth pumpkin batter and cream cheese filling.
    • Don't over bake. When a toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs, but not wet batter, the muffins are done.

    Storage and Freezing

    Pumpkin cream cheese muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 4 days.

    They can be stored in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. They can be reheated in the microwave for 15-30 seconds for warm muffins.

    close up of interior of muffin

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I swirl in the cream cheese?

    You can marble the muffins by swirling the cream cheese mixture into the muffin batter with a toothpick. Don’t fully mix the cream cheese in so that it disappears in the batter. Just give it a few swirls.

    Can I use pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves?

    Yes! Substitute 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice for the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

    cooled muffins in the pan

    Did you make this recipe? Share it with us! Tag @littlevintagebaking on Instagram and leave a star rating below if you LOVED this recipe. For more baking and decorating ideas follow me on Pinterest.

    More Pumpkin Recipes to Try

    • pumpkin spiced donut with maple sugar
      Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze
    • stacked macarons showing filling
      Pumpkin Spice Macarons
    • baked cookies stacked on baking sheet
      Pumpkin Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
    • Pumpkin Bundt
      Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Praline Glaze

    Recipe

    baked muffins cooling on a rack

    Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

    Fluffy and tender spiced pumpkin muffins filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped with cinnamon sugar pepitas.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings12 muffins
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time21 minutes mins
    Total Time31 minutes mins

    Ingredients
     

    Cream Cheese Filling

    • ½ cup cream cheese, softened
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    Pumpkin Muffins

    • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
    • 1 ¼ cup pumpkin puree
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ cup canola oil

    Pepita Topping

    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoons pepitas

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
      ½ cup cream cheese, softened, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. 
      1 ¾ cup all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs and oil. 
      ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, packed, 1 ¼ cup pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, ½ cup canola oil
    • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix. Only mix until no pockets of the dry ingredients remain. 
    • Divide the batter equally into the lined cupcake pan.
    • Distribute the cream cheese filling into the centers, equally among the muffins.
    • Mix together the 1 tablespoon of sugar and the ½ teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the pepitas and the cinnamon sugar mixture around the edge of the muffins. 
      1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons pepitas
    • Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few dry crumbs. Do not check the muffins for doneness by inserting a toothpick through the cream cheese center. Check by inserting a toothpick through the muffin at an angle. 
    • Cool the muffins in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool on a cooling rack. Best served slightly warm. 
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Comments

    1. Karen says

      October 31, 2022 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      Easy to make and bake. Beautiful muffins that have magnificent flavor!

      Reply
    2. Olivia says

      October 09, 2020 at 11:50 pm

      I just made these, and they turned out beautifully, I haven’t eaten them but they look so pretty and puffed up beautifully. Also, I replaced the eggs with two flax eggs, (1T ground flaxseed with 2.5T per water for each egg) and the substitution worked great. Cannot wait to dive into one of these Thanksgiving Day when I take coffee break from cooking. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        October 12, 2020 at 1:33 am

        Hi Olivia, I am so glad they worked out for you! They're definitely perfect for Thanksgiving morning! -Ash_

        Reply
    3. Francesca says

      October 18, 2019 at 3:33 pm

      Hi!! I'm from Italy, I love this recipe but in the muffin I can't find the pumpkin 🎃... It's that right?? 🤔 Thanks

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        October 18, 2019 at 3:36 pm

        Updated! It's there. Sorry about that!

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Ashley Little Vintage Baking

    Hi, I'm Ashley! Welcome to the Little Vintage Baking blog. I am food photographer and recipe developer of mostly sweet, sometimes savory recipes that are always delicious, and elevated, but always approachable. I hope to inspire you with beautiful, tried and true recipes for all skill levels.

    More about me →

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