Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins — the perfect fall treat. If you love pumpkin and cheesecake flavors, these muffins combine both in an easy, breakfast-friendly format. I originally began experimenting with a pumpkin pancake but switched to muffins to concentrate the flavor and make them easier to grab on busy mornings. After several test batches I landed on this version and I’m really happy with how moist and flavorful they turned out.
Today my kindergartener is celebrating Halloween at school, so I baked a batch and decorated them with little chocolate “eyes” — white chocolate dots topped with mini chocolate chips — a simple, fun detail the kids loved. I learned that easy decorating trick from heather.happykidskitchen on Instagram (no link provided here). These muffins are a great seasonal pickup for school parties, weekend breakfasts, or an autumn snack.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Easy pumpkin muffins with a cheesecake-like texture. Moist, spiced, and perfect for fall breakfasts or snacks.
20 minutes
27 minutes
12 muffins
whiteblankspace
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese softened
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
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In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, beaten eggs, softened cream cheese, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix while breaking up the cream cheese; small lumps are fine and will give pockets of creamy texture in the muffins.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
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Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
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Line a muffin tin with paper liners and divide the batter evenly among 12 cups.
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Bake for about 27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
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Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool before serving. These are delicious warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Use block-style cream cheese rather than whipped for best texture and flavor.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, substitute with 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg.
Tips & Variations
- To make spooky Halloween muffins, pipe small dollops of melted white chocolate and top each with a mini chocolate chip to create “eyes.”
- For added texture, fold in a handful of chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- These muffins are great for meal prep: store cooled muffins in an airtight container. Refrigerate if you prefer them chilled or to extend freshness, and bring to room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
- Freeze extra muffins by wrapping them individually and placing them in a freezer-safe container. Thaw and warm in the oven or microwave when ready to enjoy.