Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

A batch of these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins is the ideal way to usher in Fall and celebrate its unique flavors. One bite and I know you’ll agree. Breakfast, snack, or dessert– you’ll fall in love with these sweet cake-like confections.

What’s your favorite time of the year? For me, it’s undoubtedly  Fall. I love everything about it, from the scents in the air to the family traditions that come with it.  Like obsessed. Sweatshirts. Scarves. Apple Picking. Pumpkin Patches.

Freshly baked pies using Grandma’s heirloom recipes. You know, the whole 9 yards.

And speaking of scents in the air? I’d be willing to make a bet that it’s almost impossible to walk anywhere in those first few weeks of Autumn without smelling pumpkin. Yes, pumpkin.

Pumpkin season is here!

Pumpkin everything. Pumpkin everywhere. From air fresheners to coffee cups, and my personal favorite– desserts! A little sweet, a little savory, and oh so cozy, Fall desserts represent the very best of the season. Let me tell y’all, these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins are no exception.

They’re so moist and flavorful that you might even feel like you’re eating a cupcake, not a muffin. They taste frosted and everything thanks to a generous cream cheese swirl that sets as it bakes.

Bonus points, because while they’re delightful for dessert- they also double as breakfast. Paired with a cup of hot coffee or tea? It’s the perfect treat to yourself at the start or the end of your busy day.

Moist muffins that taste of pumpkin with a light, but flavorful, hint of pumpkin pie spice, they’re swirled with rich cream cheese. The cream cheese melts into the top as it bakes for an indulgent ‘frosted’ muffin that just melts in your mouth.

If you’re anything like me, you’re waiting with open arms to embrace Fall in the next few weeks. Also, if you’re anything like me, you might pass the time by running headlong and face-planting into a tin full of these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins. Kidding.

But the thought will definitely cross your mind!

What’s your favorite thing about Fall? I’d love to hear about it!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add the flour, spice, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir them together until smooth, and completely incorporated.
2. Add the pumpkin, 1 cup of sugar, and brown sugar. Use the paddle attachment and cream together until smooth, and completely incorporated.
3. Add the eggs, oil, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract, mixing again until smooth and incorporated.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix, little by little, until the batter is again smooth, incorporated, and NOT lumpy.
5. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way full, until all the batter has been used.
6. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer, whip it until smooth. Mix in the remaining sugar, egg yolk, and extract. Whip it again until the mixture’s smooth and not lumpy.
7. Scoop a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the top of the batter in each cup. Swirl it in with a butter knife, just a bit- you don’t want it mixed in completely.
8. Bake the muffins at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until the center’s set.

recipe adapted from The Novice Chef

This recipe was created by Meaghan Pantoni of 4 Sons R Us.  She loves to cook for her family on holidays and has lots more to share on her fabulous website and Facebook.

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