This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (2024)

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Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins are moist and perfectly spiced! A delicious fallbreakfastmade with canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and a cream cheese swirl topping.

This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (1)

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

Since theseChocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffinsare always a hit on my blog, I knew I had to share this cream cheese swirl version. These easy Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese taste and smell like fall! Now that the weather’s getting cooler, they are perfect for making on a lazy Sunday morning and take less than 30 minutes to bake. And if you’re not aware, I have a TON of pumpkin recipes you’ll love if you’re a sucker for pumpkin. Don’t miss these Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal, Pumpkin Muffins or this Pumpkin Bread.

This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (2)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin Ingredients

  • Flour: White whole wheat and all-purpose flours
  • Sugar: I used raw sugar, but any kind will work.
  • Baking Soda helps the muffins rise.
  • Spices: Pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cinnamon
  • Salt balances the sweetness.
  • Pumpkin: Buy canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
  • Oil: I used coconut oil, but you can use any kind, like canola, vegetable, or olive oil.
  • Vanilla Extract for flavor
  • Cream Cheese Topping: 1/3-less fat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla

How to Make Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray them with oil for easy removal.
  2. Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flours, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin, oil, egg, and vanilla at medium speed with a hand mixer. Once thick, scrape down the sides of a bowl.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and blend at low speed until combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
  5. Cream Cheese Topping: Beat the cream cheese until smooth, and slowly mix in the sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
  6. How to Put Cream Cheese Filling in Muffins: Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, and drop one tablespoon of cream cheese on the tops of each muffin. Gently swirl the frosting with the toothpick from the edge to the center of the batter.
  7. Bake the pumpkin cream cheese muffins on the center rack for 24 to 26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool before serving.

Pumpkin Muffin Variations

  • Sugar: Swap raw sugar for granulated or brown sugar.
  • Flour: Use all white whole wheat or all-purpose flour, depending on what you have.
  • Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins: I haven’t tried it, but if you’re gluten-free, use a GF flour, like Cup4Cup. If you try it, comment below to let me know how they turned out!
  • Spices: If you’re out of pumpkin spice but have the individual components, add more cinnamon and nutmeg along with ginger, cloves, and allspice.
  • Oil: Sub coconut oil for whatever kind you have available.
  • Pumpkin Bread: To make these muffins into a quick bread, pour the batter into a loaf pan and increase the baking time to about 50 minutes. To test for readiness, insert a toothpick in the center – when it comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven.
  • Mini Pumpkin Muffins: Pour the batter into a mini muffin tin and top with one teaspoon of cream cheese. Bake at 350°F for approximately 20 minutes, checking them with a toothpick.

How To Store These Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

  • It’s best to refrigeratethe pumpkin muffins you don’t eat because of the cream cheese swirl. You can freeze them, but I personally think they taste better fresh or refrigerated. They will keep for up to five days.
  • Freeze the leftovers in a resealable plastic bag, label it with the name and date, and freeze for up to three months. Let them thaw to room temperature before eating.

FAQs

How many calories are in a pumpkin cream cheese muffin?

The best part about these healthy pumpkin cream cheese muffins is that they are under 200 calories! They are so much lighter than any bakery or Starbucks muffins. Most pumpkin recipes use at least a half cup of butter or oil, but these only use two tablespoons for the whole batch. Thanks to the canned pumpkin, they are so moist yet still light.

What is the secret to moist muffins?

1. Ingredients: Even though they don’t have much added oil, the pumpkin, egg, and cream cheese all prevent these pumpkin muffins from being dry.
2. Don’t overmix: When stirring the flour mixture into the pumpkin, mix them just enough to combine everything. Gluten activation begins when the wet and dry ingredients combine, and over-mixing will produce too much gluten, causing the muffins’ texture to be tough.
3. Set a timer: Over-baking will result in dry muffins. Set a timer so you don’t forget about them, and check them with a toothpick at 24 minutes. If your oven runs hot, check on them a few minutes before.

This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (3)
This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (4)
This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (5)
This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (6)

Weight Watchers Pumpkin Muffins

If you’re on Weight Watchers and want to lower the points, you can swap the sugar for equal amounts of monk fruit sweetener. That will drop the WW Points to 4 WW Points each.

More Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love

  • Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Cups
  • Pumpkin Banana Bread
  • Pumpkin Spiced Quinoa Breakfast Cookies
  • Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Pumpkin Butter
  • Pumpkin Oatmeal Smoothie

This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (7)

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

4.85 from 107 votes

8

Cals:170

Protein:3.5

Carbs:25

Fat:6

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffin are moist, delicious and perfectly spiced! A delicious fall breakfast treat made with canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice and a cream cheese swirl topping.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (8)

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Print Rate Pin SaveWW Points

Yield: 12

Serving Size: 1 muffin

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour, King Arthur
  • 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour, King Arthur
  • 3/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • baking spray

CREAM CHEESE TOPPING (makes 3/4 cup)

  • 5 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons raw sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray liners with oil for easy removal.

  • In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

  • In a large bowl mix pumpkin puree, oil, egg and vanilla; beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

  • Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, then blend at low speed until combined; do not over mix.

  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Slowly beat in the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined.

  • Pour batter into prepared muffin tin. Drop about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheeseto the tops of each muffin. Using a toothpick gently swirl the frosting from the edge to the center into the batter.

  • Bake on the center rack for 24 to 26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  • Let them cool before serving.

Last Step:

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Video

Notes

If you’re on Weight Watchers and want to lower the points, you can swap the sugar for equal amounts of monk fruit sweetener. That will drop the WW Points to 4 WW Points each.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 muffin, Calories: 170 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25 g, Protein: 3.5 g, Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 34 mg, Sodium: 160 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 16 g

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Categories:

  • Baked Breads and Cakes
  • Breakfast and Brunch
  • Fall
  • Freezer Meals
  • Kid Friendly
  • Lenten Friendly Recipes
  • Pumpkin Recipes
  • Vegetarian Meals
  • Weight Watchers – WW Recipes
This Fall Inspired Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Is So Yummy & Easy To Make (2024)

FAQs

Why are my pumpkin muffins so dense? ›

If your pumpkin muffins are overly dense, there may be a couple reasons why: Over-mixed batter. Be sure to mix the wet and dry ingredients together only until just combined. Mixing the batter too much can result in extra gluten development which can make the muffins dense or even gummy.

Why didn't my pumpkin muffins rise? ›

Three things will keep muffins from rising fully: not having the oven temp hot enough, not mixing the batter enough and using muffin cups that are too large. Start by heating your oven for 10 to 15 minutes before baking to bring it up to the temperature called for in the recipe.

How many cups of pumpkin are in a can? ›

How Many Cups in a Can of Pumpkin, Really? Fifteen ounces of canned pumpkin is just shy of 2 cups (16 ounces would be 2 cups). By comparison, a 3-pound pie pumpkin will likely give you enough puree for a recipe that calls for a can of pumpkin.

What is the secret to moist muffins? ›

How to Make Homemade Muffins Moist: Our Top Tips
  1. Tips to Make Homemade Muffins Moist.
  2. Keep Wet and Dry Ingredients Separately.
  3. Add All Flavorings Last.
  4. Consider Paper Liners.
  5. Don't Overfill the Muffin Cups.
  6. Check the Temperature of Your Oven.
  7. Test if Muffins Are Fully Cooked.
  8. Top Your Muffins with Flavor.
Aug 9, 2021

What is the secret to high muffins? ›

Chilling your muffin batter overnight in the fridge is the BEST thing you can do for amazing muffins. It makes them more moist, tender, and TALLER! It's very similar to chilling cookie dough, which if you know me you know I'm obsessed with chilling cookie dough. Think of it like marinating.

Is milk or water better for muffins? ›

We recommend using water; however we know that some Makers prefer to use milk to make muffins. Keep in mind that using whole milk or a high-fat content milk may result in a denser texture. Use the same amount of whole milk as the water called for in the recipe.

How to get domed muffins? ›

According to O. Corriher, the way to get a perfectly puffed up dome on your muffins is to increase your oven heat. She says that 400° should do it, no matter what the recipe says. The higher baking temperature means that the the outside edges of the muffin will set while the middle is still liquidy.

What kind of pumpkin does Libby's use? ›

Libby's, the quintessential canned pumpkin brand, uses a proprietary strain of the Dickinson pumpkin variety in their product, which is also often called a Dickinson squash. On Libby's website, it states that their product is 100 percent pumpkin.

Is Libby's pumpkin pie mix the same as pumpkin puree? ›

They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time. Just remember that puree is unsweetened, while pie filling contains sugar and spices. This will help you choose the right pumpkin product for your recipes.

What is the difference between 100% canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree? ›

Canned pumpkin (labeled as "100% pure pumpkin") is a purée of pumpkin that is sometimes mixed with other kinds of winter squash. It is unsweetened and does not contain any added spices. Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing, and you'll often see the terms used interchangeably in recipes and cookbooks.

How do you make muffins less dense? ›

Too much mixing will make your muffins dense and tough. The less mixing, the fluffier the muffins! You can grease your muffin tin lightly with oil or butter or use paper muffin liners. Test your muffins to see if they are done by ​sticking a knife or skewer in to see if any batter sticks.

Why did my muffins turn out dense? ›

If you over mix muffin batter then you will likely end up with dense rubbery muffins. When baking muffins you want to mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients and stir only until they are just combined. This step should literally take a few seconds. A thick and lumpy muffin batter is good.

What affects the density of muffins? ›

She also found that the gluten level in flour greatly affects the density of baked goods. Things that may have influenced the experimenter#s results could have been the consistency of oven temperature, the consistency of the room temperature, and how well the batter was mixed.

Why is my pumpkin bread so dense? ›

Pumpkin bread can become dense if there is not enough hydration or wet ingredients in the recipe. Another cause is overcooking the bread which can cause it to dry out. Remember, it's always easy to keep cooking if it isn't done but impossible to take cooking time back.

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