Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins are a delicious breakfast indulgence combining pumpkin bread and cheesecake. Sounds delightful, right?

With autumn’s arrival, it’s nice to have all the apple and pumpkin treats with their warm spices like cinnamon and ginger. These are essentially pumpkin cupcakes, but calling them muffins make them breakfast worthy, right?

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins on a narrow white tray over a red and white napkin

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins

I took our family recipe for pumpkin bread and pushed it to another level! A dollop of sweetened cream cheese transformed simple pumpkin muffins into a tantalizing treat. And a sprinkling of demerara sugar gave these the sparkle they deserved.

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffin cut in half on a small white plate garnished with cinnamon sticks

Add these Pumpkin Muffins to your holiday breakfast or brunch menu

I hosted a coffee last week and needed a few baked goodies for my dear friends. Smack dab in the middle of autumn, a pumpkin dish was in order. Despite having more spices, my first attempt was rather bland. So I went back to my tried and true pumpkin bread recipe and created an even more appealing version of these cream cheese-filled pumpkin muffins.

The cream cheese filling bakes along with the pumpkin batter and you may find a little gap when you cut into your muffin or a divot in the top…but do not worry, they will still taste amazing. You can add a little lemon juice for tang, vanilla, or even a couple drops of Fiori di Sicilia (a citrusy vanilla flavoring from King Arthur Flour) to the cream cheese. Adapt it to your liking.

Overhead view of a Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffin on a white plate on a red and white floral napkin

More Pumpkin Bread Recipes You’ll Love

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 16 muffins

These muffins are like eating pumpkin bread AND cheesecake for breakfast!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin purée (about half a standard 15-ounce can)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or lemon juice
  • Coarse sugar for sprinkling tops, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line muffin tin with paper liners and spray liners with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, oil, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda. Add flour and mix till just combined. Stir in water.
  3. Put the cream cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar and vanilla (or lemon juice if you prefer).
  4. Put a scant 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter into each muffin cup.Scoop a rounded teaspoon of the cream cheese filling and drop it in the center of the pumpkin batter. Top with another 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired
  5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or till toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Cool pan on rack for about 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pan to finish cooling.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 muffin

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g

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