Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins
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
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.
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.
More Pumpkin Bread Recipes You’ll Love
- Cranberry Pumpkin Rolls from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pumpkin Challah
- Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Apple Pumpkin Bread
- Mini Pumpkin Bread
- More Bread Recipes
Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin 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
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Line muffin tin with paper liners and spray liners with non-stick cooking spray.
- 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.
- Put the cream cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar and vanilla (or lemon juice if you prefer).
- 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
- 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:
16Serving Size:
1 muffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 248Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g
44 Comments on “Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins”
They were great! Mine were not as pretty as yours but I’m gonna try again I think I just put too much batter in each one thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks so much for reporting back, Kristi! I’m so happy you enjoyed them!!
Hi I making your muffins today in the ingredients baking powder is listed twice 1 teaspoon and a quarter teaspoon and then 1/3 cup of milk and then the instructions it says StIr in waterSo my question is how much baking powder and do I use water or milk thank you
Hi, Kristi! Yikes. Only use 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder and use water not milk. I’ve edited the recipe card. Hope you enjoy!!!
I can imagine that all of your friends look forward to coming to your home. There is always something delightful on the menu!
These are so cute… I love how the cream cheese makes a heart shape!
These look like the perfect way to start the day :-). I love anything pumpkin, especially bread!!
Absolutely gorgeous and perfect in every way, Liz. Sweetened cream cheese goes so nicely with pumpkin bread muffins!
Cream cheese and pumpkin? I’m all in!
These muffins were yummy and a big hit at the SMHG meeting. I ‘m making them for my family over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Lizzy,
Your muffins look delicious. I would eat them every day if I could. You could always fill in any divots with cream cheese frosting or melted chocolate but I think they’re wonderful as is. Hopefully I can get my pumpkin recipe ready in time for this month’s twelve loaves.
Annamaria
They look delicious! Thanks a lot for sharing!
What delicious stuffed muffins, I would devour these for breakfast (no regrets!) 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
These pumpkins muffins are beauties and what a nice surprise to have a little creamy filling in the middle!
Love pumpkin muffins.. filling them with cream cheese make them even more tempting. Yours look wonderful.
Two of my favourite things all in one delicious place. I would simply eat the whole lot.
These look gorgeous, Lizzy and I do like the combo of a muffin with a cheesecake. How exciting to wake up to a cheesecake for breakfast. Your ‘muffins’ look very moist and full of autumnal flavours xx
Cream cheese and pumpkin are pretty much a match made in heaven! I could eat the whole batch!
These pumpkin muffins look scrumptious with that cream cheese surprise!
The Kitchen Chopper”s Hubby here! These look so amazing I’m going to force her to bake them for me this Thanksgiving. I’m a pumpkin fanatic. Brava!
I’d really enjoy the surprise inside! Cream cheese might not be the best thing to eat but I love it!
I can’t wait until a holiday breakfast for these delicious, fun-filled, pumpkin muffins! No patience! Bring on the pumpkin!
I love that these are small portions and they’re stuffed with cream cheese- YUM!
One can never have enough pumpkin goodness especially for breakfast, Liz! I bet these freeze beautifuuly too. Hmmm..a holiday possibility:)
Thanks for sharing, Liz…
Love how the cream cheese has formed a heart. 🙂
What great treats these are!!
They look like they’re waiting for me to eat them 🙂
Liz: I agree with you… They are perfect for breakfast and more… They are also perfect as a snack accompanied by a good cup of coffee. I gotta try this recipe!
Pumpkin muffins sound like the best snack or breakfast! Love the cream cheese filling – it looks gorgeous! Pinning!
Those sound and look yummy Liz. Sort of like frosting on the inside, right? Your pals must have loved them.
Liz, I’m all pumpkin all month. . going to get my fill before November is over!!! You made cream cheese filled pumpkin muffins?!!! This is why I love you!!! brilliant and love love love!! pinned, TWICE! 😛
Cream cheese dollops are the best surprise! I loooove adding muffins to my brunch menu. Saved, Liz!
yum!!!! i love that they are filled. I haven’t had a filled cupcake in years. They look amaizng
Love that extra touch of sugar you added on top. Nice touch to complete these delicious muffins! Thanks for baking with us this month 🙂
This looks amazing! I’ve never filled a muffin before. Thanks for the recipe, Liz. I’ll definitely be trying this soon.
I would be delighted to see these on the menu for a coffee morning they look lovely 🙂
Liz, this muffins are amazing ! So good with my coffee in the morning !
Kim is right…it does look like the TwelveLoaves heart! Love these delightful muffins, Lizzy! I’d take two now and another one later;) Thanks for baking with us this month for our pumpkin theme!
Oh, these look awesome! I have always wanted to try Fiori di Sicilia, I need to order a bottle soon. Okay, and am I crazy…I don’t see the recipe!?
Oh, gosh, Heather! I must have deleted it when I added the linky code. Thanks for letting me know!!!
I see the heart too! Cream cheese anything and you’ve got me. And now that I’ve got my pumpkin groove back I’ll definitely be trying these.
Oh yes! No doubt I would love such breakfast!
The featured photo of the cream cheese almost replicates the #TwelveLoaves heart, Liz! But maybe it’s my imagination influencing me. Why? I <3 these cream cheese open for vanilla (or maybe even liquor!) accented tried-and-true pumpkin muffins =)
Sounds great for breakfast Liz:@)
Oh I think muffins should always have a cream cheese filling, these look divine!