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Cozy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins with Easy Brown Sugar Streusel

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Velvety swirls of cream cheese twist through moist pumpkin batter, topped with a crumbly brown sugar streusel for a cozy, textured autumn treat perfect for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup (240ml) pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it.
  2. Make the brown sugar streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add cold cubed butter and blend with fingertips or pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
  3. Prepare the cream cheese swirl: Beat softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  4. Mix dry ingredients for pumpkin batter: whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
  5. Combine wet ingredients: whisk pumpkin puree, oil or melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  6. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and gently fold with spatula until just combined; batter should be thick but scoopable.
  7. Assemble muffins: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter into each muffin cup. Dollop about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top. Add another 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter over cream cheese. Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl cream cheese through batter.
  8. Sprinkle brown sugar streusel generously over each muffin, pressing lightly to help it stick.
  9. Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick near the cream cheese swirl comes out clean or with few moist crumbs.
  10. Let muffins rest in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely to keep streusel crisp.

Notes

Soften cream cheese at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before mixing to ensure smooth swirl. Use a gentle hand when swirling cream cheese to keep marbled effect. Keep butter cold for streusel to maintain crumbly texture. Avoid overbaking to keep muffins moist and cream cheese swirl tender. Muffins can be stored at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated for 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese swirl, brown sugar streusel, fall baking, autumn muffins, cozy breakfast, pumpkin recipe

Find it online: https://tastytuck.com/cozy-pumpkin-cream-cheese-swirl-muffins-with-easy-brown-sugar-streusel-recipe/