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Tender Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins Easy Homemade Recipe with Crunchy Streusel

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These tender pumpkin muffins feature a tangy cream cheese swirl and a crunchy streusel topping, delivering a perfect balance of soft pumpkin cake and crisp texture for a cozy fall treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ⅓ cup (65g) brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (for streusel)
  • 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ½ cup (50g) chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or lightly grease it.
  2. Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add 4 tablespoons cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in chopped nuts if using. Set aside in the fridge to keep cold.
  3. Prepare the cream cheese swirl: In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined. Set aside.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients for the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
  5. Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the melted butter with sugar until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Stir in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
  6. Bring wet and dry together: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with buttermilk (start and end with dry), stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
  7. Fill muffin cups: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of pumpkin batter into each muffin cup. Add about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling on top. Then add another tablespoon of pumpkin batter over the cream cheese. Using a butter knife or skewer, gently swirl the layers to create a marbled effect.
  8. Add the streusel: Generously sprinkle the chilled streusel topping on each muffin, pressing lightly to help it stick.
  9. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. The streusel should be golden and crunchy.
  10. Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Use room temperature eggs and softened cream cheese for smooth blending. Keep the streusel cold to maintain crunch. Avoid overmixing the batter to keep muffins tender. If cream cheese mixture is too thick, warm slightly; if too thin, chill before swirling. Oven temperature may vary; use an oven thermometer for best results.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese swirl, streusel topping, fall baking, easy pumpkin recipe, homemade muffins

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