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Cozy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins with Easy Brown Sugar Streusel

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Tender pumpkin muffins with a velvety cream cheese swirl and a crunchy brown sugar streusel topping, perfect for cozy fall mornings or anytime you need a comforting treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional pinch of nutmeg or cloves)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup (40g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (55g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 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 streusel: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate to keep cold.
  3. Prepare the cream cheese swirl: Beat softened cream cheese with sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy (2-3 minutes with electric mixer). Set aside.
  4. Mix the pumpkin batter: In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Assemble muffins: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter into each muffin cup. Add 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top. Add another 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter over cream cheese. Swirl gently with a toothpick or skewer to create marbled effect.
  6. Sprinkle streusel generously over each muffin, pressing lightly to stick.
  7. Bake for 22-26 minutes until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into pumpkin part comes out clean (avoid testing cream cheese part).
  8. Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins. Use room temperature eggs and cream cheese for smooth texture. Keep streusel cold until baking to maintain crunch. Test doneness by inserting toothpick into pumpkin batter, not cream cheese swirl. For dairy-free, use vegan cream cheese and flax eggs. Swirling gently creates beautiful marbled effect.

Nutrition

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

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