Indulge Your Taste Buds with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
As the leaves turn vibrant shades of red and orange and the crisp autumn breeze fills the air, it's clear that fall has arrived. And with fall comes an array of delicious treats that incorporate the season's signature flavor: pumpkin. Among these delightful creations, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins stand out as a delectable way to celebrate the season. Moist, spiced pumpkin muffins are taken to the next level with a sweet cream cheese swirl that melts into them as they bake, resulting in a culinary masterpiece that will leave your taste buds dancing. Plus, the best part? They only take 30 minutes from start to finish!
The Ingredients You'll Need
Before we dive into the details of this mouthwatering recipe, let's gather our ingredients:
Pumpkin Muffin Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Swirl:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Now, let's get cooking!
Creating the Perfect Swirl
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a muffin pan with paper baking cups. Set it aside for now.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt until they're well combined. This will be the dry mixture for your muffins.
3. In a larger bowl, whisk together the canned pumpkin, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Then, beat in the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until you have a smooth mixture.
4. Slowly incorporate the dry flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, stirring until there are no lumps. This will give you the rich, aromatic pumpkin batter that forms the base of your muffins.
Swirl Magic
5. In another medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until it's smooth and creamy. Then, add in the granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and beat until the mixture is well combined. This creamy concoction is what takes these muffins to the next level.
6. Now, it's time for the magic touch. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with your pumpkin batter. Then, top each muffin with approximately 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. To achieve that beautiful swirl effect, use a toothpick to gently swirl the cream cheese into the pumpkin batter. It might not look perfectly smooth, but trust us; it'll bake up to be absolutely gorgeous.
Baking and Savoring
7. Place your muffin pan into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. The aroma that fills your kitchen as these muffins bake will have you eagerly counting down the minutes.
8. Once they're done, let the muffins cool slightly before indulging in their delightful flavor. You can enjoy them best at room temperature or even slightly chilled. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, but don't be surprised if they disappear quickly.
These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins are the epitome of fall comfort food. They combine the warmth of pumpkin spice with the creamy goodness of cheesecake, creating a heavenly dessert that's perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy evening treat. So, grab your apron, preheat that oven, and whip up a batch of these muffins to celebrate the autumn season in style!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe
Yield: 18 standard muffins
Ingredients:
Muffin:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Swirl:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F and place paper baking cups into a muffin pan. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture until there are no lumps. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.
4. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and beat until well combined.
5. Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter.
6. Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy at room temperature or slightly chilled, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
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