Description
Enjoy the warm and cozy flavors of fall with these Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Muffins. Perfectly moist and tender pumpkin muffins are swirled with a sweet cinnamon cream cheese filling, making them an irresistible breakfast or snack option during chilly autumn mornings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Muffin Ingredients
- 1 cup Pumpkin Purée (Substitute with applesauce for a lighter option.)
- 1 cup Sugar (Coconut sugar for a healthier alternative.)
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar (Substitute with more white sugar if needed.)
- 2 large Eggs (A flax egg can be used for a vegan option.)
- 1/2 cup Oil (Vegetable or canola oil can be swapped.)
- 1/2 cup Milk (Almond milk or oat milk for dairy-free.)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (Use gluten-free flour for gluten-free version.)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon (Or pumpkin pie spice for mixed flavor.)
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg (Freshly grated works best.)
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 8 oz Cream Cheese (Use Neufchâtel cheese or dairy-free cream cheese for lighter option.)
- 1/4 cup Sugar (Adjust based on preference for sweetness.)
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a muffin tin by greasing it or lining it with muffin liners.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir well until all ingredients are smoothly blended.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agents.
- Create Muffin Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir gently using a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix to maintain a tender crumb.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Swirl: In a small bowl, blend the softened cream cheese with sugar and cinnamon until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble Muffins: Fill each muffin cup halfway with the pumpkin batter, add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture on top, then cover with more batter to fill the cup.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before serving to enjoy the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- You can substitute pumpkin purée with applesauce for a lighter texture.
- For a healthier alternative, use coconut sugar instead of white sugar.
- To make these muffins vegan, replace eggs with flax eggs and use dairy-free cream cheese and plant-based milk.
- Gluten-free flour can be used to make these muffins gluten-free.
- Adjust the sugar in the cream cheese swirl according to your sweetness preference.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter to avoid dense muffins.
- Freshly grated nutmeg offers a more vibrant flavor.
