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Cozy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins Easy Recipe with Streusel Topping

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Tender pumpkin muffins with a tangy cream cheese swirl and a crunchy streusel topping, perfect for fall brunches and cozy mornings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 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 plain yogurt
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ⅓ cup (67g) brown sugar, packed (for streusel)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • 3 tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed (for streusel)
  • Optional: ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch (for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease it lightly.
  2. Make the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup flour, ⅓ cup brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Add cold, cubed butter and rub into dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. Stir in nuts if using. Chill in fridge.
  3. Prepare the cream cheese swirl: Beat softened cream cheese with ⅓ cup sugar until smooth. Add 1 egg and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; mix until creamy. Set aside.
  4. Mix dry ingredients for muffins: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a large bowl.
  5. Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until smooth.
  6. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients gently with a spatula until just combined; batter should be a bit lumpy.
  7. Assemble muffins: Spoon about 1 tablespoon pumpkin batter into each muffin cup. Add 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture on top. Add another tablespoon pumpkin batter to partially cover cream cheese. Swirl gently with a toothpick.
  8. Top each muffin with a generous amount of chilled streusel topping.
  9. Bake for 22-26 minutes. Check at 22 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the muffin’s side (not cream cheese); it should come out clean or with moist crumbs. Tent with foil if streusel browns too quickly.
  10. Cool muffins in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to keep streusel crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

[‘Use softened, not cold cream cheese for a smooth swirl.’, ‘Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins.’, ‘Swirl cream cheese gently to keep the swirl distinct.’, ‘Keep streusel cold before baking for a crisp topping.’, ‘Use fresh spices for best flavor.’, ‘Check muffins starting at 22 minutes to prevent overbaking.’, ‘If using mini muffin pans, adjust baking time accordingly.’, ‘Streusel can be omitted or replaced with cinnamon sugar dusting.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese swirl, streusel topping, fall baking, easy muffins, pumpkin spice, breakfast, brunch

Find it online: https://yumbelle.com/cozy-pumpkin-cream-cheese-swirl-muffins-easy-recipe-with-streusel-topping/