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Moist Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe Easy Perfect Crinkle Tops

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These moist pumpkin cream cheese muffins feature a tender crumb, a subtle tangy cream cheese swirl, and signature crinkle tops created by brushing with a sugar-water mixture before baking. Perfect for fall breakfasts or brunches, they are quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil (neutral oil like canola)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 cup (245 grams) pure pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces (115 grams) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar (for cream cheese filling)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese filling)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for crinkle tops)
  • 1 tablespoon water (for crinkle tops)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
  2. Prepare the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger.
  4. Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a rubber spatula just until combined. Batter will be thick and slightly lumpy; avoid overmixing.
  6. Fill muffin cups: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup, add about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center, then top with remaining batter to fill each cup about ¾ full.
  7. Create the crinkle tops: Mix 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, gently brush this mixture over the tops of each muffin.
  8. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the cream cheese center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Tops should be golden brown with crinkles.
  9. Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Use room temperature eggs and cream cheese for best blending. Do not overmix batter to avoid tough muffins. Brush sugar-water mixture lightly to create signature crinkle tops. Cool muffins on wire rack to prevent sogginess. Tent with foil if cream cheese filling browns too quickly. For gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. For dairy-free, use dairy-free cream cheese and substitute oil with melted coconut oil.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, fall recipes, crinkle tops, easy muffins, pumpkin cream cheese swirl, moist muffins

Find it online: https://nanarecipes.info/moist-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-recipe-easy-perfect-crinkle-tops/