Description
These Eggless Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are moist, flavorful, and packed with warm pumpkin pie spice. The creamy swirl of dreamy cream cheese on top adds a luscious contrast to the tender pumpkin muffin base. Perfect for fall breakfasts or snacks, they’re easy to prepare, egg-free, and have a delightful balance of sweetness and spice.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 teaspoons (12 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 g) pure pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (80 g) regular plain yogurt
- 1/3 cup (80 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) evaporated milk, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until they are well combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, mix the vegetable oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a spoon or spatula. Mix by hand carefully to avoid overmixing. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy. Allow the batter to rest for 10 to 15 minutes to hydrate.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Transfer this mixture into a small piping bag or a zip-top bag for easy filling.
- Divide Batter: Portion the muffin batter evenly into 8 cupcake liners, filling them all the way to the top.
- Add Cream Cheese Swirl: Insert the tip of the piping bag into the center of each muffin batter and squeeze to fill the center with cream cheese mixture while slowly pulling the bag upward and making a small circular swirl on the batter’s surface, about 1 inch wide.
- Begin Baking: Place the muffin pan in a preheated oven and bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 5 minutes to give the muffins a lift.
- Reduce Temperature and Continue Baking: Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) and bake for an additional 20 to 23 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Muffins: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from becoming soggy and helps them set.
Notes
- You can make your own pumpkin pie spice using cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if unavailable.
- Use room temperature ingredients for a smoother batter and filling.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid dense muffins; a few lumps are fine.
- Using a piping bag for the cream cheese filling creates an attractive swirl and evenly distributes the filling inside and on top of the muffins.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Leftover muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw before serving.