Whip up a batch of these easy pumpkin cheesecake muffins with four simple ingredients in just 30 minutes! Tall, dense, and moist, they’re sweet, spiced, and given the perfect hint of tangy flavor thanks to the cheesecake swirl.
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Pin ItWhy you’ll love these pumpkin muffins
These pumpkin cheesecake muffins are the perfect treat for fall and couldn’t be easier to make. Here are a few reasons why they’re always a hit:
- The rich and decadent cream cheese swirl takes these muffins up a notch from your average recipe, making them perfect for a decadent dessert. Though, I’ve been known to eat them for breakfast.
- Individual servings make it easy to feed a crowd, transport, and manage portion control (I can never stop eating with just one!)
- Inspired by my 3-ingredient chocolate cherry cake, this recipe yields tall, bakery-worthy muffins with just four ingredients and fuss-free steps!
Easy to prepare with minimal equipment, these muffins are the perfect addition to your weekend meal prep and make for a fun activity during the week. The only problem is that they never last long!
Key Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese – Softened cream cheese makes these muffins extra rich. For the best results, use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, not cream cheese from a tub.
- Sweetened condensed milk – This loosens the cream cheese, creating a more liquid-like consistency while adding extra richness to the flavor.
- Spiced cake mix – I have tested this recipe with both regular cake mix and spiced cake mix. Both taste great, but the spice cake mix adds a boost of warmth that I love!
- Pumpkin pure – This is crucial to creating the bold pumpkin flavor and adds extra nutrients and fiber. Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices!
Eggs or no eggs?
I tested this recipe with and without eggs. I liked both versions, but I think muffins without eggs were tad bit denser. To me it wasn’t a deal breaker though.
If you want to try yours with eggs, add 2 large eggs with pumpkin puree. And note you’ll get about 16 muffins, instead of 12.
How to make pumpkin cheesecake muffins
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), line a muffin tin with paper liners, and lightly grease each cavity with cooking spray.
- Beat the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl until smooth.
- Combine the cake mix and pumpkin puree in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat until smooth.
- Fill the muffin cups with pumpkin batter. Don’t be afraid to fill them all the way to the top!
- Then, top the muffins with the cream cheese mixture, and use a knife to carefully swirl the mixture into the batter.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Tips for Success
- Room-temperature cream cheese is much easier to blend. For the best results, let your cream cheese warm on the counter before you begin.
- For tall domed muffin tops fill the muffin cups to the top and bake at a high temperature. This way they rise quickly and will hold their shape without spreading!
Make-Ahead Tips
These muffins come together quickly, but you can still prepare in advance if you want to speed up the process even further.
- Whisk the cake mix and pumpkin puree until smooth. Then, store the batter in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prepare the cream cheese mixture, and store it in a separate airtight container in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to bake, bring the ingredients to room temperature, and proceed with the recipe as normal.
Storing Tips:
Leftover pumpkin cheesecake muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months! Thaw in the fridge overnight, and enjoy cold. Or, warm them for a few seconds in the microwave.
FAQs:
I’ve tried this recipe with and without eggs. I like both versions but think the muffins without eggs are a bit denser. To me, it’s not a dealbreaker. However, if you want to add eggs, use two large eggs, and mix them in with the pumpkin puree. You’ll get about 16 muffins instead of 12!
Yes, using a plain white cake mix with pumpkin pie spice would work. I recommend using 1 to 2 teaspoons.
Absolutely, just swap the regular cake mix with your favorite gluten-free spice cake mix, and adjust the baking time as needed.
More Muffin Recipes:
4-Ingredient Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened Note 1
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (15.25oz) box (432 g) spice cake mix Note 2
- 1 (15oz) can (425 g) pure pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl with paddle attachment, combine cake mix and pumpkin puree and beat until smooth.
- Using a large cookie scoop, fill muffin cups with pumpkin cake batter.
- Top with cream cheese mixture and swirl it in.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until inserted tooth pick comes out clean.
- Cool completely on wire rack before serving. Store in fridge or freeze in an airtight container.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
– Freeze leftovers in a sealable bag or aritgiht container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight to serve.
– Serve pumpkin cheesecake muffins cold, or warm them in the microwave for a few seconds.
Nutrition
Can you make this muffin recipe into bars by using an 8×8 pan or 9×13 pan?
Hi, Victoria! I haven’t tried this recipe in an 8×8- or 9×13-inch pan, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let us know if you give it a try.
Maybe I did something wrong, but I made these this morning, my husband said they tasted good, but I found it a little difficult to swirl the cream cheese mixture into the cupcake mixture AFTER they were put into the cupcake liners as the recipe says. I’m wondering if it would work better (be easier) to swirl the cream cheese mixture into the batter before scooping it into the liners and maybe just top it off with some of the cream cheese. Also, I had a lot of the cream cheese mix left over.
Hi, Kathy!! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for your feedback!! Yes, you can definitely fold the cream cheese mixture into the batter as you had described. I do that in my blueberry cheesecake muffins. But do notice the cream cheese mixture melts into the batter more.
Yes, I made these this afternoon. half of them has crushed pecans, which was my son’s ideal. I haven’t had a chance for one yet, but my son says there really good. Thank you so much for a taste recipe treat.
Hi, Frances!! I’m so happy you and your son chose to make my recipe and so glad he loved it!! Crushed pecan topping sounds like a fabulous idea! I’ll try that next time! Thank you for your feedback!!
Did you put a glaze or something on top of the muffins?
Hi, Stacy. No, no glaze. The white swirl you’re seeing is the cream cheese mixture.
I love how simple these are to make!
Simple they are. Thanks!
These muffins looks amazing!!
Thank you, Jocelyn!
The crumb on these is gorgeous!
Thanks, Serena!
They look amazing! And I love that they are so simple!
Thanks, Bethany! The simplicity is the best part.
These look awesome! I love how easy they are and the results look perfect in terms of texture and obviously in terms of flavor too! <3
Thank you so much! They’re indeed awesome!!