Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese

These vegan Pumpkin Muffins with cream cheese are filled with the flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg and made extra moist with pumpkin puree.

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I hate to be cliché but, friends, PUMPKIN season is upon us!

My first pumpkin recipe of the year is always exciting for me. It means fall has truly arrived with all its autumnal splendor. Last year I kicked off the season with this Pumpkin and Smokey Tempeh Chili and the year before that it was my Peanut Pumpkin Curry. If you want to know my favorite pumpkin recipe from past years, I would have to say this Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta. So creamy and delicious!

But then these vegan pumpkin muffins with cream cheese came along and everything changed.

You’re going to love these creamy and delicate pumpkin cheesecake muffins. It’s the perfect pumpkin muffin base mixed with a vegan cheesecake swirl for the most autumnal of flavors.

How to make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins {Video}

Step One – Make the batter

Whisk together all your dry ingredients in a bowl. That’s your flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In a separate bowl (or liquid measuring cup) mix together your wet ingredients. That’s pumpkin purée, sugars, apple sauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, mixing until you have a uniform batter. Don’t over-mix as this will make your muffins dense and gummy.

Step Two – Make the Cream Cheese Swirl

In a separate bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract with a fork. Stir until smooth.

Step Three – Scoop and Bake

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each mold about 2/3 of the way full. Top with 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and, using a toothpick, swirl to combine.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the middle of a muffin. The muffins are done when the toothpick comes out clean. Pull from oven and let the vegan muffins cool for 10 minutes in the muffin tin before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Make sure to let your muffins cool in the muffin tin first. If you flip them out too quickly, the muffins may fall apart.

Best Vegan Cream Cheese for Pumpkin Muffins

For the cheesecake filling, I used Go Veggie’s classic cream cheese made with coconut.

Go Veggie’s cream cheese is made from coconut for a non-GMO, no cholesterol, vegan alternative. I love Go Veggie, a company dedicated to promoting healthier lifestyles by providing delicious plant-based cheese alternatives. Their cheeses have more calcium, equal protein, less fat and fewer calories compared to dairy cheese. Their mission – to help cheese lovers enjoy all their favorite cheesy foods and feel great about it.

And the taste? Well, it’s my favorite plant-based cream cheese on the market making it the cream cheese of choice for these pumpkin cheesecake muffins.

Tips for the perfect pumpkin cheesecake muffins

These vegan pumpkin cheesecake muffins are very straight forward. They are nearly fail-proof. A few things to keep in mind when making this recipe:

1. Make sure not to over-mix your batter. When the batter is over-mixed, it allows gluten stands to form which leads to gummy dense pastries. We’re looking for light and fluffy!
2. Spray your muffin tin well! Or, if you’d prefer, use cupcake holders. This will prevent the batter from sticking to the pan.
3. Fill up your muffin molds about 2/3rds of the way full. If you do much more, the muffins will spill over as they rise.
4. Let your muffins cool for 10 minutes before flipping them out onto a wire cooling rack.
5. Let muffins cool completely before storing them. They should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The muffins can also be frozen and pulled out to thaw the night before.

More vegan pumpkin recipes

And to celebrate this wonderful October day, I’ve got a few more recipes you might like.

• Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Gluten-free Pumpkin Date Bars

So let’s get our pumpkin baking on!

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese

These vegan Pumpkin Muffins with cream cheese are filled with the flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg and made extra moist with pumpkin puree.

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

5 from 5 votes

Print

Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Servings: 18 muffins
Calories: 215 kcal
Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream Chesee Swirl

• 8 ounce GO VEGGIE vegan cream cheese
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two muffin tins with cooking oil and set aside.
2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
3. In a large bowl combine pumpkin puree with both sugars, mixing to combine. Add apple sauce, oil, and vanilla extract and stir until smooth.
4. Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract with a fork. Stir until smooth.
6. Fill muffin molds 2/3 of the way full. Top with 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and, using a toothpick, swirl to combine.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese

Amount Per Serving

Calories 215 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Sodium 206mg9%

Potassium 26mg1%

Carbohydrates 31g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 10IU0%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 17mg2%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.