Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese

Fall into fall with these deliciously light and perfectly flavored vegan pumpkin muffins with Cream Cheese Swirl. An easy, fail-proof, autumnal pastry that will warm up your home and fill up your belly. Made in just 30 minutes!

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.

How to make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins {Video}

Recommended Ingredients & Equipment

These muffins are a variation of last year’s Vegan Cheesecake Muffins. Since sharing those on the blog, I have had several requests for a plain and simple vegan pumpkin muffin recipe. And so, per your request, a warm, light and fluffy, pumpkin muffin that is bursting with pumpkin flavor and fall spices.

Best Vegan Cream Cheese

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.

Recommended Equipment

For all my vegan muffin recipes, you’ll need basic kitchen equipment such as a mixing bowl, utensils, a wire cooling rack, and a muffin baking pan. I also recommend using an ice cream scoop to evenly and cleanly scoop your batter. (<<affiliate links)

Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.

How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

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 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.

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

Serving And Storing

Serve these muffins immediately. They come out of the oven warm, buttery, and hard to resist!

Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these muffins for up to 2 months. To thaw, pull the muffins from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for several hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I omit the oil?

Sure. If you would like to make this recipe oil-free, simply swap out the oil for additional applesauce at a 1:1 ratio.

Can this muffin batter be made in advance?

Yes! If you want to make this muffin batter in advance, store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

To bake the muffins, preheat the oven and bake according to the instructions. However, these muffins may take a few minutes longer to bake since the batter will be chilled. The muffins will also be slightly denser as the baking soda begins to activate once it’s mixed into the batter, causing it to be slightly less potent.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

For sure! For gluten-free muffins, I recommend using a 1:1 baking blend.

More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes

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

More Vegan Muffin Recipes

• Blueberry Muffins
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Banana Nut Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Muffins

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.

5 from 5 votes

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and rate it below.
If you made any substitutions, let us know how it turned out!

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Print

Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Vegan
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. In a large bowl combine pumpkin puree with both sugars, mixing to combine. Add apple sauce, oil, and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

3. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract with a fork. Stir until smooth.
4. Fill muffin molds 2/3 of the way full. Top with 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and, using a toothpick, swirl to combine.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

Serving and Storing – Serve these muffins immediately. They come out of the oven warm, buttery, and hard to resist! Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these muffins for up to 2 months. To thaw, pull the muffins from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for several hours.

Make in Advance – If you want to make this muffin batter in advance, store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. To bake the muffins, preheat the oven and bake according to the instructions. However, these muffins may take a few minutes longer to bake since the batter will be chilled. The muffins will also be slightly denser as the baking soda begins to activate once it’s mixed into the batter, causing it to be slightly less potent.

Recipe Tips

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.

Nutrition Facts

Calories Per Serving: 215

% Daily Value

Carbohydrates 31g 10%

Protein 2g 4%

Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 6g 38%

Sodium 206mg 9%

Potassium 26mg 1%

Fiber 1g 4%

Sugar 20g 22%

Vitamin A 10IU

Vitamin C 0.1mg

Calcium 17mg 2%

Iron 0.8mg 4%