Cupcake Cheese Muffins are soft, pumpkin‑spice muffins with a sweet, tangy cream cheese swirl baked right into the top, giving you the flavor of pumpkin bread and cheesecake in one bite. They’re perfect for fall breakfasts, snacks, and holiday trays, with a moist crumb from pumpkin puree and oil and a creamy swirl that melts slightly into the muffins as they bake.
Why you’ll love these muffins
These muffins follow the same structure as many pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins: an easy pumpkin batter, a simple sweetened cream cheese mixture, and a quick swirl step before baking. The pumpkin batter uses both granulated and brown sugar for moisture and flavor, while the cream cheese adds rich tang that balances the sweetness and warm spices.
They’re mixed mostly by hand, bake in about 20 minutes, and need no frosting, so they’re lower effort than cupcakes but still feel special and bakery‑style. The swirl method—dolloping cream cheese on top and using a toothpick to marble it—matches many popular pumpkin cream cheese muffin recipes and gives you a pretty top on every muffin.