Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
These sourdough pumpkin cream cheese muffins are just like the ones from Starbucks. They are light and moist, with a sweet cream cheese filling in every bite. They are easy to make with a can of pumpkin puree and leftover sourdough discard, and they bake perfectly in just 20 minutes!
Just like our sourdough pumpkin bread, these cozy muffins are made with sourdough discard and pumpkin pie spice but with an added marbled swirl of sweet, creamy goodness that’s hard to resist.
As soon as the weather cools down, I get that familiar craving for warm, autumn flavors, and I know I’m not the only one! Pumpkin spice season calls us all!
I start by making a fresh batch of homemade pumpkin pie spice, and one of the first treats I whip up each year is these delicious pumpkin cream cheese muffins. The best part is they're baked in just 20 minutes!
They’re the ultimate fall sourdough treat. The perfect dessert for breakfast or breakfast for dessert, am I right?!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Dry Ingredients: You’ll need all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and a bit of salt to balance the flavors. Our homemade pumpkin pie spice is made with a warming blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
- Wet Ingredients: Pure canned pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, whole eggs, sourdough discard, avocado oil, and vanilla extract. You can use any neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil, but steer clear of olive oil, as its flavor can be overpowering in these pumpkin muffins. Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree - avoid pumpkin pie filling, which already contains spices and sugar.
- Cream Cheese Swirl: You’ll need full-fat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, an egg yolk, and vanilla extract. If you don’t have confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar can work in a pinch, though the texture may be a bit less smooth.
- Optional Add-Ins: Toss in some chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans for a nice little crunch - they’re a great way to add a bit of extra texture to these soft, spiced muffins!
How to make Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line your muffin pan with paper muffin liners and set to the side.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice powder, and salt together. Set to the side.
Step 3: In a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sourdough discard, and granulated sugar, and whisk together until fully incorporated. Whisk in eggs, vanilla extract, and oil. Slowly add in the flour mixture, whisking until there are no lumps, making sure not to over-whisk the batter. Fill muffin tins about three-quarters full.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk, then beat until thoroughly mixed.
Step 5: Top each muffin with a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture, swirling it carefully into the batter with a toothpick or a knife.
Step 6: Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes. Check readiness by inserting a toothpick into the center; they're done if it comes out clean.
Carmyn's Tips
Use room temperature ingredients: Bring your eggs and cream cheese to room temperature before starting. Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly, especially in the cream cheese swirl, creating a smooth, silky texture.
Avoid overfilling the cups: Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full to leave room for the muffins to rise without spilling over.
Swirl with care: For a beautiful swirl, add a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture to each muffin cup after filling it with muffin batter. Use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the muffin batter. Don’t overdo it - a few swirls are enough for a nice marbled effect.
Check for doneness carefully: Insert a toothpick into a muffin to check if it comes out clean. If it’s clean or has just a few moist crumbs, they’re done. The cream cheese may still look slightly soft, which is fine as it will firm up as the muffins cool.
Let them cool completely: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Cooling completely helps the cream cheese swirl set properly.
How to Store
Short-term storage: If you plan to eat them within 2 days, store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. Layer a paper towel under and over the muffins in the container to absorb any excess moisture.
Refrigeration for longer storage: Place the muffins in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. When you’re ready to enjoy one, bring it to room temperature, or pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to soften.
Freezing for long-term storage: Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for 15-20 second.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
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Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 1 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil (any neutral-flavored oil, NOT olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- ¼ cup confectioner sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line your muffin pan with paper baking cups and set to the side.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set to the side.
- Add the pumpkin puree, sourdough discard, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl, and whisk together until fully incorporated. Whisk in eggs, vanilla extract, and oil. Slowly add in the flour mixture, whisking until there are no lumps, making sure not to over-whisk the batter. Fill muffin tins about three-quarters full.
- Take a medium bowl and beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk, then beat until thoroughly mixed (If you don't have a hand or stand mixer, warm the cream cheese in the microwave slightly and beat with a whisk).
- Top each muffin with a dollop (or 1-2 tablespoons) of the cream cheese mixture, swirling it into the batter with a toothpick or knife tip. Don't worry if they don't look perfect—they will bake up nicely.
- Bake muffins for 18 minutes. Check readiness by inserting a toothpick into the center; they're done if it comes out clean or has a few moist crumbs. Otherwise, bake an additional 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Using oil in muffins gives them a super moist and tender texture that stays soft. Oil-based muffins are usually a bit lighter and have a softer crumb, making them great if you want that melt-in-your-mouth feel. Butter, on the other hand, adds a rich flavor and tend to be slightly denser and have a more cake-like texture.
There are a few reasons why this can happen. Over mixing the batter can make muffins dense and cause them to collapse, so mix just until combined. Too much baking powder or soda makes muffins rise fast but then sink, so measure carefully. Under baking also leads to sinking. Be sure muffins are fully set and a toothpick comes out clean before removing them from the oven.
Dry muffins are often caused by overbaking, which removes too much moisture. Using too much flour or not enough liquid can also make the muffins dry and crumbly. Lastly, if the batter is overmixed, it can lead to a tougher, drier texture.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
Yes
These were absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly. I love your discard muffin recipes that use oil! They seem to rise better than butter in my experience.
I have to admit- it took me weeks to try this recipe because it doesn’t have weights listed. I got used to weighing my ingredients for baking (thanks to your amazing recipes) and it felt burdensome to get out my measuring cups, as snobby as that may sound. We the people request measurements for this recipe! 🙂
These muffins were so easy to make and they taste amazing. The muffin is so moist. I froze half a dozen of them for about a month. They tasted just as good as the fresh muffins tasted. I will be making these many more times.
Wonderful muffins! I'd be great if the weight measurements could be added to this recipe though.
So now that I have filled my cupcake cups, I'm assuming this recipe calls for the large muffin size cups. I filled 20 regular size cups. Maybe add that to the recipe somewhere?
Hi Connie, we used regular-sized muffin tins. We got about 16 muffins,, but depending on much batter you put into each cup you will get more muffins or less. We filled the muffin wells about 3/4 of the way.
The picture shows pumpkin seeds. Are you putting them in the muffin? Or just on top? I don't see them in the recipe.
Hi Molly, we used pumpkin seeds to decorate these for the photos. You can add pumpkin seeds to the mixture if you'd like or sprinkle them on top, totally optional.
These taste great but they’re sticking to the cupcake liners instead of coming off clean. I even let it cool complete but it’s still doing the same thing.
I highly recommend parchment paper liners. Nothing has ever stuck to them for me. They are worth the little extra cost.
These muffins are great and so moist!