Chai Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins (Printable)
Moist pumpkin muffins with creamy chai-spiced cheesecake swirl
# What You’ll Need:
→ Muffin Batter
01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
07 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
10 - 1/4 cup milk
11 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Chai Cheesecake Filling
12 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
13 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
14 - 1 large egg yolk
15 - 2 tbsp heavy cream
16 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
17 - 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
18 - 1/4 tsp ground ginger
19 - 1/8 tsp ground cloves
20 - 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
21 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, pumpkin purée, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter.
05 - Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Add egg yolk, heavy cream, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla; beat until creamy and uniform.
06 - Fill each muffin liner about 2/3 full with pumpkin muffin batter.
07 - Drop approximately 1 tablespoon of chai cheesecake filling on top of each muffin. Use a toothpick to gently swirl the cheesecake layer into the muffin batter for a marbled effect.
08 - Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion (avoiding the cheesecake center) comes out clean.
09 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- These little muffins pack the decadence of cheesecake into a grab and go breakfast or snack
- The chai spices warm everything up while the pumpkin keeps it incredibly moist and tender
- They freeze beautifully so you can bake once and enjoy homemade treats all season long
02 -
- Cold cream cheese creates lumpy filling that won't swirl properly so leave it out for at least an hour or soften it in the microwave for 15 seconds
- Overbaking dries out the muffin portion but underbaking leaves the cheesecake layer gooey so start checking at 20 minutes and trust the toothpick test
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients incorporate more easily creating a smoother batter and more uniform texture
- Measuring flour by weight if possible or fluffing it before spooning into the cup prevents dense heavy muffins