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Vegan Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Vegan Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Melena
These Vegan Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are soft, fluffy, warmly spiced, and filled with a rich, dairy-free cream cheese center that stays perfectly creamy after baking. Made with simple plant-based ingredients, these bakery-style muffins are cozy, comforting, and ideal for fall breakfasts, snacks, or dessert—without eggs or dairy.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Pumpkin Muffin Batter
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • ¾ cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
  • ⅓ cup neutral oil vegetable or avocado oil
  • ½ cup plant-based milk almond, soy, or oat
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Vegan Cream Cheese Filling
  • 8 oz vegan cream cheese full-fat recommended
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pantry Staples
  • Muffin liners or nonstick spray
  • Optional: powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Pre-Cooking Prep
  • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Line a muffin tin with liners or grease well.
  • In a small bowl, mix plant milk and apple cider vinegar; set aside 5 minutes to create vegan buttermilk.
  • In another bowl, mix vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Chill filling while preparing batter.
  • Make the Muffin Batter
  • In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin purée, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Stir in vegan buttermilk.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined—do not overmix.
  • Assemble
  • Fill muffin cups halfway with batter.
  • Add 1 tablespoon chilled cream cheese filling to the center of each.
  • Top with more batter until cups are about ¾ full.
  • Bake
  • Bake for 20–24 minutes, until muffin tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the muffin (not the filling) comes out clean.
  • Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
  • Doneness & Texture Check
  • Muffins soft and domed
  • Edges lightly golden
  • Filling creamy and set, not melted into the batter

Notes

  • Chill the cream cheese filling to keep it centered.
  • Do not overfill with filling or it may leak.
  • If pumpkin seems watery, blot lightly with paper towels.