Easy Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Nutella Swirl

In celebration of the arrival of fall, bake Easy Pumpkin Muffins with a Cream Cheese and Nutella Swirl. Fluffy and decadent, these oil-free pumpkin muffins are a brilliant autumnal breakfast that won’t last long. Makes 12 muffins.

I’m supposed to be sharing an ice cream birthday cake recipe with y’all, buuuuuuuuuuuuuut I got inspired by autumnal pins on Pinterest this past weekend. I knew I had to make pumpkin muffins yesterday morning, so I made up these Pumpkin Muffins with a Cream Cheese and Nutella Swirl…

They’re my new favorite thing.

It still doesn’t feel like fall in Dallas, but these muffins transported me to cooler days.

If nothing else, I will continue chowing down on them until they give me hope our seasonal change isn’t too far off.

These muffins are quite simple to pull together, and the payoff is absolutely divine.

They’re just about layering flavors… and dolloping a little of this and a little of that into your muffin tins before popping them in the oven.

Other pumpkin recipes we adore during the fall: Cranberry Pumpkin Cold Brew Coffee Drink / Vegan Pumpkin Biscuits with Maple Butter / Mini Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips / Praline Pumpkin Upside Down Cake / Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies / Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

What do I need to make Nutella Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Muffins?

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• Muffin tin
• Parchment paper cupcake liners
• Hand mixer or a food processor
• Glass bowls
• 1 tablespoon cookie scoop

How to Make Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Preheat the oven, and place cupcake liners in your cupcake/muffin tin.

I really like to use the parchment paper ones ones linked above because the muffins come free so easily and without mess. You also don’t have to spritz the liners with nonstick baking spray, so that’s a win, too!

Make the Pumpkin Muffin Batter

In a large mixing bowl, blend the pumpkin, sugar, applesauce and eggs together until smooth.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until combined.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, and use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together until just combined.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, honey and egg.

Use your hand mixer or the food processor to get them nice and combined. (In the past, I’ve used a hand mixer, but I found this time that the food processor really got them where I needed them to be.)

You’ll want this mixture to be super smooth, and then you’ll set it aside.

Put the muffins together

Dollop the pumpkin batter halfway up the cupcake liners in the prepared muffin tin. Add a dollop of cream cheese to ’em.

On top of that, add a teaspoon of Nutella.

Using a toothpick, swirl ’em gently until you get a pretty swirl, like you see above in the images. The swirling step with the toothpick isn’t necessary, but it makes for extra pretty muffins, in my opinion.

Then add another layer of the pumpkin mixture on top of the filling.

Do this until all your muffins have been layered, and then transfer the tin to the preheated oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool for 10-15 minutes, and then enjoy them warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you use applesauce instead of oil or butter in this recipe?

I went through a phase where I cut out a lot of oil in my baking recipes by using unsweetened applesauce instead.

The unsweetened piece is important, as applesauce that doesn’t have this label oftentimes has added sugars.

In fairness, unsweetened applesauce has naturally occurring sugars from the apples, so this recipe takes that into account.

And since these muffins has plenty of sweetness, we don’t need to add anything extra.

Applesauce, like oil, adds tons of moisture to a baked good, and while it’s not a low fat food, it adds extra nutrients to the dish.

How do I add the swirl of Nutella and cream cheese without making a mess?

To be honest, a steady and careful hand will help you from creating a mess. 

That said, if you have little helpers in the kitchen, expect a mess. (As you should, no matter what you’re making.)

I’ve found that blending the cream cheese mixture in a food processor (or the blender, your choice) and using a spoon or tablespoon to dollop it in isn’t incredibly messy.

Measure out the Nutella as a whole before dividing it between the muffins. Also, spritz your teaspoon in a nonstick baking spray (like this avocado oil cooking spray) because it’ll help the Nutella slide off the measuring spoon instead of sticking. However, please note that you will probably still need to use a finger or an itty bitty spatula to assist with the Nutella.

How do I know when these muffins are done? Muffins with a lot of moisture can sometimes over or under bake if you’re not careful.

I totally understand that the cream cheese and Nutella mixtures can throw off the toothpick test, but the key to the toothpick test here is getting beneath the filling to confirm that it’s done. It’s not 100% accurate, though, so I understand the worry that it could be done wrong.

I also use an eyeball test on this, meaning I’ll make a visual assessment before removing them from the oven to do the toothpick test.

My criteria are as follows:

1. Do the tops of the muffins look like they’re baked through? You can tell this with these muffins by seeing if the batter is wet. If the tops are still not cooked through, the insides definitely will not be, either.
2. Do the muffins appear to be baked through? You can accomplish this by using an oven mitt-ed hand to move the muffin tin a little. If any of your muffins jiggle, they need to bake for longer.

If the muffins appear to be baked through, then I’ll remove them from the oven and do the toothpick test. Since you fill the muffin tins halfway up with the batter before adding the fillings, you’ll need to push the toothpick in deep. You can also look for a spot that doesn’t have the filling oozing out of it, too, as you might get a cleaner shot.

If the toothpick comes out with batter on it, it needs to bake a little more.

If the toothpick comes out with crumbs, you’re good to go. 

And if the toothpick comes out with filling on it and you can’t make an assessment, cut one muffin in half and see how it looks from the inside… and go from there.

Should I use muffin liners?

Yes. These parchment paper ones are my favorites because I have never, ever, ever had anything stick to them.

You can use regular liners, though, if that’s more your speed and if you want something more festive.

That said, please spritz them with a nonstick cooking spray before filling. Since these muffins are super moist, they run the chance of sticking to a regular paper liner. I’d do this as a precaution or simply spray the muffin tin with the baking spray and bake them without liners. When they’re done baking, remove the muffins, and let them cool on a wire cooling rack. 

Are pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie mix the same thing?

No, they are not. Pumpkin puree is 100% pumpkin while pumpkin pie mix is pumpkin mixed with spices, and in some cases, sweetener.

While I know pumpkin pie mix makes baking during the fall months so much easier, I urge you not to use it in this recipe because we add plenty sweetness with the sugars (and a little extra with the honey in the cream cheese swirl.)

Can you make it work if you have that? Sure, but I’d reduce the sugars by 1-2 tablespoons. (And I don’t guarantee they’ll taste the same, as I’ve never tested this before.)

What are some other brunch recipes that I could serve with these Easy Pumpkin Muffins?

• Pumpkin Spice Kombucha Cocktail (like a mimosa!)
• Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
• Brunch Salad
• Oven Baked Bacon

If you’re struggling with how to host breakfast, I’ve written you a handy guide of how to host brunch at home. (It’s easier than you think, I promise.)

Now let’s talk about these beauties below…

Do you have a go-to autumn breakfast recipe?

The photos and recipe for these Easy Pumpkin Muffins were originally published on September 22, 2014. The photographs, along with the text of this blog post, were updated on September 4, 2019.