Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins (gluten free)

Name: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins (gluten free)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: muffins
Ingredients: 1 cup canned pumpkin puree; 3 eggs; 1/2 cup coconut sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup blanched almond flour; 1/2 cup arrowroot flour; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 4 oz cream cheese, room temp or warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds; 2 tablespoons agave nectar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

August 25, 2020 // 14 Comments » //★★★★★ 4.9 from 8 reviews

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overhead image of three pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins one with its muffin wrapper unwrapped sitting on a white counter — These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins are fluffy, moist, and naturally gluten free made with almond flour! Such a delicious fall treat!

The unofficial start of pumpkin season is only a few weeks away. To be honest, I don’t know the exact date that unofficial start is, but there’s always a moment in September where I think to myself, “It’s time…”

Since I want to prep you for when that day comes. For when that pumpkin bell rings… I’m starting now.

Sure sure, you can say it’s premature. Me? I say it’s planning for the future.

overhead image of four pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins, one laying on it's side with a bite taken out

These pumpkin swirl muffins are:

fluffy
moist
warm cream cheese pool in the middle
pumpkiny but not overwhelmingly pumpkiny
perfect any time of day
super simple to make

overhead image of all the ingredients to make pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins

Pumpkin Swirl Muffin Ingredients:

pumpkin puree: I used canned pumpkin puree, but here’s my tutorial on how to make your own pumpkin puree!
eggs: I haven’t tested it with flax eggs, so if you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
coconut sugar: if you don’t have coconut sugar, brown sugar or another granular sugar may be a good sub!
vanilla extract
blanched almond flour: I love blanched because it’s super fine and light. But, it’s not essential to the recipe. If you’re ok with a heartier texture, unblanched or almond meal could probably work too.
arrowroot flour: this adds such a lightness and fluffiness to the recipe. Arrowroot flour, arrowroot starch and arrowroot powder are all the same thing 🙂
pumpkin pie spice: a beautiful blend of autumn spices that I buy in a container pre-made.
ground cinnamon
baking soda
baking powder
salt

Cream Cheese Swirl:

cream cheese: I haven’t tested it with a dairy free cream cheese, but if you want to keep this recipe completely dairy free, I think it would be fun to experiment with it!
agave nectar: honey or maple syrup would also be a good sub!
vanilla extract

How to make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins:

Use a handheld electric mixer to cream together the pumpkin, eggs, coconut sugar and vanilla in a large bowl.

Add the almond flour, arrowroot flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Mix again until combined.

Scoop the batter into a muffin pan lined with parchment paper muffin liners. I love using an ice cream scooper to make sure all the muffins are filled the same amount. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese, agave nectar, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Once soft, scoop 1 tablespoon onto each muffin. I like to create a divot at the top of each muffin to create a little pool in the center that goes down into the center top of the muffin.

Once all the muffins have cream cheese on them, use a chopstick or toothpick to swirl it onto the top of the muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes until the tops are puffed up and set. Remove from the oven to cool. The center where the cream pool was may dip down a bit. I kinda like it but just want to warn you to not be upset if the centers do drop a bit as they cool.

Store in an airtight container in your fridge!