Orange Cream Cheese Muffins

Orange zest and cream cheese come together to create a delicious, moist, and tender muffin.

These easy-to-make muffins are perfect when you want a quick, light breakfast or an afternoon snack. I have even served them for dessert.

I love adding a little drizzle of orange icing over the tops of these muffins to give them an extra burst of orange flavor. Make a batch or two, and freeze some for a latter day.

Helpful tips

• The ingredients should be at room temperature. If the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature, they will blend together more easily.
• Beat the cream cheese for a few seconds, or until fluffy, before adding the sugar; this will help with avoiding lumps.
• The muffin tins can be filled at least 3/4 of the way full. This will give you a nice-sized muffin.
• The amount of muffins may vary, depending on how full you fill the muffin tins.
• The oven should be preheated before baking the muffins. Best practice is to turn on the oven when you start making the recipe.
• Muffins can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Remove for a few minutes before serving.
• The muffins can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

Muffins

• Cream Cheese
• Butter
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Milk
• Orange Zest
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt

Orange Icing

• Powdered Sugar
• Orange Juice

Steps for making easy orange cream cheese muffins

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Steps one, two, and three

Beat the cream cheese until fluffy and add the sugar. Mix the two until well blended. Add the butter and mix until blended. Add eggs one at a time and mix in.

Steps four, five, and six

Add the milk and the orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix just until combined.

Steps seven and eight

Fill the prepared muffin tin about 3/4 full. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned.

Steps nine, ten, and eleven

Make the icing, and add enough of the orange juice until it reaches the right consistency for drizzling. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cooled muffins.

More muffin recipes

• Banana Oatmeal Muffins
• Triple Chocolate Muffins
• Zucchini Nut Muffins
• Sour Cream Apple Muffins

If you make these orange cream cheese muffins, I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment and a rating.

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Orange Cream Cheese Muffins

Orange zest and cream cheese come together to create a delicious, moist, and tender muffin. Perfect for a quick breakfast.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: orange cream cheese muffins, orange muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 14 muffins

Calories: 250kcal

Author: Dawn

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Orange glaze
• 1 1/4 cup powder sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Add cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add the sugar and mix it in. Add butter and mix until combined.
• Add eggs one at a time and mix until blended in. Add the milk and orange zest and mix until blended.
• In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until blended.
• Prepare muffin tins with paper liners. Fill each tin 3/4 full with the muffin batter. Bake in the preheated oven. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove move from oven and cool on cooling racks until completely cooled.
• While muffins are cooling mix the glaze together. Gradually add the orange juice to the powder sugar beating until smooth and the right consistency. Drizzle over muffins.

Notes

1. The ingredients should be at room temperature. If the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature, they will blend together more easily.
2. Beat the cream cheese for a few seconds, or until fluffy, before adding the sugar; this will help with avoiding lumps.
3. The muffin tins can be filled at least 3/4 of the way full. This will give you a nice-sized muffin.
4. The amount of muffins may vary, depending on how full you fill the muffin tins.
5. The oven should be preheated before baking the muffins. Best practice is to turn on the oven when you start making the recipe.
6. Muffins can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Remove for a few minutes before serving.
7. The muffins can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary with the brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4.2g | Fat: 7.3g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 124mg | Sugar: 26.7g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

This recipe was originally published on March 20, 2015. It has been updated with new content and pictures on February 19, 2026.