This is a moist pumpkin muffin redolent of pumpkin spice, topped with a dollop of a sweet cheesecake filling. Quick and simple to whip up and perfect for those cooler mornings.
Ingredients
- For the cream cheese filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the muffins:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or brown are fine)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, safflower or corn oils are fine)
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), canned or home-made
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar or pumpkin seeds (optional, not pictured)
Directions
- Make the cream cheese filling:
- Blend the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate.
- Make the muffins
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, oil, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the pumpkin spice. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, making sure each muffin is filled equally. Place a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each muffin. If using, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or pumpkin seeds (not pictured). Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few dry crumbs. Make sure you don’t insert the toothpick through the cream cheese! Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.