Description
These muffins are what pumpkin spice dreams are made of – soft, spiced perfection with a hidden cream cheese surprise inside that’ll have you reaching for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1¾ cups (219g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1½ cups (340g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for filling)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
- ¼ cup (25g) chopped pecans or pumpkin seeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Make cream cheese filling: Beat softened cream cheese until smooth, then mix in ¼ cup sugar, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Fill each muffin cup ⅓ full with pumpkin batter, then create a small well in the center.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in each well.
- Cover with remaining pumpkin batter, filling cups about ¾ full.
- If desired, sprinkle tops with chopped nuts and turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the pumpkin part comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.