Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- ½ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for filling)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
Instructions
- Step 1: Preparation. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease them lightly with cooking spray to ensure the muffins don’t stick.
- Step 2: Mixing Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined and no lumps remain.
- Step 3: Combining Wet Ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the two eggs, pumpkin puree, oil, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Step 4: Making the Batter. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a spatula. Mix just until combined; be careful not to overmix, as this can make the muffins tough.
- Step 5: Preparing the Filling. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, ¼ cup of sugar, egg yolk, and remaining vanilla extract together until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Step 6: Layering the Muffins. Add about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter into each muffin liner. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center, then top with another 1 tablespoon of pumpkin batter to cover the filling.
- Step 7: Baking and Cooling. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part of the muffin comes out clean. Allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.