Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

For the Muffin Batter:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or homemade blend)

• 1 tsp baking soda or baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• ½ cup melted butter

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Swirl:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• ¼ cup powdered sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 1–2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat & Prep
   Preheat oven to 375 °F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease generously.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients
   In a medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt until combined.

3. Make Batter
   In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined (don’t overmix).

4. Prepare Swirl
   In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat until fully blended.

5. Assemble Muffins
   Fill muffin cups about ¾ full with batter. Drop ~1 tbsp of cream cheese mixture onto each muffin. Use a toothpick to swirl (or leave as a dollop for rustic appeal).

6. Bake
   Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the muffin (not the swirl) comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.

7. Cool & Store
   Let muffins cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; freeze individually for up to 3 months.