Moist pumpkin spice muffins with a velvety cream cheese swirl, baked with a two-temperature method for perfect domed tops.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 15 oz pumpkin puree 1 can
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed (light or dark)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- coarse sugar for sprinkling
cream cheese filling
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a muffin pan, placing liners in every other cup to allow the muffins room to rise.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg.
- In another bowl, combine pumpkin puree, melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until just combined.
- For the filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, milk, and vanilla until silky and smooth.
- Fill each lined cup about two-thirds full with pumpkin batter. Add a spoonful of cream cheese filling on top and swirl gently with a toothpick.
- Sprinkle with coarse sugar for a little crunch.
- Bake at 425°F for 7 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 6-7 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Let the muffins cool slightly before serving warm.