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Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Easy Homemade Recipe

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These Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are warm, spiced, and filled with a tangy cream cheese center. The crackled sugar top adds texture, the pumpkin keeps them moist, and the whole thing comes together in about 35 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (preferably Saigon cinnamon)
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened (full-fat, block style)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (for cream cheese filling)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese filling)
  • 3 tablespoons coarse turbinado sugar (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. Make the cream cheese filling: In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese with ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Drop tablespoon-sized dollops onto a parchment-lined tray. Freeze for at least 20 minutes.
  3. Blot the pumpkin puree: Spread 1 cup of pumpkin puree onto a plate lined with paper towels. Place another paper towel on top and press gently to absorb excess moisture. Let sit for a few minutes.
  4. Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Whisk until evenly distributed.
  5. Mix wet ingredients: In a larger bowl, whisk together 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and slightly thickened. Add blotted pumpkin puree and whisk until fully incorporated.
  6. Fold dry ingredients into wet: Add dry mixture to wet mixture in three additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each addition. Stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain. Batter should be thick and scoopable.
  7. Fill muffin cups: Divide batter evenly among the 12 lined cups, filling each about ⅔ full.
  8. Add cream cheese filling: Remove frozen cream cheese dollops from freezer. Press one dollop gently into the center of each muffin cup, pushing it down slightly so it’s surrounded by batter.
  9. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar: Evenly sprinkle about ¾ teaspoon of coarse turbinado sugar over the top of each muffin.
  10. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for another 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese center) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  11. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Wait at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t skip freezing the cream cheese dollops—this prevents them from sinking. Blot the pumpkin puree to remove excess moisture for taller muffins. Use an oven thermometer for accurate temperature. Let muffins cool at least 15 minutes before eating to avoid burning your mouth on the hot cream cheese filling.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, fall baking, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, easy muffin recipe

Find it online: https://platebelle.com/perfect-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-easy-homemade-recipe/