Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

Since I have a thing for cheesecake and coffee cake, I thought combining the two in a pumpkin muffin would be pretty darn amazing. It just made sense to me, you know? I'm glad I did, because these babies are incredibly good! I love the idea of cream cheese in muffins, whether it be chocolate muffins, strawberry muffins or pumpkin muffins- it's really a great ingredient. Combine it with some cinnamon and vanilla... oh man, it melts together while baking and tastes like a bite of cheesecake once it cools! The topping on these is crunchy and sweet and gives these muffins a little extra something (or what I would call the coffee cake topping). These really are a little taste of heaven!

Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients

1½ c. flour

1½ c. sugar

½ c. brown sugar, packed

½ c. canola oil

2 eggs

1 c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

For the filling:

4 oz. Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese

½ c. powdered sugar

¹⁄₈ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. cinnamon

For the topping:

2½ tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar. packed

2 tbsp. butter, melted

pinch of salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with 16 cupcake liners. Set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix together with a spatula until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

3. To make the topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until incorporated.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugars, oil and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add vanilla and one egg, mix. Add the second egg and mix until combined.

5. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. With mixing speed on low, gradually and to wet ingredients. Mix until smooth. 

6. Scoop batter into liners filling ¼ of the way full. Place a gum ball sized dollop of filling in each, then cover with remaining batter until each liner is filled ¾ of the way full. Sprinkle with chunks of topping. Place in oven and bake for 20-23 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and place pans on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins and letting them cool on the rack for 15 minutes.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, Pumpkin Muffins | Makes approximately 16 standard size muffins