Soft Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

#vegetarian #family-friendly #dessert #fall #thanksgiving

The perfect fall treat. Soft & fluffy muffins with the perfect amount of sweetness from the cream cheese filling.

Total Time: 40 min. 

Servings: about 18 muffins (depending on pan size)

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 oz block of cream cheese

• ⅓ cup sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

Pumpkin Muffins

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 1 ½ Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

• ¼ tsp ginger powder

• 12 Tbsp of unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

• 1 tsp vanilla

Cooking Steps

Prep

Preheat the oven to 420°F (215°C). Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

Make the Filling

Microwave block of cream cheese in small microwave-safe bowl for 30-45 secs, or until softened. Add ⅓ cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and whisk until smooth. Transfer filling to a plastic ziploc bag or piping bag. Set aside. 

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, & ginger). Set aside

Cream the Butter

In a large bowl, combine softened butter with 1 cup of sugar. Whisk by hand or with a mixer until butter is soft and fluffy. 

Make the Batter

To the butter mixture, add 2 eggs, one at a time, stirring well. Finally, stir in pumpkin puree & vanilla and mix until combined. 

Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix until just combined. *Please be sure not to overmix. 

Fill Muffin Pan

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan/s, filling the cups to the top.

Cut off the tip of the cream cheese bag and press about 2 Tbsp. of filling into the batter. 

Bake Muffins

To the preheated oven, bake muffins for 5 min. Then without opening the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F (180°) and bake for 15-20 min or until the muffins are cooked through and golden. 

Leave in the pan for a few min. or until cool enough to remove by hand. Transfer to a wire rack or plate to cool. Serve!

Note: These are best left stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese if you have leftovers.