Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

You need the following ingredients:

• Pumpkin puree: a homemade puree from a pie pumpkin is fantastic, otherwise used canned pumpkin. Make sure to use real pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix!
• Pumpkin spice seasoning: use a store bought mix or a homemade mix of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
• Cream cheese: or neufchatel cheese.
• Brown sugar: use light brown sugar if you can, but dark brown, white or coconut sugar work okay too.
• White sugar: you can use coconut sugar or an unrefined white sugar.
• Extra virgin olive oil: substitute with butter, canola oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil in the same amount.
• Milk: any milk works, including dairy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or a lactose-free milk. Vanilla almond milk is actually my favorite here!
• Vanilla extract: can leave out if you don't have any without affecting the flavor too significantly.
• Egg: for egg-free muffins, use a flax egg. They are just as great!
• All-purpose flour: I have not tried this recipe with another type of flour.
• Baking powder: a leavening agent so do not eliminate.

*This recipe does not require baking soda.

This recipe makes 12 standard size muffins or 6 jumbo muffins. If making jumbo muffins, increase the baking time by about 5 minutes. You can double it and keep all ingredients proportionate.

Step 1: Prepare your muffin tins by either spraying them with cooking oil, greasing the insides with butter, or lining them with muffin liners. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, pumpkin spice seasoning and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, vanilla extract, egg, pumpkin puree and olive oil. Beat these wet ingredients until they are smooth. In a third separate bowl, make the cream cheese filling by mixing the brown sugar and softened cream cheese and until it's smooth and creamy.

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until they are just combined, being careful not to over mix. Make sure to scrape all the flour from the bottom of the bowl so it disperses into the batter.

Step 4: Fill each muffin cup halfway to the top with muffin batter. Scoop about one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of the batter.

Step 5: Then cover the cream cheese mixture with another layer of muffin batter. The muffin cups will be filled almost to the topl. Smooth the batter with a spoon or gently wiggle the muffin tin to cover the cream cheese fully (it's fine if some cream cheese is visible).

Step 6: Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. To get them done quicker, you can air fry them at 350°F for 7-10 minutes.

Step 7: Remove from the oven and let cool in the muffin tin for at least 20 minutes before removing. Store in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to six months.