Creamy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
3. Stir in the pumpkin puree, melted butter, brown sugar, two eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until just combined, ensuring no dry flour streaks remain.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Add one egg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, whipping until the mixture is velvety and free of lumps.
5. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter into the bottom of each muffin liner.
6. Carefully dollop 1 generous tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture directly into the center of the batter.
7. Top with the remaining pumpkin batter, smoothing the top with a spatula to seal the filling.
8. Bake for 18–22 minutes until the tops are a deep mahogany color and a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out clean.
9. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.