Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until evenly combined.
- In a second bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin puree, avocado oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until no streaks of flour remain; avoid overmixing.
- In a third bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and egg yolk until silky and lump-free.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of pumpkin batter into each lined cup. Add a small teaspoon of the cream cheese filling to the center, then top with more pumpkin batter until each cup is about three-quarters full.
- If you want a marbled look, drag a toothpick through the center of each muffin a few times to swirl the cream cheese into the batter.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin portion of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Nutrition
Notes
Use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, so the spice balance stays right.
Have the cream cheese at room temperature before beating it for a smooth filling.
Stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients are moistened to keep the muffins tender.
Fill the cups only three-quarters full so the cream cheese stays inside and the tops bake evenly.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat briefly before serving.
Freeze baked muffins individually for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
For a California twist, sprinkle chopped roasted almonds over the batter just before baking.