Ingredients
Method
Preparation Steps
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-count muffin pan very well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- Cream Cheese Filling: To a small bowl, add all the ingredients, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary; set aside. Tip - Make sure the cream cheese is very well softened to room temp to make this much faster and easier.
- Pumpkin muffins: To a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and whisk together; set aside.
- To a separate large bowl add the sugars, pumpkin puree, oil, milk, molasses, vanilla, and whisk until combined.
- Pour the wet pumpkin mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, add enough batter to each prepared cavity of the muffin pan, in between 2/3 and 3/4-full. Don't exceed 3/4 full or muffins could overflow while baking. Divide batter evenly among the 12 cavities.
- Place the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag or into a plastic bag and snip the very end tip off.
- Pipe the cream cheese mixture into the center of each of the uncooked muffins, making sure just a little bit of the cream cheese is poking through on top. You aren't adding too much, 1.5 to 2 teaspoons approximately per muffin.
- Optionally, evenly sprinkle around the center of each unbaked muffin with pumpkin seeds or coarse sugar like decorator’s sugar or Sugar In The Raw.
- Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until the tops are no longer wet looking and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin next to the cream cheese filling comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the muffins to cool in pans for about 10 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For anything with an asterisk * behind it, make sure to read the Notes below for additional info and tips.