Pumpkin Apple Cream Cheese Muffins

Fall baked goods are always tempting, so when I came across this recipe, I couldn't resist. Pumpkin AND apples- you don't get more autumn than that. I'll be eating them with a little bit of maple butter spread on top.

Pumpkin Apple Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz package of cream cheese (at room temperature)

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 egg white

1/2 tsp vanilla

Muffins

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

15 oz can pumpkin puree

3 apples, peeled, sliced and diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper squares or cupcake liners.

Peel and dice the 3 apples. Place diced apples into a bowl and set aside while you prepare the cream cheese filling.

Using an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 1 egg white and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until mixture is fluffy. Set cream cheese mixture aside in a cool area while you prepare the muffin batter.

In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, milk, pumpkin puree and white sugar. Beat until consistent and well blended. Fold in diced apples.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

Slowly add dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture until combined. 

In each muffin hole add a dollop of pumpkin batter, a dollop of cream cheese, and top with a scoop of pumpkin.  You want the cream cheese mix to be sandwiched between layers of the pumpkin mix.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 F. The muffins will be done when their tops are springy to the touch.