Ingredients
MUFFINS:
- 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups (15-ounce can) pure pumpkin puree
FILLING:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
TOPPING:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
FILLING:
- In a medium bowl, combine the room temperature cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric beater, until smooth. Transfer the soft mixture to a piece of parchment paper and form it into a log, even thickness (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) and about 16 inches long. Wrap up the log and freeze for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two standard muffin pans, either nonstick spray or paper liners.
MUFFINS:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar, and pumpkin puree, until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don't over mix - some lumps are ok.
TOPPING:
- In a small bowl, add the sugar, flour, cold butter, and cinnamon. Use a pastry blender, two forks, or electric mixer to combine until crumbly.
- Spoon a small amount of batter into each muffin cup, just enough to cover the bottom of the cup.
- Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice it into 24 equal sections. Place one section/slice in each muffin cup, on top of the bottom layer of batter. Then spoon additional batter to fill the remainder of the muffin cup about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of each muffin.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.