Cream Cheese Filling • 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature (225g) • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (65g) • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Muffins • ¾ cup butter softened (165g) • ½ cup sugar (100g) • ¼ cup brown sugar packed (50g) • 2 large eggs (room temperature preferred) • 1 cup pumpkin puree (225g) • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 Tablespoons whole milk (30ml) • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (150g) • 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ¾ teaspoon baking powder • ¾ teaspoon baking soda • ½ teaspoon salt

Streusel • ½ cup all-purpose flour (63g) • ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed (67g) • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon • 3 Tablespoons butter  (salted or unsalted is fine), melted

Place cream cheese,  granulated sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. 

Use an electric mixer and stir until smooth.

In a medium-sized bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together softened butter and sugars until well-creamed.

Add eggs and beat until combined. Then, stir in pumpkin puree until combined. 

Add milk and stir well.  Then, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using a spatula, gradually add dry ingredients and wet and stir until just combined — do not over-mix!

Portion about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin muffin batter into the bottom of each muffin liner.

Use the back of a spoon to make a small crater/nest in the center of the batter.

Drop a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the nests you've created. 

Then drop/smooth more pumpkin muffin batter overtop, taking care to completely cover the cream cheese and filling liners ¾ of the way full.

Whisk together flour, sugars, and ground cinnamon until combined.

Add melted butter and toss/claw together ingredients until clumpy.

Evenly divide streusel over pumpkin batter.

Transfer muffins to 375F (190C) preheated oven and bake for 23-25 minutes or until tops are beginning to turn golden brown.

Allow to cool before serving.