Pumpkin Muffins with Goat Cheese Cheesecake Filling

Pumpkin Muffins with Goat Cheese Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

  • 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Pumpkin Muffins

  • 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil (can substitute with canola oil or melted coconut oil)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cheesecake Filling

  • 6 oz. Ithíka Acres Creamery Plain Jane Chevre, softened to room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp. granulated sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two muffin pans with 14 liners or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
  2. Make the crumb-topping first. Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon to a small bowl and mix until combined. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbs form. Set aside.
  3. Make the pumpkin muffins. In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do Not over-mix the batter.
  4. Make the cheesecake filling. In a medium bowl, beat the Plain Jane Chèvre with an electric handheld or stand mixer on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Beat until combined.
  5. Spoon 1 tbsp. of pumpkin muffin batter into the muffin cups. Layer with almost 1 tbsp. of cheesecake filling, then another tbsp. of muffin batter. Fill the muffin cups to the very top. Some cheesecake filling may poke out of the top or on the sides. Sprinkle each muffin evenly with crumb topping and press the topping down into the muffin so it sticks.
  6. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for another 15-16 minutes. The total time these muffins should be in the oven is around 20-21 minutes.
  7. Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to eat. Muffins taste best on the same day, though they may be stored covered tightly at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.