Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for the muffin mix: all-purpose flour, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Crack the egg into the well and scramble it with a fork. Then, add the pumpkin puree, melted butter, vanilla extract, and maple extract to the well. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is well combined. Be careful not to overmix; just mix until no large lumps remain.

In a separate small bowl, prepare the cream cheese filling. Mix the room-temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, milk, vanilla extract, and maple extract until smooth. Transfer this mixture into a pastry bag or a zip-lock bag with a small hole cut at the end (about the size of a dime).

Grease a 12-count muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or use liners. Spoon approximately 3 tablespoons of the muffin mix into each muffin cup.

Insert the pastry bag straight down into the middle of each muffin and squeeze about a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into each muffin.

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin part comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to rest in the tin for 5 minutes before removing them. Enjoy your delicious pumpkin spice muffins with a delightful cream cheese surprise in the center!