Inspired by King Arthur Baking
Perfectly spiced pumpkin flavor. Not too sweet cheesecake filling. Delightful streusel topping with lots of tender crunch.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin papers. Lightly grease the papers.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, and salt. Work in the butter, mixing until coarse crumbs form. Set the topping aside.
Place the soft cream cheese in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Stir until creamy and well blended. Set the bowl aside while you work on the muffin batter.
Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey, salt, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and milk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add the flour and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat briefly to incorporate the scrapings.
Drop a scant 2 tablespoons of the batter into each muffin cup, spreading it to cover the bottom. Dollop on a generous tablespoon of cheesecake filling, then cover with another 2 tablespoons of batter.
Sprinkle each muffin with a heaping tablespoon of the crumb mixture.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted towards the edge (not into the filling) comes out crumb-free.
Remove the muffins from the oven. As soon as they're cool enough to safely handle, transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Enjoy your fresh-baked muffins within 2 to 3 hours. Refrigerate up to 3 days for longer storage.
Freeze, well-wrapped, up to 3 weeks. Rewarm cold muffins in a preheated 350°F oven, tented with foil.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don't have a supply of pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves + 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.