Our very own Yay Dude MVP, Ashley Buie, owns Nine on 33rd and is also an amazing baker! You can find her as ‘The Styled Baker’ on Instagram. The former hair stylist shares her favorite style finds and how tos for hair, makeup, clothing, and (lucky for us!) creates and shares many of her recipes, and our favorite this season is her pumpkin cream cheese muffins! Keep reading for the recipe!

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz block cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Walnut Praline Topping:

2 Tbsp brown sugar, divided
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup walnuts, chopped

Pumpkin Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 420F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
To make the filling: Microwave cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl on low power for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag (without a tip) and set aside.
To make the walnut praline topping: In a small bowl combine 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Set aside. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add remaining brown sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly until caramelized. Transfer caramelized walnuts to brown sugar mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine softened butter and sugar, beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Add eggs and beat for 2 minutes at high speed. Reduce speed to low, add pumpkin puree and mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling the cups all the way to the top. Sprinkle with Walnut Praline Topping. Cut off the tip of the piping bag and press about 2-3 Tbsp of cream cheese filling into the batter.
Bake for 5 minutes at 420F, then keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350F and bake for about 20 more minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top.
Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the muffins cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool to room temperature on the rack.

(+ if you make these post a picture on Instagram and tag us @YaydudeOKC)