Rich Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins with Cream Cheese

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large muffin pans—or standard cupcake pans if you don't have large muffin tins—with parchment liners. Set them aside while you prepare the batter.

In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas until they are mostly smooth with only a few small lumps remaining. Add 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup white sugar, and 1 cup pumpkin puree to the mashed bananas. Use an electric mixer to blend everything evenly. Next, add 1 large egg at room temperature, 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the mixture and mix again until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Use the mixer to combine until just mixed, scraping down the sides as needed. Set the batter aside.

In a separate bowl, beat 8 oz softened cream cheese using an electric mixer on low speed until light and creamy. Add 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 large egg at room temperature, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour to the cream cheese. Mix just until everything is evenly combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside for assembly.

In a small to medium bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix well. Pour in 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter and use a fork to combine until just mixed and crumbly. For an extra crunch, I sometimes add a handful of chopped nuts or oats to the crumb topping—feel free to experiment!

If using large muffin pans, scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin banana bread batter (from Step 2) into the bottom of each prepared liner. For standard cupcake pans, fill each about 3/4 full. Top the batter with 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling (from Step 3). Then, add 1 to 2 more scoops of batter over the cream cheese filling. Finish each muffin by sprinkling 2-3 tablespoons of the cinnamon crumb topping (from Step 4), or enough to generously cover the top of the muffin.

Bake the assembled muffins at 350°F (177°C) for 30-35 minutes if using large muffin pans, or 20-25 minutes for standard cupcake pans. The crumb topping should be deep golden brown, the tops should spring back when gently tapped, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for about 15 minutes in the pans before transferring them to a cooling rack. I find that letting them cool helps the flavors meld together beautifully. Enjoy!