Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel

For the filling: In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the streusel: In a food processor, combine the pecans, flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse a few times until combined and pecans are broken down. Pour melted butter over the top and pulse until the butter is incorporated.

For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Grease or place liners in muffin pans. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, pumpkin, oil, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves until smooth. Add flour and stir until combined, then whisk to eliminate lumps.

Fill muffin pan cavities 1/3 full with batter. Add a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each. Top with batter to cover the cream cheese, leaving space for the streusel.

Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of streusel over each muffin. Bake for 20-26 minutes until tops are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean of pumpkin batter. Let cool on a wire rack.