• Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line a 12 count muffin tin with liners.  Set aside.

For the Topping:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
• Add the pumpkin seeds to the pan and sauté them for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in the brown sugar and coat the seeds with the brown sugar.  Sauté for 2 more minutes stirring the seeds frequently.
• Remove from heat and allow them to cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• Add all the ingredients to a medium size mixing bowl.
• Stir together with a hand held mixer until smooth.
• Add the mixture to a piping bag or the corner of a ziplock bag and set aside.

For the Muffins:

• In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
• In the large bowl of a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment combine the butter and both sugars are medium high speed until combined and light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and mix until combined.
• Add in the canned pumpkin. Reduce the speed to low and mix until combined.
• Slow add the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the pumpkin mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over mix the batter.

To assemble the muffins:

• Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin tin. Filling them to the top.
• Cut the end off of the piping bag or ziplock bag of the cream cheese mixture and pipe the mixture into the center of each muffin and place a dollop of the mixture on top of each muffin.
• Sprinkle the cooled pumpkin seeds around the top of the muffins (onto the pumpkin portions of the muffins).
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pumpkin portions of the muffins comes out clean.
• Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Then the muffins are ready to serve and enjoy!