Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake or muffin liners.

In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.

Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the pumpkin mixture. Whisk until everything is thoroughly incorporated.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir just until the batter is smooth and no dry streaks of flour remain.

Divide the pumpkin batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until creamy and smooth.

Spoon a portion of the cream cheese mixture onto the top of each filled muffin cup.

Use a toothpick or thin skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese into the pumpkin batter, creating visible ribbons without completely mixing the two together.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin portion of the muffins is set and a toothpick inserted away from the cream cheese swirl comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.

Allow the muffins to cool before serving. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.