Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Filling

As the leaves begin to change and a chill fills the air, it’s the perfect time to indulge in the warm and comforting flavors of fall. And what better way to do that than with a batch of homemade Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Filling? These delightful treats are the embodiment of autumn in a single bite, combining the earthy sweetness of pumpkin with the rich creaminess of spiced cream cheese. Get ready to embark on a culinary journey that will leave your taste buds craving more.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat Your Oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Make the Pumpkin Muffin Batter:

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the ground spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger). Set this dry mixture aside.

In another larger bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.

3. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; you want the batter to be well combined, but a few lumps are okay.

4. Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling:

In a separate bowl, blend together the softened cream cheese, sugar, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger) until smooth and well combined.

5. Assemble the Muffins:

Spoon a small amount of pumpkin muffin batter into each muffin liner, filling each about one-third full. Add a dollop of the spiced cream cheese filling to each muffin cup. Top with another spoonful of pumpkin muffin batter until the cups are about two-thirds full.

6. Bake and Enjoy:

Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.

7. Cool and Serve:

Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you can enjoy these delightful Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Filling.

These Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Filling are a fantastic way to celebrate the flavors of autumn. The tender and moist pumpkin muffins combined with the creamy, spiced cream cheese filling create a harmony of tastes and textures that will leave you craving more. Whether you enjoy them for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or as a sweet ending to your day, these muffins are sure to become a seasonal favorite in your household. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and savor the taste of fall with each delightful bite. Happy baking!

What better way to usher in the month of October than with a pumpkin muffin recipe?! Now that pumpkin puree is once again sprouting up on grocery store shelves, (still can’t find it? Try my recipe for homemade pumpkin puree), pretty much all I can think about is pumpkin-flavored fall goodies.

I’ve made dozens of pumpkin quick breads and muffins over the years, but my favorite recipe by far is Ellie Krieger’s. In true “Lauren form”, I tweaked her pumpkin muffins a bit to suit my preferences by:

• cutting out some of the sweetener (Ellie’s recipe calls for almost 1 cup of sweetener between the sugar and molasses… these are muffins, not cupcakes!)
• using all whole wheat pastry flour instead of half all-purpose (personally, I can’t discern a noticeable difference in texture when I use this type of flour in place of the all-purpose variety for muffins or quick breads)

I figure why not make a healthy muffin even healthier?!

As for the cream cheese filling, credit must be given to Jessica of How Sweet It Is with her Double Decker Pumpkin Bread.

I completely swooned when I saw the photos and read the description of this enticing cream cheese-stuffed pumpkin bread, and immediately had visions of pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling.

Even when you, as the baker, know about the hidden surprise tucked into the muffins, you can still appreciate that moment when you bite into the tender spiced bread to reveal the sweet creamy filling.

Do I even have to describe how delicious these muffins are?

The aroma alone is enough to conjure images of crackling fireplaces, impossibly blue autumn skies, mugs of steaming apple cider, soft wool blankets, and flame-colored trees. The warmth of the pumpkin pie spices and the deep caramel notes from the molasses and brown sugar compliment each other beautifully in the muffins. The sweet spiced cream cheese filling is the perfect finishing touch… think of it as a healthier version of frosting tucked into each muffin.

Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Filling

adapted from and inspired by Ellie Krieger and Jessica, respectively, both linked above

makes 12 muffins

• 3 oz 1/3-less-fat neufchatel cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground pumpkin pie spice

*I am in full support of slathering any leftover spiced cream cheese onto a muffin half :).