Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

I love muffins!  And, this time of year, I love pumpkin muffins.  A friend of mine made a pumpkin roll for me as a Christmas gift years ago.  I asked her for the recipe and made it for my family that year.  This pumpkin muffin with its cream cheese center reminds me of that pumpkin roll.  Don't worry!  I have adapted the recipe to be dairy-free, gluten-free, and I used Truvia sugars. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Yield:  12 muffins  
Prep Time:  15 minutes  
Cook Time:  23 minutes  
Total Time:  35 minutes

Ingredients:

For the streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.  It contains xanthan gum, so you do have to add it separately.)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar (I used 1/8 cup of Truvia Brown Sugar Blend. It does contain a small amount of brown sugar.)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 6 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature (I used Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread made with almond milk.)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used 6 packets of Truvia.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Muffins:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Again, I used 1-1/2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour, which contains xanthan gum.)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used 12 packets of Truvia)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar (I used 1/8 cup of Truvia Brown Sugar Blend.)
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil (I researched and olive oil can be substituted for those oils in muffins.)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk or milk (I used 1/4 cup of almond milk and added 1-1/2 teaspoons of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar to it.  I let it set for 10 minutes before adding it to the recipe.)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Glaze: (I did not put this on my muffins.  I thought it was sweet enough without the glaze.)

• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature (Use the Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread.)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (Swerve makes a Confectioners Sugar Replacement; I have not used it yet.  You would use 1/2 cup of Swerve Confectioners Sugar Replacement.)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

2.  First, make the streusel topping.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.  Cut the butter into the mixture using your fingers until mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Set aside.

3.  Next, make the cream cheese filling.  Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Place in the fridge while you make the muffins.

4.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.

5.  In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugars, oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.

6.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, and stir until just combined.

7.  Fill each muffin cup with about 2 tablespoons of batter.  Add a heaping spoonful of the cream cheese mixture to each muffin.  Top the muffins evenly with the remaining batter, about 3/4 way full. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the tops.

8.  Bake muffins for 23-26 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs. Let cool completely.

9.  While the muffins are cooling, make the cream cheese glaze.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt.  Whisk until smooth.

10.  Drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the cooled muffins.  Serve.

Out of the oven!

Look at that center and streusel!

You can store the muffins covered on the counter for up to 2 days.  You can also store them covered in the refrigerator, and then let them come to room temperature before eating.  I did reheat my muffins in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

When you first make the batter, it may seem like you have too much.  However, I made the muffins exactly as outlined in the directions.  I used all of the batter, but I did have some leftover streusel.  

As for the taste...these pumpkin muffins are delicious!  I think the combination of the spices in this recipe is perfect.  I would not substitute pumpkin pie spice for the spices in this recipe because the proportion of the spices may be different.  The muffins were delicious out of the oven yesterday, as well as today for breakfast.  I think they might become your new favorite pumpkin muffin!  Enjoy!