Description
Do you love indulging in pumpkin desserts as soon as pumpkin season arrives? If so, you're going to love this Healthier Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins recipe!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup of Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 cup of Pumpkin Puree
- 1/3 cup of Maple Syrup
- 1/4 cup of Melted Coconut Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
- Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients - 4 Ounces of Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, 2 Tablespoons of Honey or Maple Syrup and 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
- Optional Pumpkin Seed Topping - 1/4 Cup of Chopped Pumpkin Seeds, 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon and 1 Teaspoon of Honey
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling - In a small bowl mix softened cream cheese, honey and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside in the fridge to keep cool.
- Prepare the Muffin Batter: Mix together all of the dry ingredients: In a large bowl whisk together, flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and pumpkin pie spice.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl mix the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, melted coconut oil, eggs, almond milk and vanilla extract - mix until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients together - stir to combine.
- Fill your muffin tin - Spoon in your batter, fill each cup 2/3 full.
- Use a teaspoon to make a slight pocket on the top of the muffin batter where you will add your dollop of cream cheese.
- Use a spoon or piping bag to add a drop of your prepared cream cheese on top of your muffin batter.
- Optional - Make a crumble topping for your muffins by mixing pumpkin seeds with honey and cinnamon to sprinkle on top.
- Bake 18-22 Minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy! The perfect Fall breakfast...
Notes
- Use warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to give your muffins that authentic fall flavor. They add depth to the batter and pair beautifully with the pumpkin.
- To avoid dry muffins, add a tablespoon of sour cream to the batter. This helps keep the muffins moist and adds richness to the flavor.
- Make sure to chill the cheesecake filling in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before piping it into the center of the muffins. This ensures it stays firm during baking.
- Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners to prevent the muffins from sticking and for easy removal after baking.
- Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container to maintain freshness. This prevents the muffins from drying out.
- To get that signature cream cheese swirl, pipe a generous amount of cheesecake filling into the center of the muffinand swirl it lightly with a toothpick.
- Add a cinnamon sugar topping just before baking to give the muffin tops a sweet, crunchy texture.
- After baking, let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This allows the tops of the muffins to firm up without becoming soggy.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly between muffin cups to get consistent muffin sizes and even baking.
- Freeze unbaked muffins in ziplock bags and bake them fresh when needed. Just increase the baking time by a few minutes if baking from frozen.
- To make the muffins ahead, bake and cool them completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When using canned pumpkin puree, make sure it’s not too watery to avoid dry muffins. If necessary, strain the puree to remove excess moisture.
- Bake the muffins at a higher temperature for the first 5 minutes to help the tops of the muffins rise quickly, then reduce the temperature to finish baking.
- Experiment with different ways to fill the muffins. Try layering the cheesecake filling throughout the batter instead of just the center for a more even distribution of cream cheese.
- For an extra fall twist, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on the tops of muffins before baking for added crunch.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 203
- Sugar: 16.4 g
- Sodium: 254.5 mg
- Fat: 8.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.2 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 36.1 mg