Pumpkin Muffin with Cream Cheese Filling

Good morning!

Care for a muffin?

I was craving Cream Cheese filled Pumpkin Muffins, since I am seeing them all over the place.  I really, really tried to make these healthy, well all I can say is the only thing healthy in them is the egg, pecans,applesauce and pumpkin, the rest, well is sweet, sweet sugar! But we all deserve a treat sometimes, right?  Please tell me I’m right!  Oh and do you like my bat muffin cups?

My recipe, was suppose to make 24 muffins, but I only got 13 muffins.  I think I over filled them, as you can see!

I did end up with half the topping and half the cream cheese filling left over.  So in my calculation I calculated filling and topping as half. It at least made me feel a little better.  Hey, I came up with a muffin that is under 200 calories, give me some credit.

I think I’ll use my left over pecan topping for tomorrows oatmeal and yogurt parfait.  That will sweeten it up.

Here are some of the steps.  The mixture is basic, so here is the filler part.  I used an ice cream scoop and filled 1/3 of the cup with batter.   Topped with 1 tsp. of the cream cheese filling on top of batter

Covered the rest of the muffin with the remaining batter and topped with pecan topping.  Licking the spoons afterwards was great.  I’m on a sugar high right now.

Here they are straight from the oven.  Can’t wait till they cool so I can eat one, two, three, four, oh am I suppose to share them?

Pumpkin Muffin with Cream Cheese Filling – Adapted from Country Living Magazine

Filling Ingredients:

8 oz of fat free cream cheese

1/2 tsp. of Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup of Powdered Sugar

Pecan Topping:

5 Tbsp. of Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Whole Wheat pastry Flour

3 tbsp. of Melted Butter (I used Brumble & Brown)

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Pumpkin Muffin:

1 Cup of Sugar

1 Cup of All Purpose Flour

1 Cup of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/2 tsp.of Salt

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

2 tsp. Pumpkin Spice

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

2 Eggs or Egg Substitute

1 1/4 Cup of Canned Pumpkin (Not pumpkin pie filling)

1/3 Cup of unsweetened Apple Sauce

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

In a small bowl add all your ingredients for the filling.  I recommend leaving the cream cheese out to soften.  Just mix it all up with a spoon.

In another small bowl add your ingredients for the topping.  Mix until combined.

In a large bowl, add all your dry ingredients, sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin spice and nutmeg  for the muffin.  Mix together.

Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add applesauce, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla extract.  Mix until combined.  Do not over mix.

Spray a muffin pan with non cooking spray.  Fill muffin cup with 1/4 of the batter, then add about 1 – 2tsp of cream cheese filling.  Top with remaining batter.  I’d only fill till 3/4’s full.

Sprinkle or spoon Pecan topping over top of muffins.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.  Mine took 23 minutes.

Notes:

I recommend not using a muffin cups, they stick a little, due to leakage of the cream cheese filling, but it’s not bad.  Your muffin will still come out in one piece.

Add a little more filling inside the batter to get a more creamy filling (I only used 1 tsp.)

Don’t fill the batter as high as I did.  You’ll get more muffins and less calories!

Enjoy them, they taste very good!  There very moist.  I already ate two and I am planning another!  By the way the topping is divine!!  Perfect sweetness!

Here is the bad news:  Calories:  180, Fat: 2.0, Cholesterol:  1.5, Sodium:  194, Carbs:  37, Sugar:  20, Fiber:  2.3, Protein: 4.7

But this should make you feel better!  Lets compare Starbucks, look at the fat and carbs!  Eck!!!

Calories:  470, Fat:  24, Cholesterol:  85, Sodium:  420, Carbs:  60, Fiber:  1, Sugar: 28, Protein:  6

Remember when I made that batch of Pumpkin Apple Oatmeal?  Wonder what I did with the left overs?  I placed the left overs in the fridge and grab a scoop for my morning parfait!  Here it is!

Just add 1/4 cup of greek yogurt, 1/3 cup of oatmeal and another 1/4 cup of greek yogurt and then sprinkle with Pumpkin Granola, add a little maple syrup for sweetness.  Your very filling parfait is about 150 calories!!  Here is a picture, nothing great I took it as I was running out the door.

Pumpkin Granola on Top!

Sealed up and out the door I go!  Have a great day!!

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