These seasonally inspired Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are the perfect morning treat to celebrate fall!
It’s fall, which means it’s pumpkin season – yay! I love the flavor of pumpkin – not just in pies, but also in other desserts like my Rum Pumpkin Tart and Pots de Crème, as well as in my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. These easy-to-prepare (no food processor or stand mixer required) morning treats are full of the flavors of fall. The muffin batter includes puréed pumpkin combined with the spices commonly used in pumpkin pie – cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. A cube of cream cheese is inserted into the batter of each muffin, providing a fun surprise when eaten!
Actually, the white dot of filling inside reminds of the trashy Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes I used to eat as a kid. I did love those . . . just like I love these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups puréed pumpkin, cooked (one 15 or 16-ounce can)
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 3 cups flour
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch cardamom
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 24 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or use paper liners (I recommend the liners).
- Place the cream cheese block between two pieces of wax paper and roll to slightly flatten, so that it’s around 4 inches by 6 inches. Freeze.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sugar, pumpkin and vegetable oil. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, salt and baking soda. Add to the egg mixture all at once and stir just until blended – do not overmix.
- Fill the muffin tins around 3/4 full (I like to use a large spring-loaded ice cream scoop).
- Remove cream cheese from the freezer and cut into 24 1-inch squares. Push one square into the middle of each muffin. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of chopped pecans over the top of each.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin (not into the cream cheese) comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Note that the cream cheese will be very hot initially.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
