Pumpkin Spice season is right around the corner (I canāt wait!) and I have the perfect sweet treat for you to start off with. These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are beautiful with the cream cheese swirl topping. Not only are they beautiful, but theyāre healthy as well. Iāve lightened them up by only using Ā¼ cup of brown sugar in the whole recipe.Ā
The pumpkin puree adds flavor, but it adds fiber and other nutrients like vitamins A and C as well. Pumpkin is a great food source if you want to bulk a recipe up without adding in a ton of carbs or calories. Itās only a few carbs per cup of puree. You may want to start stocking up on canned pumpkin now because youāll want to keep making these all year round! Letās get to the recipe.Ā
Three reasons why you need to make this recipe!Ā
Theyāre a healthy fall treat.Ā
September through December is the perfect time to enjoy pumpkin. Too often, those recipes are loaded with butter and sugar. You donāt have to worry about it with this recipe. Low in sugar, high in fiber, but still delicious!Ā
The cream cheese swirl elevates these muffins to a bakery level.Ā
The swirl adds such a cute presentation, it makes these muffins feel a bit more special than just homemade muffins.Ā
Theyāre under 100 calories per muffin.Ā
Each muffin is 88 calories and only 4 grams of sugar. A Starbucks pumpkin muffin has 34 grams of sugar! No, thank you. Skip that and make these healthy pumpkin cream cheese muffins at home.Ā
Ingredients you need to make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins:Ā
- 1 egg
- Ā¼ cup brown sugar
- ā cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Ā½ teaspoon baking soda
- Ā½ tablespoon pumpkin spice
Cream Cheese Swirl Topping
- 4 oz light cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 egg white I use liquid egg whites
- Ā½ tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
How to make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (step by step):Ā
- Preheat the oven to 375F and spray a 12 hole regular sized muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, 1T white sugar, egg white, milk, and vanilla for 2 minutes. Set aside. This works best with a hand mixer or a stand mixer because you need air whipped into the cream cheese to make it light and fluffy. If you have to mix it by hand with a spoon, beat it for more than 2 minutes.Ā
- In a bowl, beat together the egg and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the pumpkin puree and unsweetened apple sauce. Mix well then stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin spice.
- Pour the batter into the 12 muffin cups. Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Use a toothpick and swirl it into the cream cheese into the muffin batter.
- Bake the muffins for approx 18-20 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins. Nutrition info for 1 muffin: Calories 88,Ā Fat 2 g, Saturated fat 1.2 g,Ā Carbs 14 g,Ā Fiber .91 g, Sugars 4.8 g, Sodium 174 mg, Protein 3 g.Ā
WW PointsĀ
- Egg 0 pointsĀ
- Brown sugar 16 pointsĀ
- Unsweetened Applesauce 0 points
- Pumpkin puree 0 pointsĀ
- All-purpose flour 13 pointsĀ
- Baking powder 0 points
- Baking soda 0 points
- Pumpkin Pie spice 0 points
Cream Cheese Topping
- Light cream cheese 11 points
- Sugar 4 pointsĀ
- Egg whites 0 pointsĀ
- Ā½ tablespoon milk 0 points
- Vanilla 0 points
4 points per muffin based on the WW app recipe creator.Ā Ā
If youāre using an older version of WW, check out these points below.Ā
3PP, 3SP blue, green & purple
Different ways to change up this recipe:Ā
- If youāre not into cream cheese or need to stay dairy free, you can skip the cream cheese topping altogether. Fun mix-ins would be Lilyās no sugar-added pumpkin spice chocolate chips or any other flavor of Lilyās chocolate chips. Chopped, roasted pecans or walnuts would be delicious too.Ā
- Add more pumpkin pie spice if you love the flavor! One whole tablespoon would work well.Ā
- For a calorie-free swirl, you could use Jordynās Skinny Pumpkin Spice Syrup or Salted Caramel Syrup.Ā
- Add a few white chocolate chips on top of the cream cheese swirl for presentation and additional flavor.Ā
- You can use fat-free cream cheese and Swerve sugar to drastically reduce the calories and weight watchers points per muffin.Ā
- Self-rising flour would work in this recipe in place of the all purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda.Ā
Tips and Tricks for Making Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins:Ā
- Store these in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. After that, they can be stored in the fridge for about a week. They do freeze well. To freeze, make sure they are fully cooled before putting them in a ziplock freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for about 3 months.
- Bake these right after making the batter. The batter cannot be made ahead of time or stored in the fridge. Baking powder and baking soda start working as soon as they get mixed into the batter, so you want them in the hot oven as soon as possible for the best rise.Ā
Similar recipes youāll enjoy:Ā
- 20 Mini Muffins That Will Make You Smile
- Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mini Muffins
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- Ā¼ cup brown sugar
- ā cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Ā½ teaspoon baking soda
- Ā½ tablespoon pumpkin spice
- For the cream cheese topping
- 4 oz light cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 egg white I use liquid egg whites
- Ā½ tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and spray a 12 hole regular sized muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, 1T white sugar, egg white, milk, and vanilla for 2 minutes. Set aside. This works best with a hand mixer or a stand mixer because you need air whipped into the cream cheese to make it light and fluffy. If you have to mix it by hand with a spoon, beat it for more than 2 minutes.
- In a bowl, beat together the egg and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the pumpkin puree and unsweetened apple sauce. Mix well then stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin spice.
- Pour the batter into the 12 muffin cups. Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Use a toothpick and swirl it into the cream cheese into the muffin batter.
- Bake the muffins for approx 18-20 minutes.
Liz
I have a question... is the pumpkin purƩe you use 0sp? All I can find is ED Smith ame it is 1sp per 1/3 cup.....
Drizzle
Hi Liz, are you using the scanner or nutrition info to determine that? I just don't add it period when baking, same as fruit, if we used nutritional info it would give us points but we all know fruit is free so we don't add it
Liz
Thanks so much!!! That helps!!! I used the Scanner and added it! I wasn't sure if you could use the Can stuff as a Fruit/Veg.
Linda Wing
Is it puree or pie filling? Puree should have nothing but pumpkin in it for 0 Smartpoints.
Tiffany
Could this be made as a cake instead of muffins?
Drizzle
I don't see why not, I would be interested to see how it looks š
Amy
Do you think this would still taste good if I used whole wheat flour? I've made it using regular white flour but I'm curious about whole wheat flour.
Drizzle
I am not too sure, I never bake with whole wheat, I would imagine if your use to baking with it then you will probably be ok with it , good luck š
Marcy
What exactly is pumpkin spice? Is it something I would find at bulk barn or a grocery store?
Drizzle
Yes you will find it at Bulk Barn, that is where I bought mine, but if you can't just use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice, should do the trick š
Crystal
These are amazing.....I made them to eat instead of pumpkin pie for thanksgiving dinner - thanks for a great recipe
Drizzle
Your welcome, glad you enjoyed!
lisa
could I use the cream cheese with rasperbbies or cherries instead of pumpkin ? here in the UK not many of my friends will try pumpkin ?
Thanks mill Lisa
Drizzle
Hi Lisa, I am really not sure, the pumpkin is a puree so the other fruit would need to be, I guess it would just be trial and error š
Kim
Can you use the FF cream cheese as well
Drizzle
Yes sure you can š
Tina Svrcek
I don't have apple sauce, what could I substitute?
Drizzle
Mashed banana maybe?
Charlene
Can you use the cheese to top them after they are cooked?
Drizzle
I have never thought of doing that, I'd maybe leave the egg white out and increase milk slightly, give it a try it might work, let me know if you do š
Kathy
Can these be frozen?
Drizzle
Yes they will freeze fine
Jenni
Made these today for a work party (which I will not be taking) They were okay, but we didn't taste the cream cheese at all. A bit dry, maybe I did something wrong.
Drizzle
I'm so sorry to hear that š they are one of my most popular muffin recipes but as much as I wish I could please everyone I can't so maybe they just were not your cup of tea
Shanna
I found these yummy tasting but mine came out kinda dense and soggy. I cooked them 20 minutes, maybe I should have cooked them longer? I also used Robin Hood gluten free flour, as my son has an intolerance. Could that be the reason? I still enjoyed them but would have preferred them a bit less soggy. Tnx!
Drizzle
Hi Shanna, sorry to hear that.. It is hard for me to say..I have never baked with GF flour so that could be the issue.. also ovens vary so they could of possibly needed more baking time..
Janelle
Ack! I just made these and they taste delicious but they are flat! They were puffy in the oven and when I took them out, they turned into flatcakes!. They weren't cooked the first couple of times I took them out of the oven so that may have something to do with it. I am sure in and out of the oven a couple times probably didnt help.
Drizzle
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that, while my muffins do tend to go down a bit after baking due to ingredients used these should not be flat
Merr
Kate these look awesome. On my way to store for unsweetened applesauce
Drizzle
Hope you enjoy them š
Tami
What are your thoughts on using apple sauce instead of pumpkin?
Drizzle
You can try it but it may change the overall texture and of coarse they won't be pumpkin muffins š
Ginny
Iām going to try this using almond flour! Hope it turns out
Drizzle
Hope you enjoy them and please feel free to share how the flour worked out š
Carrie
How did it work out with almond flour?
GLORIA OLSON
What type of milk is used for this recipe. It just states milk.
Drizzle
I usually use 1% I'll have to update that sorry
Christina
What size can of pumpkin puree? I have found it in a couple of different sizes
Drizzle
Hi, I use 1 cup, so I generally buy the big can and use the rest for something else
Gina
These are terrific! My kids really enjoyed them too! This recipe is a keeper!
Drizzle
Yay, so glad you all enjoyed them š
GayeLee
Is the nutrition info in one of these hundred comments? Did I miss it?
These look A. M. A. Z. I. N. G
Drizzle
Hi, the bottom of instructions, number 7, you will see the nutritional info š
Kristine
These are amazing!
Drizzle
Yay, so glad you enjoyed them š
Ida
These pumpkin muffins are good hubby works on Saturday and I love to make a treat for each weet. Thank you
Drizzle
I am so glad you both enjoy them š