The Best Pumpkin Muffins With Maple Cream Cheese

With fragrant autumn spices and warm maple cream cheese, there is no doubt you will want to add this recipe to your Fall baking list year after year! These pumpkin muffins with maple cream cheese are perfectly moist and not overly sweet. They make a great easy breakfast or afternoon treat. Continue reading below for the complete printable recipe and instructions on how to make!

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Autumn is easily my favorite season, especially for baking and cooking cozy recipes. There is something comforting about the smell of warm spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg filling the home as you wait in anticipation for whatever is in the oven to be tasted and served. I always look forward to the transition of ingredients with the seasons. Of course, you can’t go wrong with muffins year round. In the warmer months we prefer lighter sweeter flavors that can be found in blueberry muffins or strawberry lemonade muffins. But as the seasons change, pumpkin, apple and warmer rich flavors take their place.

There are so many cozy seasonal recipes our family looks forward to year after year, and this one is no exception! That being said, lets get right to baking!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Easy to make – These muffins are so delicious and come together in just a few minutes. They also have minimal ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
• Not overly sweet – The spices in this recipe really stand out over the sweetness. You can also adjust the amount of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add more granulated sugar for a lighter more sweet flavor, or add more brown sugar for muffins that taste heavier and more rich.
• Kid approved! – My 6 and 4 year old ask me to make these all the time. My 1 year old also loves them!
• Flour versatility – I love to use freshly milled soft white wheat flour in this recipe. If you do substitute the all purpose flour for freshly milled, use about 215-220 grams of freshly milled soft white wheat flour instead of the 1 1/2 cups of all purpose. I like to purchase my wheat berries and flour here.
• They smell amazing baking – Your house will smell like the best Fall candle while you’re baking these!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Muffins With Maple Cream Cheese

For the batter

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour – I like to use about 215-220 grams of freshly milled soft white wheat flour instead of all purpose. Freshly milled flour gives a richer flavor with more depth. It is also a much healthier option and has multiple health benefits.
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt – I recommend a high quality salt, such as Redmond Real Salt.
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice – If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, continue reading below to learn how to make your own!
• 15 oz pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup avocado oil or coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

For the maple cream cheese

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup

How to make Pumpkin Muffins With Maple Cream Cheese

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Add pumpkin puree, eggs, and oil to a medium mixing bowl. Mix with a whisk or rubber spatula until combined.

In a separate small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and sugars.

Whisk dry ingredients together, then add them to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until batter is smooth and everything is well incorporated. Be careful not to over mix!

Combine softened cream cheese and maple syrup, mixing until smooth

Evenly distribute muffin batter between the 12 cups of a standard muffin tin.

Add a dollop of the maple cream cheese to the top of each muffin.

Place into your preheated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling wrack.

Serve and enjoy!

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

If you’re like me, you might not have specific premixed seasonal spices in your pantry. It is so easy to mix up your own homemade pumpkin pie spice in just a couple of minutes. See the recipe I use below.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Whisk all of the spices together in a small bowl. Carefully transfer to a jar to store. That’s it!

Bakers Notes

If you choose to use freshly milled flour, it is best to weigh in grams instead of measuring in cups. You can weigh the berries before milling or the flour after milling.

Freshly milled flour also works great in this recipe! If you do substitute the all purpose flour for freshly milled, use about 215-220 grams of freshly milled soft white wheat flour instead of the 1 1/2 cups of all purpose

You can adjust the amount of granulated sugar and brown sugar to change the flavor of these muffins. Add more granulated sugar for a lighter more sweet flavor, or add more brown sugar for muffins that taste heavier and more rich.

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