Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with 5 Amazing Spices
Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are here to enjoy when pumpkin spice flavors are everywhere in the fall. It is great to enjoy these pumpkin spice recipes every fall, and these muffins make a great addition to this particular season. The warm spices are so tasty and comforting, and these muffins go well with a cup of coffee or tea. Cozy up with these muffins for a delicious breakfast or snack!
And speaking of tea, try these tasty pumpkin muffins with a cup of Cinnamon Tea!
Ingredients in Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Canned pumpkin – The invention of canned pumpkin puree has allowed for so many delicious pumpkin recipes like this one!
- Cream Cheese – Adding cream cheese to pumpkin muffins gives it a creamy, tangy filling, similar to the popular Starbucks muffins!
- Spices – This recipe’s warm and flavorful spices add tons of flavor. Delicious cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger make a great spice combination!
- Walnuts – Topping these muffins with walnuts adds some crunch to the soft and creamy texture. You can also use chopped pecans, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds.
How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, line the muffin cups with paper muffin liners or grease with cooking spray.
Next, stir the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
Then, beat the brown sugar and eggs with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add the ½ cup of oil and pumpkin, and continue beating until mixed. Then pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and beat until it is incorporated.
Fill the muffin cups about halfway with the batter. Then spoon about one teaspoon of cream cheese into the center of the muffin cup, pushing it down into the middle of the batter. Sprinkle muffins with chopped walnuts.
Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for about 22-25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Or you can use a toothpick on the side of the muffin; it is done when it comes out clean. Allow the pan to cool for 5 minutes and remove to a rack to cool completely. The cream cheese stays hot for a while, so be careful and allow them to cool completely.
Nutritional Benefits of These Healthy Muffins
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are a type of winter squash popular in the United States in the fall. While we may like to add them to recipes such as muffins, bread, and pie, you can also eat them in savory dishes! One of my favorite dishes in Argentina was a vegetarian dish with quinoa, pumpkin, and other vegetables, topped with cheese!
And not only are pumpkins delicious, but they are also nutritious! One cup of canned pumpkin contains 7 grams of fiber, 137 calories, 3 grams of protein, and 19 grams of carbohydrates. In addition, pumpkin is loaded with vitamins and minerals, with 209% of the Daily Value (DV) from vitamin A, and is an excellent source of vitamins K, E, and copper.
Cinnamon
One of everyone’s favorite spices, cinnamon, has some proven health benefits. Cinnamon has antioxidants that protect your body from oxidative damage. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and may help lower your risk of diseases such as heart disease. In addition, studies have found that it reduces total cholesterol levels and triglycerides and may even help increase your “good” cholesterol or HDL. In addition to lowering cholesterol, cinnamon also can lower blood pressure.
Another health benefit of cinnamon is that it can improve insulin sensitivity, decreasing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon can also improve blood sugar levels, lowering fasting blood sugar levels by 10-29%.
Cloves
Cloves are another spice commonly used in cookies, cakes, hot beverages, and Indian cuisine. However, in addition to food, it has been used in traditional medicine. One teaspoon of cloves contains 55% of the DV for manganese. Manganese is a mineral essential for maintaining brain function and bone formation.
And cloves are also high in antioxidants like cinnamon, which help to stop oxidative damage. There are also studies showing clove extract helps prevent tumor growth and can cause the death of cancer cells. However, it is essential to note that these were test-tube studies using very concentrated amounts of cloves, and further research is needed.
Ginger
Ginger is a unique and delicious spice you can add to sweet and savory dishes. In addition to being delicious, it has impressive health benefits. Some of those benefits include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, can treat nausea and morning sickness, reducing pain in people with osteoarthritis, lowering blood sugars, and improving chronic indigestion. What a superfood!
Nutmeg
Mainly produced in Indonesia, nutmeg comes from a seed. Another spice that adds great flavor to sweet and savory foods and provides incredible health benefits. These health benefits include protecting against cancer and heart disease, improving dental health, may act as an antidepressant, and may promote quality sleep.
Allspice
Allspice is from a berry native to Central America and has a spicy, slightly sweet taste similar to cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The benefits of allspice include treating inflammation, and nausea, preventing bacterial infections, and relieving symptoms during menopause. Also, the compound eugenol in allspice is a component of over-the-counter treatments for toothaches.
Walnuts
Walnuts are tree nuts that have super nutritional and health benefits. In one ounce of walnuts, which is about 14 halves, there are 4.3 grams of protein, 3.9 grams of carbohydrates, 1.9 grams of fiber, and 18.5 grams of fat. And although they are high in fat, walnuts have more polyunsaturated fats (omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids) than other nuts. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for heart health by reducing inflammation and improving the fats found in the blood.
In addition to being a good source of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, walnuts are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. The minerals in walnuts include copper, folic acid, phosphorus, vitamin B6, manganese, and vitamin E.
Tips for Making Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- When putting the cream cheese in the batter, you can use a pastry bag or create your own by placing the cream cheese in a plastic sandwich bag and cutting the corner.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 7 days or up to 3 – 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container or zip-top bag.
Recipe adapted from AllRecipes
Be sure to take pictures of your Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin masterpiece and tag @noshnourishwander on Instagram if you make this recipe! Also, pin this recipe to your Pinterest board!
Also, be sure to leave a rating and comments about the recipe! Thank you!
More Fall Recipe Ideas!
- Slow Cooker Lentil with Vegetable Soup
- Amazing Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup
- 10 Healthy Breakfast Ideas
- Warm Maple Walnut Apple Crisp
Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup canola or olive oil
- 1 can (15 oz) canned pumpkin puree
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin cups with paper muffin liners or grease with cooking spray.
- Next, stir the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
- Then, beat the brown sugar and eggs with an electric mixer in a large bowl until it is smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of oil and pumpkin, continue beating until mixed. Then pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and beat until it is just incorporated.
- Fill the muffin cups about halfway with the batter. Then spoon about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into the center of the muffin cup, pushing it down into the middle of the batter. Sprinkle muffins with chopped walnuts.
- Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for about 22-25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Or you can use a toothpick on the side of the muffin, it is done when it comes out clean. Allow the pan to cool for 5 minutes and remove to a rack to cool completely. The cream cheese stays hot for a while, so be careful and allow them to cool completely.
Notes
Tips
- When putting the cream cheese in the batter, you can use a pastry bag or create your own by placing the cream cheese in a plastic sandwich bag and cutting the corner.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 7 days or up to 3 – 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container or zip-top bag.
Delicious
Thank you!