Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins
These cream cheese-filled pumpkin muffins are one of my favorite ways to use my recipe on how to make pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkin and my easy sourdough starter recipe.
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer or a large mixing bowl Get an extra $20 off a bosch mixer when ordering from nutrimill.com/wagonwheel.
- 1 Cookie Paddles If you have a Bosch mixer, I recommend the cookie paddles with the metal top and the cake paddles. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a hand mixer or wooden spoon in a large bowl.
- 1 Muffin tin
- 1 Muffin liners
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Ice Cream Scoop
- 1 measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Muffin Batter:
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 cup melted fat - butter, beef tallow or oil (can also use applesauce as an oil replacement)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 ½ Tbl pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sourdough discard
Crumble Topping:
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 Tbl cold butter
Instructions
- A few hours before you want to bake these muffins, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Mix with a hand held mixer to fully incorporate the sugar into the cream cheese.
- Place the cream cheese mixture into a piece of plastic wrap that is at least 12 inches long.
- Carefully roll the plastic wrap up around the cream cheese and shape it into a log that is about 1 ½ inches in diameter, closing the ends as much as possible.
- Place in the freezer to chill for at least 2 hours
- If you plan to bake the muffins right away, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease muffin cups well or add paper liners to a 24 cup muffin tin.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together all the wet ingredients. Pumpkin, sourdough discard, oil or applesauce, sugar and eggs.
- Then add all the dry ingredients. Flour, salt, baking soda & spices. Mix just until combined.
- *If you want this recipe to have long fermented digestive and health benefits, you can leave it out on the counter for up to twelve hours or overnight.
To assemble muffins
- Use an ice cream scoop to spoon a small amount of batter into each muffin cup (just enough to cover the bottom of each cup, usually a couple Tablespoons).
- Slice the chilled log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces and place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin cup.
- Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, carefully covering the cream cheese.
- Mix up the topping ingredients and sprinkle a small amount of the mixture over each of the muffins.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. They will be a light golden brown. Don’t overbake.
- For best results, allow to cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Best if eaten within 3-5 days, or store in the freezer for an easy breakfast or dessert later on.
Notes
- Long ferment: Mix the batter the night before and leave at room temperature overnight for easier digestion and a fresh breakfast in the morning.
- Pumpkin puree: Roast a whole pumpkin at 400°F for about 45 minutes, cool, remove the skin and seeds, and blend the flesh into puree. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
- Sourdough: Use sourdough discard or active starter.
- Fat: Use oil, melted butter, beef tallow, or coconut oil. For an oil-free option, use applesauce.
- Cream cheese: Homemade cream cheese works wonderfully in this recipe.
- Muffin liners: Paper liners make these muffins easy to grab and eat on the go.
- Mini muffins: Bake in a mini muffin pan for a kid-friendly snack.
- Variations: Add chocolate chips to the batter for an extra special treat.
