As summer fades and the air turns crisp, it's time to embrace the comforting flavors of fall. What better way to do that than with a batch of Keto Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins? These muffins perfectly balance warm fall spices and a rich cream cheese filling, making them an ideal treat for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Why These Muffins Are a Must-Try
These keto-friendly muffins offer several compelling reasons to add them to your baking repertoire:
- Keto and Gluten-Free Goodness: Made with almond and coconut flour, these muffins are low in carbs and gluten-free, allowing you to enjoy a delicious dessert without compromising your dietary goals.
- Decadent Cream Cheese Filling: These muffins feature a luscious cream cheese filling that mimics the rich, creamy texture of cheesecake, taking your pumpkin indulgence to the next level.
- Fall Flavor Explosion: Infused with pumpkin puree and warm spices like pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, these muffins perfectly embody fall.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's a breakdown of the key ingredients that make these muffins so delicious:
For the Muffins:
- Almond Flour: Instead of regular flour, almond flour keeps these easy muffins low carb. Choose a good, finely ground almond flour for the best texture. This recipe won’t work well with coconut flour, but you can use sunflower seed flour for a nut-free version.
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour is highly absorbent, so it helps give the muffins structure while keeping them low in carbs. A word of caution when it comes to coconut flour: not all coconut flours are the same! Some are much more absorbent than others.
- Pumpkin Puree: I use my homemade pure pumpkin puree to give these muffins their rich flavor and moist texture. Make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie spice. You can use either canned or fresh pumpkin puree in these muffins. I like to use canned pumpkin for its convenience and consistent texture. If it’s on the thinner side, reduce the amount of added liquid.
- Butter: Make sure the butter is room temperature, so it blends perfectly.
- Eggs: The eggs help bind the ingredients together to give you delicious muffins.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Using pumpkin pie spice is exactly what is needed to take these muffins from delicious to extraordinary. See the post above for a recipe for a homemade pumpkin spice mixture.
- Baking Soda: To get the best rise out of the muffins you need a little bit of baking soda.
- Pinch of Salt: Just a dash of salt will actually bring out the sweetness in the keto muffins.
- Vanilla Extract: The vanilla takes the pumpkin muffins to the next level.
- Swerve Granular: These keto pumpkin muffins are versatile and you can easily use erythritol, monk fruit, or any of your favorite keto sweeteners.
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- Cream Cheese: This adds a creamy cheesecake-like filling to the muffins, enhancing their flavor and texture. Be sure to let the cream cheese come to room temperature or toss it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Don’t let it melt when microwaving it and allow it time to cool down after heating it up. Use full fat cream cheese as low fat cream cheese has fillers that can make it higher in carbs. For the frosting, be sure that you use a block of cream cheese and not cream cheese spread or the frosting will turn out runny.
- Powdered Erythritol: Just a little bit keeps the keto pumpkin muffins sweet and delightful. We find erythritol is the best it’s a super fine powder and has no after taste. Swerve, or erythritol, is a sugar alcohol which is indigestible by humans. Erythritol carbs will not be included as it has a glycemic index of 0 (meaning it does not spike blood sugar) and it’s not metabolized.
- Vanilla Extract: The vanilla adds to the flavor too.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's how to make these delectable muffins:
Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 12-count muffin pan or line with parchment liners. Set aside. Place foil or silicone muffin liners into a standard 12-count muffin pan. Spray the inside of the liners with cooking spray.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Make the Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sweetener, and vanilla with a small whisk or fork until well combined. Set aside. To make the filling, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl until smooth. Add the sweetener, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until well combined. Place in the refrigerator.
Make the Muffin Batter: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sweetener until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the almond flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and pinch of salt until fully incorporated. In a large bowl whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Using a stand mixer, or hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs, sweeteners, pumpkin puree, and vanilla until well combined. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet.
Assemble the Muffins: Divide the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the prepared cream cheese mixture onto each muffin and swirl with a toothpick or fork. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons) spoon the muffin batter into each liner, and press down to make sure it covers the bottom evenly. Using a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon) drop a scoop of the cream cheese mixture into each liner. Using the medium cookie scoop, cover with the remaining muffin batter. Swirl with a toothpick or a butter knife.
Bake: Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes or until they are done. Bake the muffins for 30 to 40 minutes for JUMBO muffins (20-25 minutes for standard muffins), until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. If tops are browning too fast, loosely cover with foil.
Cool and Enjoy: Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Then, allow to cool 5 minutes in the muffin tin then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. For best results, allow the muffins time to cool down all the way.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Tips and Variations
- Add Chocolate Chips: Add a few sugar-free chocolate chips to the batter. I would only add 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup to the batter and gently fold it in. Yes, I love to add Lily's or ChocZero chocolate chips to just about anything pumpkin.
- Include Nuts: Throw in some of your favorite nuts to the batter to add a little bit of a crunch. Pecans or walnuts are my favorite. You could also add some chopped nuts-my faves are walnuts-or even sugar-free caramel!
- Drizzle with Caramel: Drizzle the muffins with some low carb caramel sauce.
- Swirl the Cream Cheese: Instead of filling the muffins, swirl the cream cheese into the batter top of the batter.
- Plain Pumpkin Muffins: Fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake 15 to 20 minutes. They will bake faster than those with cream cheese.
- Sweetness Adjustment: I add 1 tbsp of sweetener to the cream cheese, but some readers like it with 2-3 tbsp for a sweeter taste.
- Dairy-Free Option: You can make these muffins dairy-free as well, with egg white protein powder, dairy-free cream cheese, and coconut cream. Replace the butter with your oil of choice and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
- Room Temperature: If you plan to enjoy the muffins within a day, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Cupcakes can be stored, unfrosted, tightly covered at room temperature 1 day.
- Refrigeration: For longer storage, keep the muffins in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cupcakes can be stored, unfrosted, in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- Freezing: To freeze, allow the muffins to cool completely. Place them in a single layer in an airtight container or a ziplock bag, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Individually wrap the cupcakes tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe baggie for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before eating.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe has been tried and tested, with many people raving about the results. Readers love them, and my family does too. So we make them every fall. One person said, “I made these exactly as written. They were easy to make and tasted fabulous!" Another reviewer shared, “These muffins are the VERY BEST thing I’ve made using Keto ingredients! I just need to remember to make a double batch next time."
The Magic of Pumpkin and Cream Cheese
Cream cheese and pumpkins are two of my ultimate favorite treats. So, I was on a mission to create a muffin that combined my two go-to flavors. I will admit when I bit into these muffins for the first time, I couldn’t help but moan. The muffins themselves are light, fluffy, and moist. Then the combination of pumpkin flavors with the cream cheese is pure heaven. We make them for breakfast, but also for snacks too. I can’t wait for you to sink your teeth into these incredible muffins.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. It was calculated by My Fitness Pal with the recommended brands and ingredients. All brands are different, so please verify the macros with your specific ingredients to ensure accuracy. This keto muffin recipe has 6.1g of carbs and 2.4g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.7g net carbs per muffin. Each bite gives you an explosion of delicious pumpkin flavors and a cheesecake filling at just 4 net carbs each!
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