Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere!
I was in Vancouver for a few days with my daughter this week. What a fun girls only trip we had! Shopping, nails painted and the best part – the Katy Perry concert! We couldn’t have left at a better time since it was snowing at home while we were gone! I was sure to update Instagram and Twitter with our “having a great time in the sunshine” photos.
We walked around downtown and couldn’t help but notice all the pumpkin themed displays and posters. It definitely got us in the mood for trying some pumpkin baking. On one of our outings we shared a Starbucks muffin, which I promptly made a dozen of when I got home.
I used my favorite pumpkin muffin recipe…
Added some cream cheese…
And topped with chopped pecans…
I froze the whole batch for camping this weekend. The snow has melted and we are back to fall like temperatures. These pumpkin cream cheese muffins will go nicely with some coffee on a chilly morning!
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ginger
- 2½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- chopped pecans for topping
- In a bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugars, pumpkin, apple sauce and oil.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
- Divide batter evenly between the muffin liners.
- Drop a tsp of cream cheese mixture on top and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool 10 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
Oh I can’t get enough pumpkin!! This look amazing…I want to reach into my computer and lick off that cream cheese, lol :-).
Oh Sarah, you better get something yummy asap! We can’t have you going around licking screens LOL
Love Vancouver I used to go often when we lived on Vancouver Island. I miss it a lot. Yummy muffins!
There’s nothing better than having pumpkin muffins for breakfast in the Fall. I like that you combine applesauce and pumpkin and use less oil than other recipes I tried. Great idea to add the cream cheese on top of the muffins. This recipe is a keeper!
Thanks Liliana! You’d never know the oil is cut back.
I hope you enjoyed Vancouver!! These muffins look divine!! 🙂
I sure did. We’ve been back a few times since 🙂
What about switching out sweet potatoes for the pumpkin? Both would be delicious.
Oh yes, or acorn squash – bet that would be good too!