Description
Moist and fluffy pumpkin‑spice muffins with a creamy cheesecake swirl, made with smarter ingredients so they feel indulgent yet lighter. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
- 200 g pumpkin purée
- 100 g Greek yogurt (vanilla or plain, room temperature)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 80‑100 ml light milk (or plant‑milk) plus a dash of lemon juice (to mimic buttermilk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g granulated sweetener (or normal/brown sugar/monk‑fruit, your choice)
- 150 g all‑purpose flour (or a substitute such as oat flour or gluten‑free flour)
- 60 g vanilla protein powder (optional; if using, reduce flour accordingly)
- 2‑3 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- **Cheesecake Swirl:**
- 80 g light cream cheese (or regular if preferred)
- 2‑3 tbsp icing sugar (or monk‑fruit icing sugar for lower calories)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C and line 8 muffin cups with liners.
- In a bowl, combine the egg, pumpkin purée, Greek yogurt, sweetener, vanilla extract, and the milk + lemon juice “buttermilk” mix until smooth.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour, protein powder (if using), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the cinnamon/pumpkin spice.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined—avoid over‑mixing so the muffins remain tender.
- In a separate small bowl, beat together the light cream cheese, icing sugar, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth and lump‑free.
- Divide the muffin batter evenly among the 8 lined cups (fill about ¾ full). Then add dollops of the cheesecake mixture into the center of each muffin, and swirl slightly on top.
- Bake at 220 °C for about 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180 °C and continue baking for about 20‑25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin (not the cheesecake center) comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10‑15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully. The cheesecake center will firm up as they cool.
Notes
- Skip the protein powder and replace it with additional flour (about the same weight) if you prefer not to use protein powder.
- Use oat flour or a gluten‑free 1:1 flour blend instead of all‑purpose flour to make the muffins gluten‑free.
- Swap the granulated sweetener for brown sugar or regular granulated sugar if you don’t need the low‑calorie version.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger alongside the cinnamon for extra warming spice.
- For the cheesecake swirl, add some lemon zest for a tangy twist.
- Make mini muffins instead of full size: decrease bake time by a few minutes and use a smaller muffin tin.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20‑25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: ≈ 170
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 140mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
