Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
These super moist pumpkin muffins taste just like the irresistible ones from Starbucks! They’re full of cozy spices and a cheesecake-like filling. They’ll keep for at least four or five days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. And I highly recommend pairing them with my ultimate healthy pumpkin spice latte!
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
- 6 tbsp (90g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 6 tbsp (84g) Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
- ½ tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE MUFFINS
- 2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tbsp (8g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (244g) pumpkin purée, room temperature (not pumpkin pie mix!)
- ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the filling, beat the Greek yogurt and Greek yogurt cream cheese with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Add in the liquid stevia and vanilla. Beat until fully incorporated. Transfer to a zip-topped plastic bag.
- To prepare the muffin batter, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla, and liquid stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Cut the corner off of the zip-topped bag with the filling, and pipe the filling into the center of each muffin cup’s batter. (It’s okay if the filling sticks up a little over the top of the batter. The batter will rise around its sides some as it bakes.) Bake at 350°F for 20-23 minutes or until the pumpkin parts of the tops feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the muffin cups for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Be very careful when measuring the flour! Use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will make your muffins dry, instead of moist and soft.
IMPORTANT FILLING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I don't recommend trying to dollop the filling in using measuring spoons and spatulas. That often doesn't push the filling down far enough into the batter, so the filling almost "rests" on the top of the muffins after they've finished baking, instead of being nestled inside. Use the makeshift "piping bag" method described in the instructions above, and remember to press the bag's opening down into the muffin batter itself before squeezing out the filling!
CREAM CHEESE NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: For the best results, use block-style cream cheese, rather than tub-style cream cheese. Neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese, regular cream cheese, and fat-free cream cheese may all be substituted for the Greek yogurt cream cheese, as long as they have been well softened.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
SPICE NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: For a stronger spice flavor, increase the cinnamon by up to an additional 1 teaspoon. (I love using this cinnamon because it tastes a little stronger and sweeter!)
If you prefer, 3 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
BUTTER + COCONUT OIL ALTERNATIVES: Any neutral-tasting oil may be substituted for the unsalted butter or coconut oil. Stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) will also work.
EGG WHITES NOTE: These muffins require 2 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the muffins maintain their shape and texture while cooling. If you prefer to use whole eggs, use 2 whole eggs AND reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added liquid volume from the yolks.
LIQUID STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too. Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they're not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, I recommend using the same one I do. I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found.
If you prefer not to use liquid stevia in the muffin batter, substitute ½ cup (120mL) of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave AND omit the milk.
If you prefer not to use liquid stevia in the filling, then substitute 1½ tablespoons of this powdered stevia. Alternatively, use ¼ to ½ cup (48-96g) of sucralose, granulated sugar, or powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you'd like the filling to be. I do not recommend using a "regular" liquid sweetener (like pure maple syrup, honey, or agave) because it will make the filling too runny.
For a sweeter filling, increase the liquid stevia by ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
PUMPKIN PURÉE NOTES: Use regular canned pumpkin purée (also called 100% pure pumpkin). I don’t recommend substituting pumpkin pie mix! It contains added sugar, spices, and other ingredients, so it behaves differently in this recipe. I haven’t personally tried using homemade pumpkin purée, but I have a feeling it should work.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.
HOW TO STORE: Store the fully cooled muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least four or five days, if not longer.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar, higher protein}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.