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Healthier Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar free)

These healthier pumpkin cream cheese muffins are better than Starbucks and made with better for you ingredients. The soft and moist pumpkin muffins are filled with a sweet and tangy cream cheese filling. It's the perfect fall muffin that is so delicious and cozy. 
Print Recipe
overview shot of healthier pumpkin cream cheese muffins
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:35 minutes

Ingredients

muffins:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (if GF, use a GF all-purpose flour)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar, add more if you want a sweeter muffin (sub organic brown sugar)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 (15 oz) can 100% pure pumpkin puree

cream cheese filling:

  • 8 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar (sub pure organic cane sugar)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

topping:

  • pumpkin seeds

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners.
  • In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, coconut sugar, and vanilla. Cream with a hand mixer or with a whisk until well combined.
  • In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, and ground flaxseed. Whisk until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, add the maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla, almond milk, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, and pumpkin. Whisk until well combined.
  • Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir with a spatula until just combined. Don’t over mix! 
  • Scoop batter into prepared pan, filling each liner to the top. Fill a piping bag with the cream cheese filling. Cut the tip off of the piping bag. Place the tip of the piping bag into the middle of each muffin and squeeze filling into the muffin moving upward slowly until you reach the top of the muffin. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds around the cream cheese filled center. 
  • Bake muffins at 425 degrees F for 5 min, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 15 minutes (do not open the oven door when lowering the temperature), or until a toothpick inserted into the side of the muffin comes out clean.
  • Let it cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy! 
Servings: 12 muffins