Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

We'll I finally got around to cooking all of my sugar pie pumpkins from Rodini Farms. Ended up with 12 cups of pumpkin puree. So of course I froze some and baked with some, and I still have the Jarrahdale and Cinderalla to bake up! So hope you don't mind the many pumpkin recipes to come along in the near future:-)

So far I've made my favorite pumpkin pie, recipe to come soon, and I had a craving for pumpkin cheesecake. I even went out and bought these mini springform pans from my favorite local shop, Le Chef in Aptos...alas, and I don't know why, but I ended up making these pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling instead and they were just delish!

Fancy Instagram Shot:-)

I dramatically changed my version from the original, especially with the sugar,  as the original called for 3 & 1/2 Cups of sugar for 24 muffins! Can you believe that, my jaw just dropped to the ground when I read all the reviews about how many people loved them. I wouldn't have even been able to take a bite of one, as that's over 2 Tbsp & 1 Tsp of sugar per muffin, (think 7 sugar packets!) gross. Plus, I totally left off the crumble topping because it would have been total overkill (though the reason for it is to hide the bubbly cream cheese, I really didn't want the extra sugar).

BUT my rendition came out pretty darn good and I will definitely be making these again. Moist, just the right spice, a little whole wheat flour to give some density and a combination of mashed bananas and homemade sugar free apple-pear sauce really round this recipe out nicely.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
Makes 2 Dozen Muffins

1 - 8oz Package of Light Cream Cheese (Room Temp)
3/4 C Powder Sugar
1 3/4 C Flour (Non-Bleached) (I used Organic All Purpose)
1 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
4 Eggs
1 C Unrefined Sugar
1.5 C Pumpkin Puree
1/2 C Mashed Ripe Banana
1/2 C No Sugar Apple-Pearsauce (or no-sugar applesauce)
3/4 C Oil

-Beat Cream Cheese & Powder Sugar until well combined.
-Place in a piping bag and put in refrigerator until well chilled (a few hours).
-In a bowl, whisk Flours, Spices, Salt & Baking Powder, set aside.
-In a mixer, beat Eggs then add remaining ingredients until well incorporated.
-Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined (make sure to scrape the bottom of bowl when mixing.
-Pour about 2 Tablespoons of batter into lined muffin pans, then pipe in the cream cheese filling and top with more batter until cream cheese is covered.
-Assemble remaining muffins and bake at 350 for about 20 mins (mine were done at abut 21-22 mins).
-Let cool before eating and keep in sealed container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.