When I worked at Uncommon Ground, we made the absolute best pumpkin cream cheese muffins in the fall. They usually sold out before 8 a.m. Once I was asked to do a presentation at a large company in Stillwater, Minnesota, and the woman coordinating the event asked me to bring a few food samples. I thought “’tis the season,” so I made my equally tasty keto-friendly version of the coffee shop’s pumpkin muffins. They disappeared within minutes!

prep time: 7 minutes

cook time: 40 minutes

yield: 6 muffins (1 per serving)

INGREDIENTS 

MUFFIN BATTER

• 1½ cups blanched almond flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil if dairy-free), softened
• ½ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (Kite Hill brand cream cheese style spread if dairy-free), softened
• ¼ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease or place paper liners in 6 wells of a standard-size muffin pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir the almond flour, baking soda, salt, and spices until well combined. In another bowl, mix together the butter, sweetener, eggs, and pumpkin until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
3. To make the filling, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl until smooth. Add the sweetener, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until well combined. Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter.
4. Bake the muffins for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from the pan.
5. Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.