Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins

By dette

Each fall Starbucks rolls out their beloved pumpkin muffins. I must admit, the moist, spicy muffins filled with sweet cream cheese are everything you could as for in a pumpkin muffin- and more. Unfortunatey, the "more" also means more sugar more fat, and more calories! This marvelous makeover also offers evrything you could ask for-only with 70% fewer calories and a mere fraction of the added sugar and fat. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp light tub-style cream cheese
• 2 tsp powdered sugar
• 4 tsp plus 3/4 c granulated no-calorie sweetener (like Splenda) divided.
• 1 3/4 c. all-purpoe flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 3/4 c. canned pumpkin
• 1/3 c.unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp molasses

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 35mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preehat the oven to 375 degreese. Line 12 muffin cups with paper or foil cupcake liners.

In a small bowl thoroughly blend the cream cheese, powdered sugar and 4 tsp sweeener. Set aside. In a medium bowl whik mext six ingredients (flour through cloves).

In another medium bowlk, with an electric mixer, eat the 3/4 c. sweetner, egg, and egg whites for 3-4 minutes, or until doubled in volume. Turn mixer to low and blend in the pumpkin, applesauce, oil and molasses. Using a large spoon, stir in the flour mixture just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Spoon 3 tbsp of batter into each muffin cupl. Make an indent in each muffin by pressing the end f a wet tsp into the batter Press a heaping tsp of the cream cheese mixture into the indent. Top each muffin with another tbsp of batter, spreading it to cover most of the cream cheese.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes before moving muffins to wire rack for complete cooling.

Calorie 140; carbs 21g (sugar 4g); otal fat 4.5g; (Sat fat 1.5g); protein 4g; fiber 1g; chol 20 mg; sodium 150 mg; food exchange: 1 1/2 starch; 1/2 fat; carb choices 1 1/2; weight watcher plus point comparison: 4