Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Here's how my brain works:

My friend Stacy made Caramel Banana Pecan Muffins to share at work the other day and said they were a big hit!

So those babies are subconsciously on my mind.

It's small group day and I'd love to feed my favorite ladies, so I look into the fridge and find:

leftover pumpkin shmear 

(ahem...cream cheese)

AND

leftover pumpkin puree from cupcakes 

AND

walnuts in the freezer.

A few substitutions on hand and in my head I've constructed Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.

(Can't find pumpkin cream cheese? My friend Aimee over at Barns & Noodles just posted her own version. Click here to make it!) 

Since I ate and shared them all, you'll have to follow these instructions to make your own :)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 oz pumpkin cream cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place muffin liners in one 12 cup muffin pan. Set aside.

Place the walnuts, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon into a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

Place the pumpkin cream cheese, butter, and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine. Add the egg and mix to combine thoroughly. Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Scrape the pumpkin batter from the stand mixer bowl into the dry ingredients and then using a spatula, mix until just combined. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the walnut mixture and mix a couple times to distribute. (Over mixing will cause your muffins to be tough, so beware!)

Using a ice cream scoop, measure out batter and fill each cup 2/3 full. Top with the remaining walnut mixture. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then remove muffins to cool completely on a rack. Or just eat them while they are warm with a little butter!

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