Donna’s pumpkin cream cheese muffins

These are special little muffins with a subtle flavor of pumpkin and a yummy cream cheese and streusel topping.

Muffin batter

2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil 1/4 cup maple syrup 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup Splenda or additional sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) 1-1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Cream Cheese Topping

8 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
1 egg 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Streusel Topping

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini muffin tins. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, maple syrup, sugar, Splenda, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat well. Add pumpkin and beat until well mixed. Add flour and nuts. Stir until well blended. Distribute batter into muffin tins filling only 1/2 full.

In a small food processor, combine cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla. Process until smooth. Place a small amount of cream cheese mixture to completely cover the batter in each muffin tin.

In a small bowl, combine streusel topping ingredients. Mix well. Distribute streusel on top of the cream cheese.

Bake for 15 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the muffins. Bake just until set in the middle and lightly brown on the sides. Do not over bake.

Nutritional information per serving (48)

Calories: 80
Fat, gm.: 3
Protein, gm.: 2
Carbs, gm.: 11
Cholesterol, mg.: 20
Fiber, gm.: trace