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Grain Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

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These high protein Grain Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins with a maple cheesecake topping are so soft and delicious. They’re easy to make, naturally sweetened, nut-free and perfectly spiced.

Pumpkin muffins with cheesecake topping next to cinnamon sticks.

Pumpkin muffins are perfect for fall!

Pumpkin muffins have been my favorite since I was a young kid. 

My mom and I always used to get the most delicious pumpkin muffins at The Nut Tree or The Coffee Tree, one of California’s most legendary road stops. The original Nut Tree is long gone now. It was the perfect road stop between Sacramento and San Francisco. We used to go there often because it was on the way to, or back from my grandma’s house in Vallejo.

No matter what, we always stopped there. Even if we didn’t stop to sit down and eat at The Nut Tree, we ALWAYS stopped to buy pumpkin muffins and their famous honey gingerbread cookies.

Oh they were so good! Seriously the best treats ever.

Pumpkin muffins with cheesecake topping and cinnamon sticks.

Pumpkin plus cheesecake?! Yes please!

Those pumpkin muffins will always hold a special place in my heart. Now, every time I make pumpkin muffins, I think of my beautiful mom, missing her, and knowing she would love these muffins too.

Those Nut Tree muffins are a thing of the past, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying pumpkin muffins now. Especially pumpkin muffins topped with delicious maple cheesecake!

Pumpkin muffins in my opinion should be well spiced, super soft and tender. Top them with a bit of cheesecake and you have a winner! 

Pumpkin muffins topped with cheesecake topping and cinnamon sticks.

Gluten is a thing of the past for me, so instead I use my favorite gluten free and grain free flour, cassava flour for these muffins. It’s very similar to regular flour with the bonus of being a resistant starch when eaten cool {resistant starch = prebiotics that feed probiotics + supports digestion and the gut}.

To keep these muffins extra soft and moist, I use my favorite nourishing grass-fed collagen. I love using it for baking because it helps keep baked goods nice a soft. Plus it adds protein!

I only recommend using this quality grass-fed collagen, it fits my standards for health, quality and sourcing. Their collagen is 100% pesticide and hormone free, non-GMO, lab tested with proof of purity, high protein {97%}, tasteless, dissolves in liquid, and is 100% hydrolyzed.

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Pumpkin muffins with cheesecake topping and cinnamon sticks.

Fall is just around the corner! Bring on the pumpkin goodness and enjoy these delicious, protein packed Grain Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins! 

Pumpkin muffins with cheesecake topping and cinnamon sticks.

Grain Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

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Grain Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 12 muffins

These high protein Grain Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins with a maple cheesecake topping are so soft and delicious. They're easy to make, naturally sweetened, nut-free and perfectly spiced. 

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake Topping:

  • 6 tablespoons organic cream cheese, room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons maple sugar {<-- this is my favorite brand}

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with muffin wrappers. Set aside.
  2. Add all wet ingredients to blender or food processor {you could also use a hand held mixer and mixing bowl instead} - pumpkin, melted healthy fat of choice, maple syrup, applesauce {see note}, vanilla and eggs. [Note: If you're using a whole apple instead of applesauce, add it to the blender or food processor first. Blend until pureed. Then add remaining wet ingredients.] Pulse just until combined, about 3-5 seconds. Set aside.
  3. Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Pour wet pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients. Stir to combine, just until incorporated. Evenly distribute pumpkin batter in muffin wrappers. Set aside.
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese and maple sugar. Mix until fully combined. Add a spoonful, about 1 tablespoon of the "cheesecake" mixture to the tops of each pumpkin muffin batter. You can leave the mixture just sitting on the top or you can use a knife to gently swirl some of the cheesecake mixture into the pumpkin batter.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes or until no more than a few moist crumbs comes out on a toothpick. Allow muffins to rest in muffin pan for 5 minutes, then carefully remove from muffin pan to a cooling rack.

Notes

YOU WILL NEED: Large Mixing Bowl, Handheld Mixer/Blender/Food Processor, Muffin Wrappers, Muffin Pan

Storage: Freeze for later use or store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Dairy-Free Version: Use avocado oil in the muffins and use a dairy-free (preferably soy-free) cream cheese instead. 

Courses Breakfast

Cuisine American

Are you on Pinterest? I pin lots of yummy real food recipes + more there. I have a board just for Gluten Free Treats! Come follow along. 

The Art of Great Cooking With Your Instant Pot Cookbook - 80 INSPIRING GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES MADE EASIER, FASTER AND MORE NUTRITIOUS IN YOUR MULTI-FUNCTION COOKER | Recipes to Nourish // Instant Pot Recipes | Pressure Cooker Recipes | Gluten Free Recipes | Healthy Recipes | Real Food Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Hi Carole, you could try using a gluten free blend, but I haven’t tried one at this point. Coconut flour for sure will not work though and I’m not sure if almond flour will work the same. Otto’s cassava flour is closest to regular flour in consistency. I hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply

  17. I don’t have cassava flour… anything I can sub in? I’ve got lots of other flours… go figure I wouldn’t have THE ONE flour you call for… any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Hi Kimberly 🙂 Well, I haven’t experimented using other flours with this one yet. It’s possible a gluten free flour blend would work. Coconut flour will not work for sure and it’s possible almond flour might not work too. I hope that helps some.

      Reply

  22. These look amazing and perfect for fall. I will also check out that collagen since I have been looking for a new brand to try, I use it in my smoothies.

    Reply

  27. Hi There, I’m going to try these out today!
    Were are you in the bay area? I grew up in Antioch, moved around the bay area, lived in Vallejo for 5 years now in Napa. Did you attend Bauman Holistic Nutrition College in Emeryville?

    Reply

  31. These look amazing! And I love that they’re made with such high quality ingredients. 🙂 I’m feeling ready to finally get some of this flour, but I can’t decide whether to get the 2 lb. or 5 lb. bag to start. I don’t bake desserts as often as you, that’s for sure!

    Reply

    • Thanks Elaina! Well, that’s a tough decision. I would say go with the 5 lb. bag because you can make other yummies like tortillas. Or play it safe and get the 2 lb. bag to see if you like it first. I LOVE it! It’s my favorite now. I hope you enjoy it when you get some. xo

      Reply

    • Hi Pamela, cassava flour batters can be thicker – it just depends on the recipe. This batter is a thicker batter because of the pumpkin puree. I hope that helps. Usually cassava flour needs a bit more moisture and in this recipe the pumpkin adds that moisture.

      Reply

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