🎃 Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins 🎃

🍂🍂 Craving Fall Baked Goods? 🍂🍂

This recipe is healthy, yummy, and FALL-y! I know I'm not the only one who's craving pumpkin right now, and this recipe is full of protein, low in sugar, and totally guilt free!

So, first I mixed pumpkin puree, pumpkin oatmeal butter, one egg white, two plain oatmeal packets, one teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 cup milk, pumpkin spice, and one scoop of vanilla protein powder along with a few drops of liquid stevia extract. 

Stevia is a great substitute for sugar or maple syrup, which is what is usually called for in recipes. Stevia is a plant-based sweetener that has 0 calories, and of course, 0 g of sugar! It's great if you are watching your sugar intake but still crave something sweet. 

This is what I used to give the muffins a rich, pumpkin flavor with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. The Quality Creations Pumpkin Oatmeal Butter can be purchased on Amazon if you're interested, it tastes amazing and is packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. It's made from pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and others, and has 0g of sugar! It also tastes great with apples and bananas as a substitute for peanut butter or in protein shakes with vanilla protein powder, water, and ice. 

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Then, I mixed cream cheese with milk and stevia, til it had a frosting-like consistency. I poured the pumpkin mixture into 6 muffin cups in a muffin pan, then swirled in the cream cheese mixture.

I put it in the oven at 375° for 18 minutes, til it had turned golden brown on the edges. Let cool for a few minutes and there you have it! A healthy, pumpkin-y cream cheese-y muffin that will keep you full for hours because it is packed with protein! I had two for breakfast with some pumpkin spiced coffee with MCT oil and whole milk 😋

🎃 Full Recipe 🎃

Makes 6 muffins. Serving size: 2 muffins. 

:::Ingredients:::

For the Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin oatmeal butter
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup milk of your choice
• 1 cup of instant oatmeal (or 2 individual packets)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• A few drops stevia liquid extract to taste
• As much pumpkin spice as your heart desires 💫

For the optional Cream Cheese Swirl:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• A dash of milk
• A few drops of stevia liquid extract to taste

:::Directions:::

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffin ingredients and Cream Cheese Swirl in separate bowls.
2. Add Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffin Mix evenly into 6 muffin cups. Add Cream Cheese Mixture on top and swirl with a fork.
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges are golden brown.
4. Let cool for ~2 minutes and enjoy! 😋