Brown Sugar and Spice Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Swirl

It’s all about pumpkin this time of year! I absolutely love it, but I’m sure for some people you can get sick of it pretty quick. Maybe pumpkin isn’t your thing at all, but you still love all the fall flavors and spices.

These brown sugar and spice muffins with maple cream cheese swirl are a treat with the best flavor combinations of sweet and a little savory. The mixture of the sweet brown sugar, and the spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, with a little swirl of cream cheese just hits the spot and really curbs those fall-time cravings that I get!

Oh and don’t worry – these muffins are seriously so easy to make… whether you bring these to a friend’s house or just make them for your family, they will absolutely be a hit.

(And for only 168 calories a muffin there is nothing to feel bad about!)

All you need is to throw on your hoodie and sweatpants, pour a cup of coffee and enjoy your fall-time treat 🙂

Brown Sugar and Spice Muffins Ingredients:

For the Brown Sugar and Spice Muffins:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. clove
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. unsalted grass-fed butter (you can use regular butter as well), melted
1/4 cup agave maple syrup (can sub regular)
6 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
1 tsp. pure vanilla

For the Maple Cream Cheese Swirl: 

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
2 tbsp. agave maple syrup
2 tbsp. non-fat plain greek yogurt

cooking spray (or muffin liners)
12 count muffin pan
toothpicks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl add maple syrup, brown sugar and melted butter.
4. Using a hand mixer, beat ingredients together until fully combined.
5. Add egg and egg white to mixture and beat for a minute.
6. Add vanilla and greek yogurt and continue to mix until all ingredients are incorporates.
7. Start to slowly add flour mixture into the wet ingredients, making sure flour mixture is mixed in well before adding more flour mixture.
8. Once all ingredients have been combined you can make the cream cheese.
9. In a small bowl using a hand mixer, mix together cream cheese, maple, and greek yogurt. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Set aside.
10. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
11. Pour batter about halfway into each spot.
12. Take a tablespoon and scoop 1 tbsp. onto the top of each muffin (batter). Repeat until cream cheese is on-top of all muffins.
13. Take your toothpick and lightly swirl the cream cheese into the muffin batter alternating directions to get the desired design (there is not right or wrong way). Repeat on all muffins.
14. Place muffin pan into the oven and cook for about 15-17 minutes (mine only took 15 minutes), take a toothpick and insert into muffin if it comes out clean they are all done.

Nutritional Information:

Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1 muffin (with 1 tbsp. cream cheese mixed in)

Calories: 168
Fat: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 28 g
Sugar: 20 g
Fiber: 0 g
Sodium: 54 mg (w/o added salt)
Protein: 5 g