Try these delectable keto pumpkin muffins with a rich gooey cream cheese center. They’re a delicious fall breakfast or snack. So good that you might even want to eat them for dessert!
You don’t want to mess with perfection. Take these keto pumpkin muffins, for example. I first posted this recipe back in 2013 and they were a huge hit from the get-go. Readers love them, and my family does too. So we make them every fall.
It’s one of my most popular keto muffin recipes, and with good reason. They have that classic pumpkin spice flavor, with a gooey, creamy cheesecake center. No one can believe they’re sugar free.
They are, of course, modeled after the famous pumpkin muffins from Starbucks. And they taste just as delicious, but with a mere fraction of the carbs.
How does that sound to you, pumpkin lovers???
Why you must try this recipe
In case you haven’t noticed, I am a huge fan of keto pumpkin recipes. There is something so lovely and comforting about the warm spices paired with pumpkin puree.
And these muffins are no exception. They are tender and sweet, with hints of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. And that sweet cheesecake center takes them to the next level. But if you prefer them plain, I offer instructions for that too!
Best of all, these keto pumpkin muffins have only 3.7g net carbs per serving. Compare that to the hefty 53g of carbs in the Starbucks version.
Other fan favorites include my Keto Pumpkin Cream Pie and Easy Pumpkin Breakfast Bars. And let me not forget my updated Keto Pumpkin Bread, which gets rave reviews every time!
Reader Testimonials
“I made these exactly as written. They were easy to make and tasted fabulous! I can always count on your recipes to be delicious!” — Dana
“These are pure perfection, so delicious! I like extra simple recipes with standard ingredients, and even with the a separate filling, these are simple enough for me to put in regular rotation. I just need to remember to make a double batch next time. Thank you!” — Jamie
“These muffins are the VERY BEST thing I’ve made using Keto ingredients! Thanks!” — Kathy
Ingredients you need
Cream Cheese Filling:
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese as low fat cream cheese has fillers that can make it higher in carbs.
- Powdered Swerve Sweetener: Use a powdered sweetener for the cream cheese filling so there’s no residual grittiness.
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
Pumpkin Muffins:
- Almond flour: Choose a good, finely ground almond flour for the best texture. This recipe won’t work well with coconut flour, but you can use sunflower seed flour for a nut-free version.
- Swerve Brown: A brown sugar replacement is ideal for the best keto pumpkin muffins. But any granular sweetener should be fine in these, so use what you like best. Do be aware that allulose will make them brown much faster.
- Unflavoured whey protein powder: It’s important to understand the science behind keto baking. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein helps baked goods rise properly. You can skip the protein powder, but your muffins will be more dense and fragile. You can also use egg white protein powder instead.
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can combine ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
- Pumpkin purée: You can use homemade or canned pumpkin purée. If it’s on the thinner side, reduce the amount of added liquid.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, butter, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract.
Step-by-step directions
1. Prepare the filling: Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sweetener, cream and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
3. Stir in the wet ingredients: Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, melted butter, water, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Fill the muffins: Line a muffin tin with parchment or silicone liners. Drop a spoonful of batter into the bottom of each and use a spoon to make a well in the center. Drop a tablespoon of the filling into the well, then top with more batter to cover.
5. Bake the muffins: Bake at 325F for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are set and the edges are browned. Let cool in the pan.
Expert tips
The filling is optional! I have made these keto pumpkin muffins several different ways. I love the filled muffin style, but I have also swirled the cream cheese into the top of the batter (very pretty!). And I’ve made them with no filling at all!
So if you prefer a classic pumpkin muffin, feel free to skip the filling. Adding chopped nuts or chocolate chips is delicious too.
The rise and fall of keto pumpkin muffins: If you do make filled muffins, expect them to rise nicely and then sink a bit as they cool. That is the nature of cream cheese stuffed goodies. The filling expands during baking, and then contracts as it cools. So a little sink hole will appear in the tops of the muffins. They still taste fabulous!
Dairy-Free Option: You can make these muffins dairy-free as well, with egg white protein powder, dairy-free cream cheese, and coconut cream. Replace the butter with your oil of choice and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Canned pumpkin puree has 12g of carbs and 4g of fiber per half cup serving. While it’s not the lowest carb option, it can be consumed on a keto diet in small quantities. This keto muffin recipe uses only half a cup spread out over 12 servings, so it’s very keto-friendly.
This keto muffin recipe has 6.1g of carbs and 2.4g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.7g net carbs per muffin.
This keto pumpkin muffin recipe was developed and tested using almond flour. However, you can use sunflower seed flour as a 1 to 1 replacement. Just remember to add a tablespoon of lemon juice to offset the reaction between sunflower seeds and baking powder. They will turn a lovely shade of green if you forget!
More recipes you might enjoy
Keto Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 6 oz (170.1 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Pumpkin Muffins:
- 2 cups (210 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 cup (27 g) unflavoured whey protein powder, (or egg white protein)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, (Or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp cloves)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large (2) eggs
- 1/2 cup (122.5 g) pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (62.5 g) water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cream cheese filling
- Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sweetener, cream and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
Muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a muffin tin with parchment or silicone liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, melted butter, water, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Drop a spoonful of batter into the bottom of the prepared muffin tins and use a spoon to make a well in the center of each. Drop a tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the well, then top with more batter to cover.
- Bake 23 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are set and the edges are just browned. Let cool completely in the pan.
Notes
Variations:
Swirled Pumpkin Muffins: Instead of filling the muffins, swirl the cream cheese into the batter top of the batter. Bake as directed.
Plain Pumpkin Muffins: Fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake 15 to 20 minutes. They will bake faster than those with cream cheese. You can also add chocolate chips or chopped nuts.
Storage information:
Store the muffins in a covered container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can also be frozen for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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These muffins are so great! The perfect balance between the cake part and the filling part.
I made these the 1st time a few months ago when it was 110 here. They tasted as good as they do in our fall weather.
I will make them any time I need a pumpkin fix!
These muffins give you that fall pumpkin flavor we all love! I am always pleased when I try one of your recipes because I know that I am not wasting precious ingredients. Thank you for doing so much to give all of us great healthy recipes
These were really great. I love pumpkin recipes and decided to give these a go. I swapped the unflavored whey protein for salted caramel because I had that from another recipe. It worked out great with the pumpkin and spices. Gave a couple to my cousin who’s ready for pumpkin lattes in May let alone Fall. Thanks for a great Starbucks muffin swap out.
I made these Keto Pumpkin Muffins for my family and they loved them. I also made them with the children in my familly childcae. They enjoyed making them and loved them. They even took some home to share with their family. Their families enjoyed them and asked for the recipe.
my favorite for fall. èasy to make and even my non-keto family loves them!!
I made these Keto Pumpkin Muffins with my family and also with the children in my Family Childcare Everyone loved them. They were fun to make and the children enjoyed making them and taking some home to enjoy their family.
Hi Carolyn,
I am concerned with all the erythritol used in recipes after the study released this summer regarding its danger in clotting. I have purchased several of your books and used them in the past. I can no longer do that. Have you addressed this with your readers. Not trying to stir up trouble just genuinely concerned. What’s your take with continuing to use erythritol?
Thank you!
Yes I’ve addressed it numerous times… on Facebook, and to my newsletter subscribers. You can see what I said here: https://www.facebook.com/AllDayIDreamAboutFood/posts/pfbid032cNQ1EcaYcf6z41GwBPE3R9ixY2wiekBNnFXW36GBYmoKeyfsH1aeHw8Woiv2zX6l
Please look at what a number of other experts and scientists are saying about the study. Most think the flaws in the study limit it a great deal… much more research needs to be done.
these are amazing, even our 8 year old loves them!!!!
this is absolutely a family favorite! I make it all year long not just in the fall. even those in my family that are not Keto will gobble these up thank you so much for an amazing recipe
I have Isopure whey protein powder but can’t find unflavored. I have Vanilla…do you think that would be a good substitute? I was thinking the vanilla may not change the flavor too much but wanted to check with you.
You can use that but don’t use any additional vanilla and maybe add a little more spice.
Can I use a powdered chicken bone broth instead of whey protein?
No, it will make them gummy and hard to cook through.
Only have vanilla whey protein powder, Will this work? Do I need to cut down on added vanilla? Love your recipes!
Just skip any added vanilla.
My house smells amazing and my tummy is happy. And I love that I can have a couple muffins and get 15g protein in a tasty breakfast treat. Now to go find what else to make with the leftover canned pumpkin!
FYI, if you’re in Phoenix and it’s 115 degrees out so you use the toaster oven, you’ll most likely need to cook longer. And since it has the cream cheese filling, you can’t stick a toothpick in it as a tester. I cooked mine for just over 30 minutes, and they were just turning brown on top. I should’ve gone probably another 5 minutes.
Made them last night and another batch for freezing today…. Love them!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
WOW! I am blown away by the texture and wonderful flavor of these muffins! Easy to make, easy to bake, and almost too easy to eat! Each one is an adventure on the pumpkin spice side of things, which even in February is mighty tasty and satisfying. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
Glad you enjoyed them!
so with the price of eggs I just couldn’t use your regular pumpkin bread recipe, Soni took the muffins and made it into bread.. delicious