Soft, moist, decadent muffins spiced with all the warm, Autumn spices and layered with a stripe of cheesecake-goodness. Filled with zucchini, carrots, golden raisins, coconut oil, and maple syrup, these beauties are as nourishing as they are delicious!

If you know me at all, you know that I will eek out every last day of Summer that I possibly can. I will struggle and eye roll at every mention of Pumpkin anything pre-October. But I do understand the draw to all the warm foods and drinks and soups and breads and spices. So using the end of summer bounty of zucchini and carrots, I created a warmly spiced muffin stuffed with a cheesecake filling. Using maple syrup to sweeten, these little bites of yum are full of nourishment as much as they are delicious!

It’s easier than you might think to sneak in some nourishment with veggies, coconut oil, flaxseed, and maple syrup and still create a muffin that satisfies all of your cravings! Adjust the ingredients to your liking using more grated carrot and less zucchini, leave out the flaxseed if you don’t have any on-hand, or switch to regular sugar rather than syrup if that’s what you have! Just keep your quantities the same.

Here’s how…

Begin by finely shredding 1 1/2 c. of zucchini and 1/2 c. carrot (usually around 1 carrot depending on size).

In a small bowl, mix the following ingredients until smooth:

• 4 oz. room temperature cream cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Using your mixer, blend 2/3 c. melted coconut oil with 1/2 c. maple syrup and 1/2 c. brown sugar. Add in 2 eggs, one at a time and 1 tsp. vanilla, blending all well.

In a separate bowl, mix the following dry ingredients:

• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 heaping tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. dried ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 2 T. ground flaxseed (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until thoroughly combined, but do not over-mix.

In a greased muffin tin or into paper baking cups, put 1 T. of the muffin batter into each cup. Make a small divet with a small spoon into each bit of batter and then put a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture onto each one and then scoop another Tablespoonful of batter over the top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if desired.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Let cool for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Autumn Spice Cheesecake Muffins

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Soft, moist muffins spiced with all the warm, Autumn spices and layered with stripe of cheesecake-goodness. Filled with zucchini, carrots, coconut oil, and maple syrup, these beauties are as nourishing as they are delicious!

Alison: That Which Nourishes

Serves: 12 large muffins

Grocery List

• ⅔ c. coconut oil
• ½ c. maple syrup
• ½ c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. flour
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. dried ginger
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 2 T. ground flaxseed
• 2 heaping tsp. cinnamon
• 1½ c. finely grated zucchini
• ½ c. finely grated carrots
• ⅓ c. golden raisins
• Filling:
• 4 oz. room temp. cream cheese
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Here's how...

1. Begin by finely shredding 1½ c. of zucchini and ½ c. carrot (usually around 1 carrot depending on size).
2. In a small bowl, mix the following ingredients until smooth:
3. oz. room temperature cream cheese
4. egg yolk
5. T. sugar
6. /2 tsp. vanilla
7. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
8. Using your mixer, blend ⅔ c. melted coconut oil with ½ c. maple syrup and ½ c. brown sugar. Add in 2 eggs, one at a time and 1 tsp. vanilla, blending all well.
9. In a separate bowl, mix the following dry ingredients:
10. c. flour
11. /2 tsp. baking powder
12. /2 tsp. baking soda
13. /2 tsp. salt
14. heaping tsp. cinnamon
15. /2 tsp. nutmeg
16. /2 tsp. dried ginger
17. /4 tsp. cloves
18. T. ground flaxseed (optional)
19. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until thoroughly combined, but do not over-mix.
20. Add in ⅓ c. golden raisins
21. In a greased muffin tin or into paper baking cups, put 1 T. of the muffin batter into each cup. Make a small divet with a small spoon into each bit of batter and then put a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture onto each one and then scoop another Tablespoonful of batter over the top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if desired.
22. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
23. Let cool for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

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