Description
These moist and flavorful pumpkin muffins are made with roasted pumpkin purée and warming autumn spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting, they make the perfect seasonal treat for breakfast or dessert. The recipe involves roasting fresh pumpkin until soft, then blending it into a smooth purée to incorporate into a spiced muffin batter, baked to golden perfection and finished with a creamy frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
Muffins
- 450g small pumpkin or butternut squash
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to finish
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 150g butter, softened
- 150g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 100g butter, softened
- 100g icing sugar
- 200g full-fat soft cheese (cream cheese)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Roast the Pumpkin: Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut the pumpkin or butternut squash in half and scoop out any seeds. Place the cut side down on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast for 30-40 minutes until completely soft. Leave it to cool, then scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. Blend the flesh into a smooth purée using a blender.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Measure out 300g of the pumpkin purée for the recipe, setting aside any extra for another use if you like. In a bowl, combine the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and a pinch of salt, mixing well.
- Make the Batter: In a separate large bowl, beat softened butter and caster sugar with a whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully combined before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract, then carefully fold in the flour and spice mixture and the pumpkin purée, whisking until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
- Bake the Muffins: Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases and evenly divide the muffin batter among them. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tray.
- Prepare the Frosting: To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the softened butter in a bowl with electric beaters for 1 minute until smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar while continuing to beat for 3-4 minutes until silky. Then add the full-fat soft cheese and vanilla extract and beat again until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Decorate the Muffins: Once the muffins have cooled, spoon or pipe the cream cheese frosting generously onto each muffin. Finish with a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon on top for extra flavor and visual appeal. Serve and enjoy your delicious pumpkin muffins!
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh pumpkin or butternut squash, canned pumpkin purée can be used, though fresh roasting adds more flavor.
- You can freeze leftover pumpkin purée for up to 3 months for future baking.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the muffins tender and moist.
- The cream cheese frosting is best spread on completely cooled muffins to prevent melting.
- For a dairy-free version, try substituting butter and cream cheese with plant-based alternatives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
