Pumpkin Muffins With Cream Cheese

It's rich enough but not too sweet and heavy like store bought pumpkin muffins. Molasses and orange juice make these muffins so tasty! (This picture was taken when I baked 12 jumbo sized muffins using the ingredients for 24 regular size muffins.)

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 24 muffins

Ingredients

• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1  cup canola oil or 1  cup  safflower oil
• 1⁄4 cup molasses
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
•  pumpkin seeds (optional) or  walnuts (optional) or  pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix dry ingredients together.
3. In separate large bowl, beat eggs, add sugar and mix well. Add pumpkin puree, oil, molasses and orange juice. Mix until smooth.
4. Fold dry mixture into large bowl. Do not over mix.
5. Cut cream cheese bar into 24 pieces. (Keeping cream cheese in freezer while you prepare makes it easier to slice.).
6. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
7. Stick cream cheese into the center.
8. Sprinkle nuts on top (optional).
9. Bake about 25 minutes.