Healthy Pumpkin Bran Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (more for a sweeter muffin)
• 1 cup all-bran cereal
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3-4 ounces fat free cream cheese or light cream cheese, rolled into small balls
• chopped walnuts, to top (optional)
• cinnamon sugar, to top

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400°F, and grease 12 standard size muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. 2

   Roll 3-4 ounces cream cheese into little balls (as big as you perfer, and you can roll them in fine sugar if you like, too), and place single layer on wax paper in freezer while preparing rest of recipe.

3. 3

   Mix cereal and milk in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to soften.

4. 4

   While softening, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.

5. 5

   Whisk pumpkin, egg, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and vanilla together, then stir in cereal and milk.

6. 6

   Fold wet mixture into dry and add in the cream cheese balls **dont over mix**.

7. 7

   Fill up each muffin cup, sprinkling the tops with additional cinnamon+sugar, and walnuts.

8. 8

   Bake 28-38 minutes and cool on cooling rack. Tastes delish warm, but they also refrigerate and freeze well.

9. 9

   SUGGESTION: Would taste delish with cream cheese icing on top :).