Gluten Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Is there anything better than a muffin with a little surprise inside? I saw these festive muffins on Pinterest and HAD to have them! I simply converted them to be dairy and gluten free so little Audrey and I could enjoy them. They turned out perfect! I was so pleased. These would be perfect on a fall morning or even as a snack with some apple cider. Yum. 

Now, keep in mind these are muffins not cupcakes so they are less sweet on purpose. The cream cheese will make it all better for you though. Word to the wise... you'll want to allow them to cool unless you enjoy burning your tongue with molten cream cheese! Just saying. ;)

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene

Yields 12 muffins
Filling Ingredients:

• 4 oz cream cheese (room temperature works best, if using dairy free- use it straight from the fridge)
• 1/4 cup sugar (I use evaporated cane juice sugar)

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Dairy Free on the right, Real Cream Cheese on the left

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 5 Tbsp potato starch
• 3 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 & 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup sugar (I use evaporated cane juice sugar)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs

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Directions: 

1. Mix together the room temperature cream cheese and sugar until smooth and blended. Place the mixture in the freezer to cool back down. If you're using dairy free cream cheese, use it straight from the fridge, mix it, and then place in the freezer while you complete the other steps. 
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 12 tins in a cupcake pan with paper cups.
3. In a small bowl combine the dry ingredients: brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. 
4. In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, and the eggs. Beat well then add in the dry ingredients until combined. 
5. Using a cookie scoop (or something similar) scoop 1 scoop of pumpkin batter into the bottom of the cups. Flatten out with a greased spoon leaving a little well in the center. Remove the cream cheese and scoop a half a cookie scoop into the center of each tin. (To get half, I simply get a scoop of the cream cheese mixture and break it in half with my fingers.) Then place two cookie scoops of pumpkin on top of the cream cheese mixture, being sure to seal off the cream cheese mixture in the center. 
6. Bake for  25 minutes or until the muffins bounce back when lightly touched.