Pumpkin-Walnut Spice Muffin w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

This evening we had a quick and easy dinner since we just had the leftover pizza from last night.  However, with the cooler weather, I had the "itch" to bake something "fall weather appropriate"...if there is such a thing!  While searching online for something else, I accidentally stumbled on a recipe for pumpkin muffins a few days ago on another blog called "Healthy Living How To".  The muffin recipe looked good and they served it with pumpkin butter...but I thought a cinnamon cream cheese "frosting" would be something I'd prefer and it would be easy to experiment with on such a small scale.  Basically this muffin is a variation of a "One Minute Muffin", also called Muffin in a Minute (MIM).  This muffin is made and cooked in a 4-1/2" ramekin or bowl (I used a Corning grab-it bowl...remember those?) rather than a mug and it takes 2 minutes to cook in the microwave (mine actually took 2-1/2 minutes).  I want to tell you that it was really good and really easy to make.  I made a few minor tweaks but essentially followed the recipe.  Below are a few pictures as well as the recipe.  It is definitely worth trying if you like pumpkin...and the best part about it is that since you are only making one portion...if you don't like it, it isn't a big deal and you didn't waste a lot of ingredients...which is a good thing!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin-Walnut Spice Muffin w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons coconut flour

2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseed meal

Pinch Celtic sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum-free & gluten-free)

1 large egg (or 1/4 cup Egg Beaters)

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup pumpkin puree (Canned or Fresh)

20-30 drops liquid stevia, or to taste (I used 30 drops) or 5-6 teaspoons Swerve sweetener

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a 4 1/2 inch ramekin or bowl.

2. Whisk egg with water, pumpkin, stevia or Swerve and melted butter in ramekin or bowl.

3. Add coconut flour, flaxseed meal, sea salt, cinnamon and walnuts and mix well.

4. Sprinkle with baking powder and mix one more time.

5. Spread/smooth out evenly in ramekin and microwave for 2 minutes (mine took 2-1/2 minutes).

6. Remove from microwave with dish towel and invert on cooling rack (I inverted mine on to a plate).

7. Top or frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired.
  

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Cream Cheese Frosting (for one muffin)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cream cheese (brick style, not whipped)
2 tablespoons half-n-half or cream (add gradually to desired consistency)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Truvia or 2 teaspoons Swerve confectioners sweetener
Dash of cinnamon
Splash of vanilla extract (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Directions:

In a small bowl, whip cream cheese until softened and fluffy with a small spoon; add Truvia or sweetener of choice (I used a little over 1/2 teaspoon Truvia), vanilla, cinnamon and add half-n-half a little at a time, whipping/beating it in until you get the desired consistency (I used almost 2 tablespoons).  Spread or frost on cooled (or almost cooled) muffin.  Sprinkle with “cinnamon sugar” (1/3 teaspoon Truvia mixed with a few shakes of cinnamon) and top with a few chopped walnut pieces, if desired.  Enjoy!