Skinny Cinnamon Chip Cream Cheese Muffins

A few days ago, I was e-mailed this delicious looking recipe for Cinnamon Chip Cream Cheese Bread, from Erin over at Making Memories...One Fun thing After Another. I've never made a recipe with Cinnamon Chips before, and Erin's bread seem like the perfect recipe to give them a try.

I lightened up this recipe by reducing the amount of Cinnamon Chips to half a bag, instead of the entire bag, as well as, replacing the full fat cream cheese for 33% less fat cream cheese. I also replaced the sugar with Splenda. 

I turned this recipe into muffins for portion control, to help aid in my weight loss efforts. I weighed in last Sunday, and forgot to mention I lost 3 pounds! Yay!

I thought I was being clever my baking these in individual portions, but to be honest, it created a lot more work! So, if you would like to follow the original recipe, the batter is baked in a loaf pan for 55-60 minutes.

And, before you go on a wild goose chase all over town looking for Hershey's Cinnamon Chips, Vons/Safeway was the only store that carried them in my town. They were $4.09 a bag.

Skinny Cinnamon Chip Cream Cheese Muffins

Batter
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c Splenda sugar substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 c flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 c milk ( I used 2%)
2 egg whites
1/4 c Splenda sugar substitute
5 oz.( 1/2 a bag ) Hershey's Cinnamon Chips

Cream Cheese Filling 
8 oz. 33% less fat cream cheese
1/2 c Splenda
1 egg

Glaze
2 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water

 

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1/2 c Splenda, and egg until smooth. Set aside.

 

 

Next, mix the 2 tablespoons of Splenda, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of water.  Set aside.

 

 

In a large bowl, cream the butter and Splenda together until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and egg yolks. Mix well.  

 

 

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate the flour mixture and the milk.  Mixing after each addition.

 

 

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add the 1/4 cup Splenda, 1 tablespoon at a time, until egg whites are stiff.  

 

 

Fold the egg whites into the batter mixture. 

 

 

Then, add 5 oz.(1/2 a bag) of Cinnamon Chips. Stir.

 

 

Line 2 muffin tins with 16 cupcake liners. Spray inside of cupcake liners with cooking spray. Scoop one heaping tablespoon batter into each cupcake liner. With a knife, spread batter evenly.

Top with one heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture. Spread to make it even. 

 

 

Add another heaping tablespoon of batter, and spread as best you can. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Drizzle a little bit of glaze over each uncooked muffin.

 

 

 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes. Tops will not be brown, so don't wait for that to happen! Let cool completely before unwrapping.

 

This recipe makes 16 servings. If you are following Weight Watchers, each muffin is 5 Points Plus.