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    Home » Recipes » Muffins

    Published: Oct 10, 2023 · Modified: Oct 10, 2023 by Pate Giltner 3 Comments

    Cinnamon Cream Cheese Apple Butter Muffins

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    You will love these easy-to-make, show-stopping apple butter muffins with cinnamon cream cheese swirl! They are baked with loads of spiced apple butter and cinnamon cream cheese, which makes them deliciously soft and moist with a tender crumb!

    These delightful treats bring together the rich creaminess of cream cheese and the comforting sweetness of apple butter, making them the ultimate fall indulgence. 

    Apple butter muffin split in half and smeared with apple butter.

    Apple butter is a fall staple and my favorite condiment once Autumn hits; it's made from apples, spices, and sweeteners. It tastes exactly like a fall harvest. This recipe is great with store-bought butter and this stovetop bourbon apple butter. Or if cinnamon and apple flavors are what you are looking for, these The Best Spiced Apple Cider Muffins are amazing!

    Fall baking is my favorite because I love all the flavors. I could eat these muffins with this The Best Chocolate Bourbon Banana Bread on repeat all season! 

    Jump to:
    • Why I love this recipe:
    • Key Ingredients:
    • Step by step instructions:
    • Here is a video showing how to make these muffins!
    • Expert tips for great muffins!
    • Subsitutions:
    • FAQ's
    • Looking for more muffin recipes? Check these out!
    • Cream Cheese Apple Butter Muffins

    Why I love this recipe:

    1. They are bursting with fall falvor! These muffins capture the essence of the season with the heavenly combination of apples and spices.
    2. Creamy Texture: The cream cheese adds a velvety texture that perfectly complements the moistness of the muffins.
    3. Easy To Make: This recipe is simple and straightforward, making it a great choice for both experienced bakers and beginners.
    ingredients for the apple butter muffins on a red stone table.

    Key Ingredients:

    Apple Butter: apple butter is made by cooking down apples in spices and a little sweetener. For this recipe, I use this bourbon apple butter which is made with apple cider, bourbon, brown sugar, and maple syrup but store-bought apple butter works as well!

    Eggs: The eggs in this recipe work double-time as a binding agent for all the ingredients, but they also help the muffins rise. 

    All-purpose flour: AP flour is what gives the muffin its structure.

    Sugar: sugar is what makes these muffins sweet and tasty. However, there's not too much; I'm not a fan of overly sweet things. 

    Cream Cheese: cream cheese adds moisture, texture, and a tangy flavor to the muffins. The cream cheese mixture in this recipe used cinnamon and vanilla to make it extra delicious!

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Step by step instructions:

    The butter and sugar creamed together with an egg sitting on top.

    Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then mix in the vanilla.

    The apple butter sitting on top of the mixture.

    Step 2: Next, mix in the apple butter.

    The batter after the flour has been mixed in.

    Step 3: Followed by the flour, salt, and baking powder. Sit the bowl aside.

    The batter added to the muffin tin.

    Step 4: Add the batter to a prepared lined muffin tin, filling ¾ of the way up. 

    The cream cheese mixture beaten and fluffy.

    Step 5: Make the cream cheese mixture by beating the cream cheese, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and egg yoke together until smooth. 

    The cream cheese mixture sitting on top of the batter.

    Step 6: Add about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese to the tops of the muffins and use a toothpick to swirl the mixture into the muffin batter. 

    Here is a video showing how to make these muffins!

    Expert tips for great muffins!

    • Don't over-mix the batter; the key to the perfect muffin texture is just mixed batter.
    • For a crunch and nutty flavor, add chopped nuts to the muffin batter or as a topping.
    • Use room-temperature cream cheese for easy blending with the other ingredients.
    • A toothpick is the best method to swirl the cream cheese; a knife works, but it's harder to swirl in a muffin tin.
    Apple butter muffin with a dried apple sitting on top of the muffin.

    Subsitutions:

    • Apple Butter Alternatives: If you don't have apple butter on hand, you can substitute with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce, but the muffins might be slightly less concentrated in apple flavor.
    • Cream Cheese Options: Neufchâtel cheese (often labeled as reduced-fat cream cheese) can be used in place of regular cream cheese.
    • Nut-Free Option: If allergies are a concern, skip the nuts or consider using finely chopped dried fruit as an alternative topping.

    FAQ's

    How long do these muffins last?

    They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

    Can I add anything else to the muffin batter?

    Yes! Nuts would be a great addition to the recipe!

    Looking for more muffin recipes? Check these out!

    • Raspberry almond muffin on a vintage muffin tray.
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    Print
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    Apple butter muffin split in half and smeared with apple butter.

    Cream Cheese Apple Butter Muffins

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
    • Author: Pate Giltner
    • Prep Time: 15
    • Cook Time: 20
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 12 muffins 1x
    • Category: Muffin
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    These apple butter muffins are swirled with a cinnamon cream cheese topping and are filled with spiced apple butter! 


    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    Muffins:

    • ½ cup softened butter
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 cup apple butter

    Cream cheese topping:

    • 8 oz cream cheese
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp cinnamon

    Instructions

    1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then mix in the vanilla.
    2. Next, mix in the apple butter.
    3. Followed by the flour, salt, and baking powder. Sit the bowl aside.
    4. Add the batter to a prepared lined muffin tin, filling ¾ of the way up. 
    5. Make the cream cheese mixture by beating the cream cheese, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and egg yoke together until smooth. 
    6. Add about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese to the tops of the muffins and use a toothpick to swirl the mixture into the muffin batter. 
    7. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then lower to 375 and bake for 15 -20 minutes more.

    Notes

    • Don't over-mix the batter; the key to the perfect muffin texture is just mixed batter. 
    • A toothpick is the best method to swirl the cream cheese; a knife works, but it's harder to swirl in a muffin tin.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @thegandmkitchen — I can't wait to see what you've made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. elizabeth says

      October 24, 2022 at 5:36 pm

      These were amazing! The cream cheese was such an unexpected surprise!

      Reply
    2. Terri says

      October 11, 2023 at 12:28 pm

      These were lovely

      Reply
    3. Robin Johnson says

      February 03, 2024 at 9:47 am

      Great recipe! I used a homemade apple butter that was given to me. But otherwise followed instructions. Muffins were moist, great texture. Delicious!
      Thanks. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.

      Reply

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    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake
    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake

    About Pate

    Hi! I'm Pate, the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind The G&M Kitchen!

    Raised in the heart of Kentucky, I come from a long line of passionate cooks and bakers. The kitchen was always the heart of our home, where we transformed vegetables into delightful dishes and crafted pies and cakes that emerged from the oven. This tradition of coming together through food and cooking inspired the name of my blog, The G&M Kitchen – 'G' for my father's family, the Giltners, and 'M' for my mother's family, the Millers.

    I also believe if a recipe is missing something, it's probably bourbon.

    Learn more about me →

    Hello and welcome!

    Here at The G&M Kitchen, you will find southern-inspired baking recipes with a modern twist that are easy, elegant, and fun! Everything is made from scratch, designed for the home kitchen, and is simply delicious!

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    As featured in: thefeedfeed, Sur La Table, Bake From Scratch, Foodtography School, The Bourbon Review, Bringing it Home

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