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 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:
- They are bursting with fall falvor! These muffins capture the essence of the season with the heavenly combination of apples and spices.
- Creamy Texture: The cream cheese adds a velvety texture that perfectly complements the moistness of the muffins.
- Easy To Make: This recipe is simple and straightforward, making it a great choice for both experienced bakers and beginners.
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:
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then mix in the vanilla.
Step 2: Next, mix in the apple butter.
Step 3: Followed by the flour, salt, and baking powder. Sit the bowl aside.
Step 4: Add the batter to a prepared lined muffin tin, filling ¾ of the way up.
Step 5: Make the cream cheese mixture by beating the cream cheese, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and egg yoke together until smooth.
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.
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
They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes! Nuts would be a great addition to the recipe!
Looking for more muffin recipes? Check these out!
Cream Cheese Apple Butter Muffins
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Muffin
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These apple butter muffins are swirled with a cinnamon cream cheese topping and are filled with spiced apple butter!
Ingredients
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
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then mix in the vanilla.
- Next, mix in the apple butter.
- Followed by the flour, salt, and baking powder. Sit the bowl aside.
- Add the batter to a prepared lined muffin tin, filling ¾ of the way up.
- Make the cream cheese mixture by beating the cream cheese, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and egg yoke together until smooth.
- 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.
- 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.
elizabeth says
These were amazing! The cream cheese was such an unexpected surprise!
Terri says
These were lovely
Robin Johnson says
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.