Cheesecake-Stuffed Apple Butter Muffins
Bakery-tall apple butter muffins with a cool vanilla cream cheese center and a crackly cinnamon-turbinado top. Warmly spiced, ultra-moist, and easier than they look.
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- 12-cup muffin pan and paper liners
- Hand or stand mixer (for the filling)
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk and spatula
- Parchment-lined plate
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 226 g full-fat cream cheese 8 oz, softened
- 50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 g all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon
Apple Butter Muffins
- 270 g all-purpose flour 2 cups + 2 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 113 g unsalted butter ½ cup, melted and slightly cooled
- 100 g light brown sugar ½ cup, packed
- 50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 g apple butter ¾ cup
- 120 g full-fat sour cream ½ cup
- 30 g whole milk or buttermilk 2 tablespoon
Turbinado Sugar Topping
- 38 g 3 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Make the cream cheese filling. Mix the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, and flour until smooth. I do this in a small bowl with a fork. Divide into 12 portions, about 16–18g each. Place on a parchment-lined plate and freeze 20–30 minutes, until firm enough to handle.226 g full-fat cream cheese, 50 g granulated sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 8 g all-purpose flour
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.270 g all-purpose flour, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp fine salt
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.113 g unsalted butter, 100 g light brown sugar, 50 g granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add apple butter and dairy. Whisk in the apple butter and sour cream, followed by the milk.180 g apple butter, 120 g full-fat sour cream, 30 g whole milk or buttermilk
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold gently just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be very thick and scoopable, not pourable.
- Fill and stuff. Add a layer of batter to the bottom of each muffin cup. Place one chilled cream cheese portion in the center, then cover completely with the remaining batter.
- Shape. Gently mound the batter toward the center of each muffin rather than smoothing the tops flat.
- Top. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar generously over each muffin.38 g 3 tablespoon turbinado sugar
- Bake hot, then low. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking 13–17 minutes, until the tops are risen and golden and spring back when lightly touched.
- Cool. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let the muffins cool 20–30 minutes before serving so the cream cheese centers can set slightly.
Notes
Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream. Low-fat versions have more water and can leak or make the crumb wet.
Freeze the filling firm. Chilled, scoopable pucks stay suspended in the center instead of sinking or melting.
Apple butter vs. applesauce. Apple butter is thicker and more concentrated; if substituting applesauce, reduce it on the stove first so the batter stays thick.
Keep the batter thick and scoopable for tall, domed tops, and mound it toward the center before topping.
Don't open the oven during the temperature switch — the initial high heat is what sets those bakery-style domes.
Nutrition
Calories: 355kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 319mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 599IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
