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Apple Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins are the perfect buttery and moist apple walnut muffins with a hidden cream cheese center. Topped with a cinnamon sugar crumb topping these are the perfect fall muffins!
I love that fall is in the air. We had some high temperatures last week but I am reminded of fall and the beautiful changing leaves in the mountains. It will be pretty cool and chilly in the morning and evenings but you are dying of heat in the afternoon and have to change into shorts and take off the sweatshirts. That is typical Utah weather for you. But I am not complaining because the electric bill finally is starting to go down.
I am especially excited for fall baking. I mean isn’t that what we look forward to? All of the amazing fall baked goodies with apple and pumpkin? I love that meme that is going around that says, “My summer body wasn’t ready but my winter body is good to go!” Isn’t that the truth? 😉
This year I am bringing you some delicious recipes using walnuts. I especially love walnuts for baking because they add a new crunchy texture and the nutty walnut taste that we all love.
It took me three times to get this recipe just right. I love apple muffins but I wanted to have a surprise cream cheese center. I mean who doesn’t love when a layer of sweet cream cheese is baked into the center of a muffin? It is the BEST! Then to top it off with an amazing crumb topping! This muffin is the muffin of my dreams!
To achieve the bakery style buttery muffin the dough will be slightly thicker. You will be able to fill the muffins right to the top. The inside of the muffin is delicious and tender. And you will especially love the hidden apples and walnuts in the dough.
I used my favorite crumb topping which actually requires the butter to be melted instead of cold. The crumb topping comes together quickly and is the perfect sized crumbs ready to go on top of the muffin. I also press lightly to make the crumbs stay better. A crumbly muffin is my favorite!
These muffins are the perfect fall muffins and you must put them on your baking list as soon as you can! You are going to love every single thing about them from the buttery and moist muffin, to the apples and walnuts hidden inside, to the cream cheese center, and the cinnamon sugar crumb topping! You will want to bake these again and again!
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Apple Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup chopped apples
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
Cream Cheese Center:
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
Crumb Topping:
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners. In a medium sized bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat together butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples and walnuts. Gradually add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add 1 tablespoon into the bottom of the muffin liners.
- To make the cream cheese mixture: Beat together cream cheese, sugar and egg yolk until smooth. Put about 1 tablespoon on top of the bottom of the dough in the liners. Top the cheesecake layer with the rest of the dough and fill to the top.
- To make the crumb topping: Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter to a small bowl and mix. Add the flour until it starts to become crumbs. Top the muffins with the crumb mixture and lightly press into the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes clean and the tops are lightly brown. Let them sit for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was sponsored by the California Walnut Board. Thank you for allowing me to work with brands that I love. All opinions expressed are my own.
Not too shabby! The cream cheese layer great. The only thing that didn’t work for me was the crumble as it didn’t crumble and did not bake well
Made these muffins and they are very good. I followed the recipe. Except I didn’t add the walnuts. And they turned out very good. I’ll definitely will be making these again.
I love this recipe. However, due to dietary changes I used chia seeds and water as replacement for the eggs, baking soda and lemon to to make baking powder, brown sugar for white sugar, wheat flour for white flour and cinnamon in the batter. It came out really tasty!
So I just made these, and as I was putting them in the oven, I realized that somehow I had forgotten to add the walnuts and apples. It was already all built up tho, so I couldn’t scoop out the dough. Waiting on them now, I hope they still turn out delicious.
This recipe sounds really good. I will try it. It would be great if you could give a better descriptions of your ingredients. Such as, what type of apples are you using and are the walnut raw or cooked, is the butter unsalted? Thanks for sharing your recipes!
I usually cook with unsalted butter. It is your choice what you prefer! The apples are honey crisp but you are welcome to use any apple that you love. The walnuts are raw. Hope that helps! These are delicious! XOXO
Not a comment a question, u have white sugar u do mean confectioner sugar?
The white sugar is regular cane sugar. Confectioner sugar is also know as powdered sugar. Hope that helps! XOXO
I’ve made these twice this weekend. I added one cup of applesauce and skipped the cream cheese filling. These are delicious! Sub one cup of whole wheat pastry flour for regular, and reduce sugar to 3/4 cup for a slight change. The buttery taste is amazing.
MMM! That sounds delicious! I love your ideas! Thanks for sharing with me!! XOXO
Great recipe for fall apples. I used granny smith apples. I added 1/2 white and brown sugar + 1/8 tsp of apple pie seasoning and saigon cinnamon to the dough. Since the south has wonderful pecans, I used pecans and toasted my nuts prior to adding to dough. My family inhaled them. Think I’ll need a wagon to pull my big head around due to all the praise for these muffins. Thanks Alyssa for another great recipe. Kat =^.^=(my cooking gang sign)
Just made these today, and they’re delicious! The cream didn’t “stay together” for me like they seem in your photo, but I don’t mind at all because it instead softened each muffin beautifully. Gonna see how my father and his wife like this, tomorrow. 🙂
(PS: Not quite sure what’s happening with the rating system – I am on Chrome on a MacBook, – but the highest rating it would allow me to give is two, and it is pretty wonky. So, I’ll skip the rating but this is a five-star muffin in my book.)
hey girl oh yummy! This looks so good!
I am making these tomorrow but going to make them as mini muffins – 24 instead of 12. Also will leave the walnuts out – not allergic – but not a fan of nuts and have some friends who are allergic too.
These are right up my alley! Honeycrisp apples are in stores now and I am obssessed withe them so these are going on my must make list.
My mouth is watering just reading about these muffins. I was going to search for a fall treat to take to the staff at my Dr.’s appointment this week. Opened my email from your blog and WOW, there it is. Think I’ll have to make 2 batches, with one for home. Special thanks for all you do to provide such delicious recipes. I’ve printed a bunch lately. Oh, as Megan above said, sound divine, not leaving anything out,(sorry Megan) Type 2 diabetic, but hello…gonna make these! Yum
So much sugar – in all the recipes on this site – how can you bear it?
I eat everything in moderation. 🙂
These sound divine. I’d have to leave the walnuts out, allergic, but hello…gonna make these!
I had a lot of crumb topping leftover and it wasn’t crumbly because the butter was melted not cold.
What a gorgeous muffin. I love apples and walnuts together, sneak in a surprise cream cheese middle and I am absolutely sold. Brilliant recipe that will be made. Pinned.