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Apple Crisp Cheesecake Muffins

Apple crisp cheesecake muffins with a creamy center and a crunchy oat crumble crown. Baked until golden with diced apples folded into a tender muffin batter.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Muffins
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1.5 cup apples, finely diced
Cream cheese filling
  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla
Oat crumble
  • 0.33 cup oats
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp cold butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and fillings
  1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a 12-cup muffin tin. Arrange the tin so it’s ready for quick filling.
  2. Beat cream cheese filling ingredients together until smooth, then refrigerate. Chill until firm enough to hold shape when spooned.
  3. Make oat crumble by combining oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cutting in cold butter until crumbly. Refrigerate so the topping stays crisp.
Mix the muffin batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Stop when evenly blended with no streaks of spice.
  2. Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla together. Mix until the batter looks glossy and smooth.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing so the muffins stay tender.
  4. Fold in the diced apples. The batter should be speckled with apple pieces.
Assemble and bake
  1. Fill muffin cups halfway with batter. Leave space in the center for the cream cheese filling.
  2. Add a teaspoon of cream cheese filling to the center of each muffin. Press lightly so it sits in the middle.
  3. Cover each with more batter. Smooth the top just enough to enclose the filling.
  4. Top each muffin with oat crumble. Sprinkle generously so a crunchy oat layer forms.
  5. Bake at 375F for 22-25 minutes until golden. Look for domed tops and browned crumble edges.

Notes

Pro tip: refrigerating the cream cheese filling and the crumble helps them hold their shape so you get a distinct creamy center and a crisp oat crown. Store muffins airtight in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat briefly in a 300F oven or toaster oven to re-crisp the topping. Freeze muffins up to 2 months for best texture—thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and full-fat sour cream as-is to keep the center creamy.