Caramelized Apple Cheesecake Muffins

Soft, bakery-style muffins filled with warmly spiced caramelized apples and a creamy cheesecake center, finished with a buttery cinnamon crumble. Each bite balances silky cheesecake, tender apple, and a tender crumb — the ultimate fall treat, perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself at home.

By @sweetconfectionmx

Original recipe source

Cook time: 55 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 35 g Unsalted Butter
• 350 g Apples peeled, cored, thinly sliced
• 70 g Brown Sugar
• 0.5 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice fresh
• 150 g Cream Cheese softened
• 1.5 tbsp Honey
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 2 tsp Cornstarch
• 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
• 0.5 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
• 50 g All-Purpose Flour
• 35 g Brown Sugar
• 0.75 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 40 g Unsalted Butter cold, cubed
• 240 g All-Purpose Flour sifted
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 1.5 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 120 g Granulated Sugar
• 80 g Brown Sugar
• 113 g Unsalted Butter softened or melted
• 60 ml Avocado Oil or neutral oil
• 2 Egg large
• 1 Egg White
• 1.5 tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 80 ml Milk
• 60 g Greek Yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Begin by preparing the caramelized apples. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter until foamy, then add the thinly sliced apples.
3. Sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and lemon juice over the apples. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft, glossy, and syrupy, about 6-8 minutes. Let cool completely.
4. Prepare the cheesecake filling by beating the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy, then blend in honey, egg yolk, cornstarch, heavy cream, and vanilla paste until fully combined.
5. Chill the cheesecake mixture in the refrigerator while preparing the other components.
6. For the crumble, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the cold, cubed butter with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized bits.
7. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cornstarch, and ground cinnamon for the muffin batter into a large bowl. Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until evenly distributed.
8. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted or softened butter, oil, eggs, egg white, vanilla extract, milk, and Greek yogurt until combined and slightly frothy.
9. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, folding gently with a spatula until almost combined. Do not overmix.
10. Fold in the cooled caramelized apples until just incorporated. The batter will be thick and rich.
11. Fill each muffin liner halfway with batter. Add a spoonful of cheesecake filling to the center of each, then top with remaining muffin batter to cover.
12. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon crumble over each muffin, pressing gently so it adheres.
13. Bake on the center rack for 24-27 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until golden and a toothpick inserted at the side comes out clean (avoid the cheesecake center).
14. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.