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Apple Crisp Cheesecake Muffins

Apple crisp cheesecake muffins with a creamy center and crunchy oat crumble crown. These bake up golden at 375°F 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: 290
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
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Prep and chill
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin. This gets the cavities ready so the batter can bake right away.
  2. Beat the cream cheese filling ingredients together until smooth, then refrigerate. Chill for a firmer center that stays creamy during baking.
  3. Make the oat crumble by combining the oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cutting in the cold butter until crumbly, and refrigerate. Stop when you see uneven pea- to oat-sized crumbs.
Mix the batter
  1. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until the spices and leaveners look evenly distributed.
  2. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Look for a glossy batter with no streaks of egg.
  3. Fold in the flour mixture, then fold in the finely diced apples. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears to keep muffins tender.
Assemble and bake
  1. Fill the muffin cups halfway with batter, then add a teaspoon of cream cheese filling to the center. Press gently so the filling sits in the middle.
  2. Cover the filling with more batter until the cups are filled as desired. Keep the top slightly domed for a better crumble layer.
  3. Top each muffin with the oat crumble. Use a light pinch to distribute crumbs evenly across the surface.
  4. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes at 375°F until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. The center should look set while still creamy.

Notes

For a cleaner cheesecake center, keep the cream cheese filling and crumble cold until the moment you assemble. Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days and reheat 10–15 seconds in the microwave; freeze up to 2 months for best texture—thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream (the center stays tangy but may be slightly less rich).