Tender & slightly sweet, these Cream Cheese Apple Muffins are great for any time of day. The finely diced apples are a nice burst of sweetness, while whole wheat flour, wheat bran, and wheat germ help add a little nutrition and delicious texture. I love how light and not overly-sweet they are; it’s hard to eat just one, especially warm from the oven with a pat of butter!
Here’s what you need…
Line a muffin tin with paper cups or grease lightly, and set it aside. My son loves to help with the paper cups!
In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix well.
Then, mix in the milk until well combined.
Mix in flours, bran, germ, baking powder, baking soda, and salt just until blended.
If you like cinnamon flavor with your apples, mix in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon at this step, too. If you prefer, you can substitute 1/2 cup of bran flake cereal for the bran and germ.
Stir in apples by hand. I never peel the apples for this recipe, but you certainly can if you prefer! Use a firm apple that’s good for baking. Tart apples are the best in my opinion!
Fill prepared muffin tin with batter, 2/3 to 3/4 the way full. If you want, you can sprinkle them with a little coarse sugar, or even put together a crumb topping if you’d like.
Bake until lightly golden, and until when a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Serve immediately, or let them cool on wire racks before storing in an airtight container.
Cream Cheese Apple Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup wheat bran
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup finely diced tart apple about 1 large apple
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper cups or grease lightly, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add milk and mix until combined. Mix in flours, bran, germ, baking powder, baking soda, and salt just until blended. Stir in apples by hand.
- Fill prepared muffin tin with batter, 2/3 to 3/4 the way full. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for 18 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks before storing at room temperature in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home
