Apple Cream Cheese Muffins

It's been a while since I've made a skinny sweets recipe. I blame the upcoming holidays and the array of glorious dessert recipes that I could make. Oh Thanksgiving and Christmas, my taste buds love you but my waistline hates you.

To bring skinny sweets back in the mix, I made these Apple Cream Cheese Muffins. I know what you are thinking...these muffins have cream cheese and a streusel topping, how can they be skinny?! Well, I'm so glad you asked! The muffin batter has no fat. Zip, zero, none. The muffins get their moisture from light apple juice (I purchased a bottle that is made with splenda) and fat free apple cinnamon yogurt. Also, because the apples, apple juice, and yogurt are sweetened with natural sugars, there is only 1/2 cup of sugar in the muffin batter. Sweet and skinny-my favorite combination!

Now, the cream cheese filling and streusel topping are optional, but seriously recommended. The apple muffins would be delicious and super skinny as is, but who doesn't want to add a little oomph to their muffins? What better way to add oomph of flavor than with a cream cheese filling? I used low fat cream cheese, but fat free cream cheese would work fine too (and would make these even skinnier!). And the streusel topping adds some serious crunch and sweetness without adding a ton of fat or calories.

These muffins are a great addition to any breakfast spread. Pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to heat them up and you have a quick and easy breakfast that you can take on the go. And with less than 180 calories and 4 grams of fat per muffin, you might as well grab a couple for the road!

Apple Cream Cheese Muffins (adapted from AllRecipes)
(12 muffins)

Apple Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup light apple juice or light apple juice cocktail
1/4 cup fat free apple cinnamon yogurt (I used Chobani)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

Cream Cheese Filling:
4 ounces low fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp light apple juice or light apple juice cocktail

Streusel Topping:
3 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line regular muffin tin with muffin liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix ingredients together. Add apple juice, yogurt, egg, and vanilla. Stir ingredients together until incorporated, careful not to over mix. Fold in chopped apples. Set mixture aside.

To make cream cheese filling, add cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of juice to a bowl. Stir ingredients until well mixed.

To make streusel topping, add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter to a bowl. Stir together with a fork until crumbly and butter is mixed through.

To assemble muffins, spoon a tablespoon of muffin batter into each muffin liner. Top each with about 2 teaspoons of cream cheese filling. Top cream cheese filling with remaining muffin batter. Sprinkle streusel topping on each muffin.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire wrack. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

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Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 177.2
Total Fat: 3.6 g
Cholesterol: 25.2 mg
Sodium: 102.9 mg
Total Carbs: 37.1 g
Fiber: 1.2 g
Sugars: 20.2 g
Protein: 4.2 g

Pros:
-Easy to make
-Low in fat, light in texture, and not lacking in flavor
-A delicious fall breakfast or snack
-Pretty presentation
-Versatile-if you love nuts, fold in a few chopped nuts into the muffin batter and add some to the streusel topping

Cons:
-High in sugar
-Lots of dishes to clean

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

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