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Chai Spiced Apple Butter Muffin Bread. Better than anything you’ll find at a coffee shop, this bread is such a cozy fall treat! It’s a simple muffin-style loaf made with my homemade chai spice blend, apple butter, and brown sugar, then swirled with chai-spiced Honeycrisp apples. What makes it really special are the ribbons of cream cheese baked inside and the sweet, spiced chai crumble on top. Fresh out of the oven or toasted with a smear of butter, this bread is truly irresistible.
I’ve spent the past week in New York, and while the weather has been perfect, you can definitely feel fall in the air. The markets are overflowing with autumn scents, fresh figs, and the most beautiful apples. New York really does have the best apple selection—so many varieties! My favorite will always be Honeycrisp, but it’s so fun to see all the options.
It’s the perfect reminder that it’s apple season, and the perfect time to bake. This bread is just right for a cozy fall weekend, especially on a chilly day when you’re craving something warm from the oven. No pumpkin yet—just all the autumn apples!
These are the details
Ingredients
The Chai Spice
- cinnamon
- ginger
- cardamon
- nutmeg
- all-spice
- cloves
Muffin Batter
- salted butter
- brown sugar
- plain Greek yogurt
- apple butter
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- Honeycrisp apples – I never peel them!
- cream cheese
Chai Swirl CRUNCH
- brown sugar
- whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- salted butter
Steps
Step 1: Mix the chai spice
This one’s easy—just mix all the spices together in a small bowl. That’s it! If you have leftovers, save them for sprinkling into your coffee. So yummy!
Step 2: Make the batter
Start with melted butter. I don’t use a microwave, so I melt mine on the stove until it reaches a lightly browned stage for extra flavor.
Whisk the butter with yogurt, apple butter, eggs, and vanilla. Then stir in the dry ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose), a little of the chai spice, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3: Add the apples and cream cheese swirl
I like to leave the skin on my apples—it gives more flavor and fiber. Slice and chop the apples, then toss them with brown sugar and chai spice before folding them into the batter.
Swirl in the softened cream cheese gently. Don’t overmix—just a light stir gives you those pretty ribbons of cream cheese throughout.
Step 4: Make the chai swirl topping
Mix brown sugar, chai spice, flour, and butter together until clumps form. Sprinkle the clumps evenly over the batter.
Bake the bread for about 1 hour, until golden on top and cooked through. It’s a long wait, but worth it!
Serve
Enjoy the bread warm or cooled, though it’s hard to resist cutting into it fresh from the oven. I love it with a pat of European-style butter and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Cozy, spiced, and the perfect way to welcome autumn!
Pro Tips
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Storage: Keep the bread in an airtight container at room temp for 2–3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
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Freezing: Slice and wrap individually, then freeze. Warm slices in the oven or toaster oven when ready to enjoy.
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Apples: Honeycrisp are my favorite, but use what you love—Gala, Fuji, or even Pink Lady all work great.
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Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour gives a light, nutty flavor. All-purpose flour is a perfect substitute if that’s what you have.
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Extra Chai Spice: Sprinkle leftovers into coffee, over oatmeal, or onto baked apples—it’s delicious anywhere.
Looking for apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:Â
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Haunted Pumpkin Patch Margarita
Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots
Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Lastly, if you make this Chai Spiced Apple Butter Muffin Bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chai Spiced Apple Butter Muffin Bread
Ingredients
Chai spice
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Muffin Bread Batter
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, very thinly sliced or chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature or melted
Chai Swirl
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- 1. To make the chai spice. In a shallow bowl, combine all the spices. 2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×5 inch bread pan with parchment paper.3. In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, the yogurt, apple butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, 1 tablespoon chai spice, the baking powder, and salt. Mix until fully combined.4. Toss the apples with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 2 teaspoons chai spice. Mix the apples into the batter. Dollop the cream cheese over the batter and give it a gentle stir, don't over-mix it. 5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 6. To make the swirl. Mix the butter, brown sugar, flour, and 1-2 teaspoons of chai spice. Arrange the clumps over the batter. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the center is set. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with foil halfway through cooking.7. Remove, slice, and enjoy with butter and flaked sea salt.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Recipe is probably fine, but I did not use parchment paper to line the loaf pan and it burnt on the edges and the bottom of the loaf. I also would recommend adding more apple if you want more apple to muffin ratio 🙂
Hey Talia,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for choosing to make this recipe, so sorry to hear it was a bit burnt. Let me know if you make again!
Hi there! This recipe sounds DIVINE! I do want to ask a few questions as I want to use what I already have at home, but unsure if it all would work.
Would it be fine to replace the Greek Yoghurt with blended cottage cheese (and can you replace the 4oz of cream cheese with it too?) and would it be fine to add some freshly grated ginger into the batter instead of using powdered ginger in the chai blend? At last (finally!), would it be alright to replace the AP/WW flour with Type 00 flour and, if so, are there any changes to the recipe? I did check online and was told I can substitute 1:1, but wanted to check here first.
I am SO very excited to make this as fall flavors are my favorites and hm, the feeling of getting cozy when the leaves are red and orange, the fog is in the air, it is getting chilly and you have a warm, soulful sweet treat right in front of you, is the absolute best feeling ever. Cheers and happy fall!
Hey Xaia,
I haven’t tested this, but I don’t see why these substitutes wouldn’t work for you. The flour will be totally fine:)
I hope you love this recipe, thanks for your kind message! Let me know how it turns out!
It’s called a swirl topping but there aren’t instructions to swirl it with a knife… Are we supposed to actually swirl it before baking? Thanks! Excited to use the pear butter I made (instead of apple) in this recipe!
Hi Amy,
You don’t need to swirl with a knife, it will swirl on it’s own while baking:) I hope you love this recipe!