preheat your oven to 350°f (175°c). line a muffin tin with parchment paper muffin cups.

in a medium-sized pan, heat the coconut oil or avocado oil over medium heat. add the diced apples, maple syrup, and cinnamon to the pan. sauté for 5-6 minutes or until the apples are tender and slightly caramelized. set aside to cool.

in a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients and then gradually add in the dry ingredients. mix until a thick batter forms but be careful to not over mix.

gently fold in the sautéed apples into the batter. in a food processor or blender, blend the dairy-free cream cheese, arrowroot powder, and lakanto monk fruit sweetener (or sugar) until smooth to make the cream cheese filling.

fill each parchment paper muffin cup about 3/4 full with the muffin batter. spoon a dollop of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of each muffin cup.

cover the cream cheese filling with a little more muffin batter until the muffin cups are almost full. bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.