Light and fluffy muffins packed with sweet tart apples and warm cinnamon. These are a great family treat that the children can get involved with. Ideal for breakfast, brunch, picnics and snacks. Once you try this recipe, you'll be making it all Autumn.
Inspiration for this recipe.
I discovered a very old and disheveled handwritten card for Basic Muffin Recipe hidden in one of my kitchen drawers. It was given to me by a work colleague many years ago. Back before I retired, I used to make lots of Apple Muffins, Chocolate Chip Muffins, and other bakes and take them into work for everyone to enjoy. What happy days!
I've adapted the recipe to make Cinnamon Apple Muffins. There's just a hint of cinnamon, so feel free to increase the amount to suit your taste. Or leave the cinnamon out to make plain Apple Muffins.
How to make Cinnamon Apple Muffins from Scratch
Start by preheating the oven to 170º fan assisted. Prepare your muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cases. If you do not have muffin cases available, you can butter and flour your muffin tin instead.
TIP: If you have an ice cream scoop, have that ready too. Trust me on this, as it will make adding the batter to the muffin cases a whole lot easier.
Mix together the melted butter, egg, buttermilk, and milk into a suitably sized jug. Leave to one side. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar.
Core the apple (no need to peel) then chop into small pieces approximately ½ cm in size or smaller. Pat the apples dry, then add to the dry flour mix. Give the apples a good mix to ensure they are coated evenly with the dry mixture.
TIP: Coating fruit in flour before adding to batter will prevent it from sinking to the bottom of your muffins, cakes or other bakes.
Pour the liquid mix into the flour and apple mixture, mixing until well combined. Using a large spoon or ice-cream scoop, place equal amounts of batter into the muffin cases to about ¾ full. The muffins will rise a little while baking.
Bake for 20 - 25 mins, or until golden in colour and your skewer comes out clean. Take out of the oven and immediately sprinkle with demerara sugar.
TIP: This step is optional, but this will add a delightful crunch!
These Cinnamon Apple Muffins will keep well for a couple of days in an airtight container and often taste better the next day. However, they are so light and fluffy, I wouldn't be surprised if they get eaten straight away.
Other Muffin Recipes that you may like to try
Tips and FAQ's for making Muffins
- Baking Powder - As soon as the liquid hits the baking powder in the dry mix, it starts to create air bubbles that allow your batter to rise. It's important that you get the muffins into the oven to bake as quickly as possible, or you could have dense heavy muffins.
- Do not overfill the muffin cases - If you do, the batter will overflow and make a right mess. This recipe makes exactly 12 muffin using ordinary muffin cases.
- Apples - Cutting a dessert apple into chunks is better because they keep their shape. Baking apples tend to turn to mush.
- Cinnamon - This spice complements any Apple Muffin recipe. But if it's not to your liking, leave it out and add some vanilla seeds or ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract instead. You can also substitute Speculaas, Nutmeg, Allspice or Mixed Spice.
To prevent chopped or peeled Apples from turning brown, place them in a bowl of cold water. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice to the water if you wish. Pat the apples dry before adding to cake batter.
You can substitute Buttermilk for Yogurt in a like for like ratio (e.g. 140g buttermilk for 140g natural plain or greek yogurt).
Cinnamon Apple Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
- Muffin Cases
INGREDIENTS
- 115 g butter melted
- 1 medium egg
- 140 g buttermilk or plain Yogurt
- 4 tablespoons milk full fat
- 255 g plain flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoons cinnamon use more if you like cinnamon
- 170 g caster sugar
- 2 small or 1 large dessert apple
- demerara sugar optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 deg Fan assisted
- Place 12 paper Muffin cases into a muffin tin.
- Mix together the melted butter, egg, buttermilk and milk into a suitably sized jug. Leave to one side.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar.
- Core the apple, no need to peel, then chop into small pieces approx ½ cm in size ro smaller.
- Add the chopped apple to the dry flour mix, give it a good mix ensuring all the apple pieces are coated evenly with the dry mixture.
- Pour the liquid mix into the flour and apple mixture, mix until well combined.
- Using a large spoon or ice-cream scoop, place equal amounts of batter into the Muffin cases to about ¾ full. The muffins will rise a little
- Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 mins, or until baked with a nice golden colour, testing the centre of the Muffins with a skewer until it comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with demerara sugar (optional)
Notes
TIPS AND FAQ’S FOR MAKING MUFFINS
- Baking Powder - As soon as the liquid hits the baking powder in the dry mix, it starts to create air bubbles that make these muffins and all other cakes to rise, so it’s important that you get the muffins into the oven to bake as quickly as possible, or you could have dense heavy muffins.
- Do not overfill the Muffin Cases - If you do, the batter will overflow. This recipe makes exactly 12 muffin using ordinary muffin cases
- Apple Pieces - Cutting a dessert apple into chunks is better because they keep their shape. Baking apples tend to turn to mush.
- Cinnamon - This spice complements any Apple Muffin recipe. But if it's not to your liking, leave it out and add some vanilla seeds or ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.
Jayne
I made these muffins yesterday, my first ever muffin recipe, I am completely new to baking, despite being more mature, shall we say I cannot believe there are no comments on these as they are quite simply gorgeous. I love cinnamon so did add an extra 1/2 teaspoon. Honestly, the recipe is so easy to follow and they really are delicious I am so pleased with how they turned out. I would encourage anyone, even with no skills like me to try them, and you are right I will be making them again and again Thank you for sharing the recipe. I am now looking at some more of your recipes to try