Apple Muffins

My apple muffins are the perfect bakery-style treat to bake up and indulge in during apple season. Loaded with tangy Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples, plus brown sugar and spice, this apple muffins recipe is extra decadent with its crumble topping plus a drizzle of caramel glaze and toasted pecans!

The Perfect Muffins for Apple Season

Friends, my absolute favorite season, fall, has finally arrived, and apples of every beautiful shade and aromatic variety are practically falling off the produce shelves. They’re just begging to be used in delectable and sweet ways!

My hubby Michael and I like to make our annual trek out to our local apple orchards around this time of year to pick a bag of our favorite varietals, or bring back a jug of fresh-pressed and tart-sweet apple cider, which nothing else quite compares to.

Since I love to use those sweet apples to bake up a cozy treat to celebrate the autumn season with, I often prepare these moist, bakery-style jumbo apple muffins to enjoy with some tea or hot cider.

Brimming with both Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples, a crumb topping, plus a rich, buttery caramel glaze and sprinkle of toasted pecans, my cozy apple muffins recipe is one of our all-time favorites to enjoy this time of year, making use of all those abundant apples!

My Recipe for Apple Muffins with Caramel Glaze and Toasted Pecans

When my son was a little guy, one of our fall activities was to make caramel apples at home, which is a wonderfully decadent treat using some tart-sweet and crisp apples like the Granny Smith variety.

Taking my inspiration from that fun activity, I decided to take the flavor profile in caramel apples and turn it into freshly-baked, moist apple muffins.

Because I love to be able to taste and experience the flavor and texture of apples in a baked good, I loaded these muffins to the brim with finely diced Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples for a taste of apple in every bite.

I also added in brown sugar, buttermilk, rich melted butter and cinnamon for lots of fall flavor.

And because these apple muffins are meant to be bakery-style muffins that are nice and decadent, I made them jumbo size, topped them with a simple crumb topping to give their tops that craggy texture, and finished each with a velvety caramel glaze and a sprinkle of toasted pecans for that classic caramel apple touch.

Here's a sneak peek at how I make my Apple Muffins recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prepare my crumble topping and keep it chilled in the fridge.
2. Next, I prepare my muffin batter, and spoon it into my prepared jumbo muffin tin (6 wells), top with my crumble topping, and bake at 425° for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 350° and bake an additional 18 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back.
3. While the apple muffins bake, I whisk together my easy caramel glaze, and set aside.
4. Once the muffins have baked, I allow them to cool completely, then drizzle with the caramel glaze and sprinkle over the toasted pecans, and allow that to set for a few moments before enjoying.

Recipe

Apple Muffins

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These moist apple muffins with caramel glaze and toasted pecans are the perfect bakery-style, sweet treat to celebrate apple season with!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 6 jumbo muffins

Nutrition Info: 595 calories per muffin

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 26 minutes
Total time: 46 minutes

Apple Muffins Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon (slightly heaping) ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, room temp
• ½ cup buttermilk, room temp
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup unsalted, melted butter, slightly cooled
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and very finely diced
• 1 medium Honeycrisp apple, peeled and very finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans, as garnish topping (optional)

Crumb Topping Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Pinch salt
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Caramel Glaze Ingredients:

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup good quality, prepared caramel sauce (I like Trader Joe's “Fleur de Sel" Caramel Sauce)
• 1 ½ tablespoons milk (or water)

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your crumb topping ingredients according to the ingredient list to have ready and organized for use.
2. Prepare the crumb topping by combining the brown sugar, melted butter and pinch of salt in a small bowl, and using a fork, mix together. Add in the flour, and mix with the fork until combined, and thick/crumbly. Set aside in the fridge to keep chilled.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°, and liberally spray a jumbo muffin tin (6 wells) with cooking spray.
4. Gather and prep your apple muffin ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon Set aside for a moment.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter. Add these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and using a spatula, gently fold everything together just until barely combined (take care not to over mix).
7. Fold in the diced apples, and once again, fold together until just barely combined (the batter should be thick and spoonable).
8. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into your prepared muffin tins in equal amounts, and sprinkle over equal portions of the crumble.
9. Bake the apple muffins at 425° for 8 minutes, then lower the heat to 350° and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes more, or until top springs back when gently pressed (for a total time of roughly 26 to 28 minutes).
10. While muffins bake, gather and prep your caramel glaze ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
11. Prepare the caramel glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar with the prepared caramel sauce and the milk (or water) until creamy. Set aside.
12. Once the apple muffins are baked, cool them in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the muffins and allow to completely cool on a wire rack.
13. Finish by drizzling some of the caramel glaze over each apple muffin, and sprinkle a small amount of toasted pecans over the glaze. Allow to set before enjoying.

Tips & Tidbits for my Apple Muffins recipe:

• Room temperature ingredients: Having your ingredients such as the buttermilk and eggs at room temp is best for even baking.
• A thick, spoonable muffin batter: A muffin batter should be a bit thicker than a batter for cake or other loaves/breads, and you should be able to use a large spoon to fill the muffin tins rather than pouring it in. Also, take care not to over mix your batter to keep the muffins light.
• High oven temp to start with: This is probably the most important secret: preheating the oven to 425° and baking the muffins at that higher temp for the first 8 minutes is a must. The high heat causes the batter to rise more rapidly, helping to create that dome shape rather than the flatter tops. Then, reducing the temp to 350° for the remainder of the baking keeps things moist in the center.
• Make 12 smaller apple muffins: If you'd prefer to make 12 regular size muffins, bake them the 425° temp for 6 minutes, then lower to 350° temp for about 14 to 16 minutes, or until tops spring back, for a total time of roughly 20 to 22 minutes.

Craving more cozy apple-y treats? Check out this Snickerdoodle Cake with Apples, these Caramel Apple Pie Bars, this Apple Bread with Cinnamon Sugar Streusel, these Apple Pancakes, these Baked Apples with Cranberry Nut Crumble, or this Apple Cranberry Pie!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2017, and has been updated with even more love!