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    🏠Home » Recipes » Breakfast Recipes

    Easy Apple Muffins

    Aug 10, 2020 | Last Updated Apr 15, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.73 from 11 votes

    Bursting with bits of apple, cinnamon, and topped with a simple glaze, these apple muffins are a great way to start your day or as a delicious snack. They are a little like a homemade apple fritter without frying.

    Image of Apple Fritter Muffins on cooling rack with Glaze

    Table of Contents
    • 🍎The Apples
    • 🧁Jumbo and Mini Muffins
    • ⏰Cooking Time
    • 🖊️Notes
    • 📖Muffin Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    I love apple fritters and muffins, even more than chocolate covered chocolate donuts. So, it is time to make my own. But I don't want to fry them, so I'm going with muffins. I don't like to fry things; I see the oil as wasted in a small home cooking, and I don't think most of you would make them either.

    I started this recipe last week. I had a plan. I would bake fritters instead of frying. I get away with that frequently with meat. It worked but not quite good enough. My wife suggested muffins instead. So muffins it was.

    I started with Cook's Country Apple Fritter Recipe. The batter of apple fritters is very close to muffins. It is a relatively simple and straightforward recipe. Like all Cook's Illustrated recipes, it is well thought out.

    One point they make is to "keep it dry," meaning the apple needs to be dried some. This was accomplished by paper towels and mixing the apple in the dry components of the recipe to pull moisture out of the apple.

    Of course, the big change was converting to muffins from deep frying. Actually, it was not a big deal. The batter of fried apple fritters is like a muffin batter. So I just cooked until done.

    The last change was the glaze. They used an apple cider based glaze that I felt was just too much apple. I used a milk-based glaze.

    My Rating

    My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

    I think a very high 4 or lower 5. I love apples, so I'm going 5.

    🍎The Apples

    Some good choices are Cortland, Gala, Roma, Honeycrisp, Northern Spy, Pink Lady, Fuji, Granny Smith, or Ida Red. But I’m not very picky about my apples.

    There are many good apples for cooking and a few not so good, but I believe you use what you have. Delicious Apples are probably the only common poor choice.

    Here is a list from The Kitchn that includes most apples.

    🧁Jumbo and Mini Muffins

    This recipe is for 12 standard size muffins, but you can make different sizes. Make them like you want: mini, regular, or jumbo just cook to the endpoint and not by time along.

    Generally, bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes.

    ⏰Cooking Time

    Cooking time will vary by the oven and even the pan used. Generally, the muffins will take 23 to 25 minutes but always bake to the endpoint.

    The good old toothpick test is generally always good to determine when the muffins are done. Also, done is about 200° on an instant-read thermometer can be helpful if in doubt.

    🖊️Notes

    These are low fat and low in calories, so a relatively "healthy" treat to fit many diets.

    Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.

    📖Muffin Recipes

    Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

    Cinnamon Nut Muffins

    Really Good Banana Nut Muffins

    Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Breakfast Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Low Fat Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    apples and muffin ingredients

    Preheat oven to 350°. Prep a 12 muffin pan with liners.

    drying bits of apple on paper towels

    Peel 2 medium apples and chop into ¼ inch pieces (about the size of a peanut). Spread over paper towels and firmly pat with more paper towels to dry some.

    adding dried apple bits to the dry mixture

    Mix dry together. 2 cups of flour, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Mix well, add apple, and mix to coat the apple.

    mixing eggs and wet ingredients in metal bowl

    Combine wet ingredients. ¾ cup apple cider, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons melted butter—wisk to combine.

    pouring wet mixture into dry mix

    Add wet to dry and mix to combine.

    muffin papers filled partly with raw dough

    Fill the muffin liners to about ¾ full.

    baked muffins in a pan

    Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. About 23-25 minutes.

    ingredients for glaze with bowl

    Mix glaze of ⅔ cup powder sugar, a few drops of vanilla, and about 2 teaspoons of milk.

    adding glaze to muffins with a spoon

    After muffins cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, coat with glaze.

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    📖Recipe

    Image of Apple Fritter Muffins on cooling rack with Glaze

    Easy Apple Muffins

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Bursting with bits of apple, cinnamon, and topped with a simple glaze, these apple muffins are a great way to start your day or as a delicious snack. They are a little like a homemade apple fritter without the frying.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.73 from 11 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 12

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2 apples - peeled and cut into ¼ inch pieces

    Dry

    • 2 cups flour
    • ⅓ cup sugar
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

    Wet

    • ¾ cup apple cider - or juice
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 tablespoons butter - melted

    Glaze

    • ⅔ cup powdered sugar
    • 2 teaspoons milk - adjust as needed

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°. Prep a 12 muffin pan with liners.
      apples and muffin ingredients
    • Peel 2 medium apples and chop into ¼ inch pieces (about the size of a peanut). Spread over paper towels and firmly pat with more paper towels to dry some.
      drying bits of apple on paper towels
    • Mix dry togeather. 2 cups of flour, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Mix well, add apple and mix to coat the apple.
      adding dried apple bits to the dry mixture
    • Combine wet ingredients. ¾ cup apple cider, 2 eggs,and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Wisk to combine.
      mixing eggs and wet ingredients in metal bowl
    • Add wet to dry and mix to combine.
      pouring wet mixture into dry mix
    • Fill the muffin liners to about ¾ full.
      muffin papers filled partly with raw dough
    • Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. About 23 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
      baked muffins in a pan
    • Mix glaze of ⅔ cup powder sugar, a few drops of vanilla, and about 2 teaspoons of milk.
      ingredients for glaze with bowl
    • After muffins cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, coat with glaze.
      adding glaze to muffins with a spoon
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    My Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. A very easy recipe to cut in half but you really don't want to do that do you?
    2. Most apples other than delicious are good for this recipe.
    3. Be sure to cut the apples small and dry well or you will have small steam pocket holes in your muffins.
    4. Cooking time will vary by the oven and even the pan used. Generally, the muffins will take 23 to 25 minutes but always bake to the endpoint.
    5. When are they done? The good old toothpick test is generally always good. Also, done is about 200° so an instant-read thermometer can be helpful.
    6. This recipe is for 12 standard size muffins, but you can make different sizes. Make them like you want: mini, regular, or jumbo just cook to the endpoint and not by time along. Generally, bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes.
    7. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories : 175 kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates : 35 g (12%) | Protein : 3 g (6%) | Fat : 3 g (5%) | Saturated Fat : 1 g (5%) | Cholesterol : 32 mg (11%) | Sodium : 224 mg (9%) | Potassium : 181 mg (5%) | Fiber : 1 g (4%) | Sugar : 17 g (19%) | Vitamin A : 114 IU (2%) | Vitamin C : 2 mg (2%) | Calcium : 56 mg (6%) | Iron : 1 mg (6%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Breakfast
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published November 1, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      August 10, 2020 at 6:52 pm

      I'm embarrassed to need to ask this, but... do you need to heat the glaze when mixing or just mix the powdered sugar with the milk and drizzle without the heat?
      Thanks so much - love your recipes!

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        August 10, 2020 at 8:02 pm

        Hi Linda,

        Just cold. It comes together easily. If I make frosting, I like to beat room temperature butter to start then beat in the other ingredients.

        Dan

    2. Jan

      September 13, 2019 at 7:10 am

      4 stars
      I would like to make them jumbo muffins. How long would I have to bake them?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        September 13, 2019 at 8:24 am

        Hi Jan,
        Welcome to the blog.
        I have never done jumbo with these. I will give a few generalities. It is usually only a few minutes different not anything like double. The good old toothpick test is generally always good. Also, done is about 200 degrees so an instant-read thermometer can be helpful.

        My only jumbo muffin recipe is https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/cinnamon-nut-muffins/ but no raw apple to cook.

        Let me know how it comes out.

        Dan

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