Apple Spice Muffins

Apple Spice Muffins are what I make when I mess up and forget to buy breakfast stuff. Last week I had three sad apples and some flour, and somehow these came out amazing. My teenager actually put down his phone to eat two of them, which is basically a miracle.

Love More Apple Muffin ? Try My Apple Cinnamon Muffins or this Apple Crumble Muffins next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Because they work every time and taste way better than store-bought ones. I’ve never had anyone not like them. My sister makes them for her book club now and pretends she’s some kind of baking genius.

Print

Ingredients

For the Muffins:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar, plus a pinch for the apples
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a pinch for the apples
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups diced apples (about 2 medium apples)

For the Crumb Topping:

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

I use whatever apples I have. Sometimes they’re fancy Honeycrisp, sometimes they’re the cheap ones. Doesn’t really matter as long as they’re not mushy.

Why These Ingredients Work

I learned this the hard way after making terrible muffins for like six months. Oil works way better than butter for keeping them moist. The apple sugar thing I copied from my mom because hers never turned into apple mush like mine did. I don’t really understand why the baking powder and soda both work together, but they do.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Regular muffin pan, those paper cup things, two bowls, a whisk. I use a wooden spoon because that’s what I have. You need something to cut apples with and a cooling rack or they get soggy on the bottom.

How To Make Apple Spice Muffins

Heat up the oven

Set it to 375°F and put paper liners in your muffin pan. I always forget this step and then have to wait around.

Fix the apples

Cut them into small pieces, maybe quarter-inch bits. Toss with a little cinnamon and sugar. Don’t skip this – learned that lesson already.

Mix dry stuff

Dump flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a big bowl. Whisk it around until it looks even.

Add wet stuff

Make a little crater in the middle of the flour mix. Pour in the beaten eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir until it’s smooth but don’t go crazy with the mixing.

Add apples

Fold the apple pieces in gently. The batter gets pretty thick but that’s normal.

Fill cups

Scoop batter into muffin cups about two-thirds full. I use an ice cream scoop because it’s easier than a spoon.

Make topping

Mix melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon with a fork until it looks like crumbs. Sprinkle on top of each muffin.

Bake

Put them in for 18-20 minutes until they’re golden and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.

Cool down

Let them sit in the pan for maybe five minutes, then move to a rack so they don’t get soggy.

Expert Tips

Get eggs to room temperature: If you forget like I always do, stick them in warm water for a few minutes. Cold eggs make lumpy batter.

Don’t mix too much: Once the wet and dry stuff comes together, stop. Tough muffins come from too much stirring.

Personal Secret: I push a few extra apple pieces into the tops before adding crumbs. Makes them look like bakery ones and my kids think I’m fancy.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Apple trick: Squeeze a tiny bit of lemon on the apples if you’re slow at cutting like me. Stops them from getting brown.

Better crumbs: Let the melted butter cool down a little or you get paste instead of crumbs. I learned this after making several batches of weird paste-topped muffins.

Even cooking: Turn the pan around halfway through. My oven cooks weird on one side.

Don’t peek: I used to open the oven constantly and they’d sink in the middle. Wait at least 15 minutes.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Add caramel chips: About half a cup mixed in with the apples. Kids love this version.

Nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans work if your family eats nuts. Mine doesn’t.

Cranberries: Dried ones are good with the apples, maybe a third of a cup.

More spice: Sometimes I add a pinch of nutmeg if I remember I have it.

Glaze: Mix powdered sugar with a little milk if you want them super sweet. I usually skip this because they’re sweet enough.

Make-Ahead Options

You can mix all the dry ingredients the night before and leave them covered on the counter. The batter keeps overnight in the fridge if you make it ahead, just add a couple extra minutes to baking time.

These freeze really well wrapped in plastic wrap. I make double batches sometimes and freeze half. They thaw overnight on the counter or you can microwave them for like twenty seconds.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Apple types: Use firm apples or they turn to mush. I’ve made this mistake with Red Delicious and it was gross.

Skin on or off: I leave the skin on because I’m lazy and it adds color. Kids don’t seem to notice.

High altitude: I have no idea about this since I don’t live in the mountains. Maybe ask someone who does.

Serving Suggestions

They’re good warm with butter. Also good cold. My kids eat them for breakfast, snack, whatever. I’ve served them with coffee when people come over and everyone always asks for the recipe.

For fancy occasions, warm them up a little and put vanilla ice cream on top. Or whipped cream if you have it.

These work great for school bake sales too. Everyone always buys them first.

How to Store Your Apple Spice Muffins

Counter: Keep them covered for about three days. They stay pretty good.

Fridge: Up to a week in a container. They get a little firmer but still taste fine.

Freezer: Wrap each one and they keep for months. I’ve eaten ones that were frozen for like four months and they were still good.

Warming up: Microwave for ten seconds or stick them in a warm oven for a few minutes.

Allergy Information

Has: Wheat and eggs

No dairy: The muffins themselves don’t have dairy, just the crumb topping has butter. You could probably use margarine instead.

No gluten: I’ve never tried gluten-free flour but my neighbor did and said they worked okay, just a bit denser.

No eggs: I honestly don’t know how to make these without eggs. Maybe try those egg substitute things from the store.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use applesauce instead of chopped apples?

Yeah but they’ll be more like regular muffins. Use about half a cup and cut back on the oil a little.

Mine always come out dense. What am I doing wrong?

Probably mixing too much. Just stir until you can’t see dry flour anymore, then stop.

Can I make tiny ones?

Sure, just watch them closer. Maybe 12 minutes instead of 18.

My crumb topping disappeared.

Your butter was too hot. Let it cool down before mixing the crumb stuff.

Can I make more? Double everything. I do this sometimes and make 24. Just need more muffin pans.

💬 Made these? Tell me how they turned out! Did your kids fight over them too?