Hello October! I am PUMPED! We went apple picking this past weekend and got 115 pounds. So now I have to process them. ALL of them. Most of them will be turned into applesauce, a little jelly, and baked goods. We don’t have a place in our house that we can properly store them for any length of time since our basement is too damp. So that means I have about 2 weeks to get it all done before they start getting gross. I guess fresh fruit doesn’t generally last much longer than that anyway. I better get canning!
Since we have all these wonderful apples on hand, I thought it only appropriate that I do some baking with them. Obviously. I made our beloved apple pie this week. And these muffins. I made 2 dozen and they were nearly gone the first day. They are SO good. I swear, I am not yelling at you today with all my caps. I am just excited!
Let’s talk about these muffins and what makes them so darn delicious. First off, you actually are getting a double whammy of an apple dosage here. I used a whole lot of fresh diced apples, as well as applesauce. It makes them super moist. I also used milk, just because I didn’t feel like oil was necessary here. Since these are a fall-themed muffin, I couldn’t leave out cinnamon and nutmeg. Some of my favorite spices. I would definitely use an unsweetened applesauce, otherwise you might end up with an overly sweet muffin. Unless you’re into that. I also used a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar, since I love the depth molasses adds to baked goods.
These bad boys come together fairly quickly, so you could definitely make these on a lazy Sunday morning while the kids are still in bed and you’re in your bathrobe. Because that’s how I always cook my Sunday morning breakfasts. Doesn’t everyone?
Island Bakes Original
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
These tender muffins are the ideal fall treat. Freshly diced orchard apples, applesauce and warm spices make these the muffins you will keep coming back to.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 4 medium apples, washed, cored and diced
- raw coarse sugar for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease or line 2 dozen muffin wells. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the applesauce, eggs, vanilla and milk until combined. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon, just until combined. Gently fold in the diced apples.
- Fill the muffin wells about 2/3 full. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the tops, if using. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm with butter.
- These are best the day they are made, but will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
