Full fall ahead! It’s after Labor Day, which means is officially unofficially fall, but Costco has had Christmas decorations since August, so what is time anyway?
I’ve been craving fall desserts and have loved exploring flavors that aren’t pumpkin. Don’t worry, I’ll probably throw a pumpkin recipe in there sometime soon, but for now, these cinnamon swirl apple muffins are giving me life. I had originally planned an making an apple loaf, but loaves take so long to bake, so muffins it is! They’re so delicate and moist, but with a subtle tang from the apples and a rich brown sugar cinnamon swirl.
And let’s talk about the swirl for a second. If you’ve ever made anything with a swirl, you know how annoying it is. Add a little batter, add a little swirl mixture, add more batter, add more swirl mixture, use a skewer and actually make it into a swirl. UGH. I’ve completely streamlined the process by using a technique from my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE Churro Cookies. Just add the swirl mixture into your batter, but don’t mix it all the way in. Leave it swirled. It sounds so obvious, doesnt it?!
Cinnamon Swirl Apple Muffins (The Lazy Way)
Equipment
- Muffin tin
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk any kind, at room temperature
- 1½ peeled chopped apple
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1-3 Tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick spray. This recipe makes about 15 standard sized muffins, so you'll actually need two muffin pans or you can bake in batches
- To make the muffins: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is combined and uniform in texture.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low briefly. Then, add the milk and mix until everything is combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, and fold in the chopped apple.
- To make the cinnamon swirl: Add brown sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl and mix until combined.
- Add the swirl mixture to the batter and gently fold a few times, but do not completely incorporate.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes before transfering to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze: Starting with 1 tablespoon of milk, whisk all of the ingredients together. Continue adding small amounts of milk until you reach your desired consistency and drizzle over cooled muffins.
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