Description
These Stay-Fresh Apple Muffins are moist, flavorful, and perfect for a cozy breakfast or snack. Made with wholemeal flour, tender apple pieces, and a hint of cinnamon, these muffins stay fresh for days and freeze beautifully for later enjoyment.
Ingredients
Scale
Muffin Base
- 2 level cups apple pieces (peeled, 0.7 cm / 1/3″ cubes) (about 2 large red apples)
- 1 tbsp melted butter (for greasing muffin tin or use paper liners)
- 115g (0.5 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200g) brown sugar, packed
- 2/3 cup (165 ml) milk (low fat, full fat or non-dairy alternative)
- 1 large egg (approx. 60g / 2 oz)
- 1 tsp white vinegar (or any clear vinegar)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) wholemeal flour (whole wheat flour, white flour also works)
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda, NOT baking powder)
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp raw sugar (demerara sugar with large granules, for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking.
- Prepare Muffin Tin: Brush a 12-hole standard muffin tin with melted butter or line with paper muffin cases to prevent sticking.
- Mix Butter and Sugar: In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until well combined and smooth.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Pour in the milk, then add the egg and white vinegar. Whisk together to incorporate thoroughly.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Scatter the wholemeal flour over the batter, followed by baking soda, cinnamon powder, and a pinch of salt. Whisk around 10 times just until the flour is incorporated—don’t worry if the batter is a bit lumpy.
- Fold in Apples: Gently stir the diced apple pieces into the batter using the minimum number of stirs needed to evenly distribute them.
- Fill Muffin Tin: Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups to the very top, leaving the batter in a slight mounded shape rather than smoothing the surface. This recipe yields about 12 muffins.
- Add Sugar Topping: Sprinkle the tops with raw (demerara) sugar for a slightly crispy surface after baking.
- Adjust Oven Temperature: Place the muffins in the oven, immediately reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake Muffins: Bake for 20 minutes if using a standard oven or 18 minutes if using a fan/convection oven, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Muffins: Let the muffins rest for 5 minutes in the tin before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store and Enjoy: Once cooled, store muffins in an airtight container where they will remain moist for up to 5 days. These muffins also freeze very well for future enjoyment.
Notes
- Wholemeal flour can be substituted with white flour if preferred.
- Use baking soda, not baking powder, to ensure proper rising with the vinegar’s acidity.
- Using an ice cream scoop helps create uniform-sized muffins and a nice rounded top.
- Raw sugar sprinkled on top provides a subtle crunch and sweetness.
- To keep muffins moist longer, store in an airtight container and consider freezing extras.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: apple muffins, stay-fresh muffins, wholemeal flour muffins, cinnamon apple muffins, easy breakfast muffins
