Yes, you read that title correctly – Apple Pie Muffins. You may recall that I have a minor muffin obsession. I like to bake them almost as much as I like to eat them. My obsession with those big bakery style muffins took over a recent baking related conversation that I had with Amber and we’ve both been on the search for muffin perfection ever since. When I stepped outside last week after a brief rainfall and got my first official whiff of fall – the only thing on my mind was apple muffins.
I didn’t want these to be typical muffins with barely recognizable pieces of apple and a little spice. I wanted these to be hearty, enthusiastically spiced apple muffins with big chunks of Granny Smith apples and a sweet and buttery crumble topping. Honestly – who doesn’t love a crumb topping. I could eat the stuff with a spoon. (Okay, I may have actually eaten the stuff with a spoon.)
These are quite possible my favorite muffins ever. They have all the goodness of apple pie – including the goodness of crust, thanks to that crumb topping. And they are completely portable, which means you can nosh on them for breakfast on your way to work (though watch out for the crumbs!).
Although these muffins may not have the same puffy look of beautiful muffins from the bakery, they taste incredible and are the perfect way to take advantage of apple season. As an added bonus, these apple muffins tasted even better the next day.
Apple Pie Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups peeled, chopped Granny Smith ApplesFor the Topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, meltedDirections:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved.
3. Pour butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in apples. Use a large scoop to fill each muffin well, filling the cups to the top.
4. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, rolled oats, and cinnamon. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of melted butter, mixing until well blended. Sprinkle this over the tops of the muffins.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.
6. Cool on wire rack. Store at room temperature.Notes:
- If you choose to finely dice your apples, take not that they will disappear into the muffin. I left my pieces a little bigger to ensure nice bites of appley goodness.
- If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own, or simply substitute 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
-Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
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{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
Such a beautiful idea. I can’t wait to make them!
There’s a reason I wait for Jamie’s recipe every week…and this is a perfect example!
You are very sweet, Jackie! Thank you!
Ok..these looks just about perfect. Apple pie in a muffin form…yes please!
Great idea to leave the apples in bigger chunks! They look delicious!
This is perfectly timed – I think it’s a sign when all the ingredients listed are ingredients I have on hand. They look so good!
I’ve become addicted to muffins this fall too, can’t wait to give these a try! Can I add a caramel drizzle to the top- or does that officially push it over from ‘acceptable breakfast food’ to ‘dessert’
I am pinning this RIGHT now and cannot wait to make them!
This is a great fall muffin, they sound absolutely delicious. I can smell the spices wafting through the house.
Wonderful muffin! I have a favorite apple muffin too; a recipe that I found in a Taste of Home magazine and it includes chopped up caramels as well. We call them crack muffins since we can’t stop eating them.
gorgeous, and what a great idea! perfect for fall, breakfasts, and snacks. Simple, too! I’m definitely going to try these
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I love baking muffins… and I LOVE apple pie. I can’t wait to try it!!!!
Apple Pie Muffins? Perfect Fall Fare. They sound and look delish.
I don’t bake often, but can’t wait to make these this weekend!
Thank you so much for sharing
Any excuse to eat “pie” for breakfast is good for me! These look fantastic!
There are times I do not have fresh buttermilk for cooking. Do you recommend the powdered product or adding an acid to regular milk? Thanks!
Carol-
I would recommend adding an acid to regular milk. I have done this many times in my own kitchen. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
These are just perfect – I love that crunch topping!
Mmmm pie and muffin mixed together!? I’m in.
Somehow I think I’d prefer this apple pie muffin to an “apple cupcake”…
This recipe really is perfectly timed! Not only for fall, but as a nice tribute to the late Mr. Jobs! (APPLE pie muffins :-p)
They look delicious!
I just made these muffins and the batter is beautiful! This receipe will be used again and again this fall!!
*One thing I noticed though was the rolled oats were left out of the instructions for the topping…
Crystal-
Thanks for letting me know, I have made the correction!
-Jamie
Mmmm…these look great!
Oh wow, those sound so fabulously yummy.
This is a mix between my two favorite loves in life: muffins and apple pie. Love it!
I think these beg to be made over the weekend for a lazy breakfast. Delicious!
Muffins and apples are probably my two favorite things- yum. Love the crumb topping.
I made these this afternoon, substituting apple pie spice for pumpkin pie spice. Mine weren’t quite as photogenic as yours, but they were certainly delicious! If they last that long, they’re on the menu for breakfast tomorrow morning.
Thanks for sharing a great recipe. I’m definitely adding this to my favorite apple recipes, especially when it uses the fresh apples we get from a local orchard every fall.
It’s been an apple kind of week…I just did an apple cider cocktail, made toffee apple bars and now want these muffins too. Maybe it’s the amazing apples from a local orchard; everything tastes better with them!
I will be making these very soon!!!
I made your recipe today after apple picking. SO DELICIOUS. Thank you!
we just made these and they are really yummy! thanks!
what a great idea. I am not a huge fan of pies, but I do adore muffins. I am one of the odd ones who goes into a donut shop and comes out with a muffin. Thanks for this recipe. It sounds like a great fall treat.
Made these up this morning and served them with homemade dutch apple pie jam. I have a muffin “thing” and love ‘em! They came out gorgeous and full and my husband now wants them turned into bakery jumbo style next time. I just adore anything apples!
How about adding the option to print the picture. I find I don’t use my printed recipes that do not show a picture of how good it looks.
These look SO GOOD! I can’t wait to try them! My friends have been begging for muffins recently.
I just made these muffins and they are absolutely incredible! I have never tasted a muffin this good! We just recently moved from Washington State to Sydney, AU and I am missing fall terribly. This recipe was the perfect fix! I love your site. I wrote a blog entry talking about this recipe if you are interested in reading it.
http://whittlesdownunder.blogspot.com/2011/10/fall-baking.html
I many or may not have eaten crumb topping by the spoonful myself
Love these!
I LOVE the topping too! (I’d probably have to extra just for me to eat!)
These muffins sound great! They make me want to curl up with a cup of coffee and a good book.
I want these right now!! Jamie these sound and look delicious!!
I made these this weekend and they were very good, though they turned out much darker than yours – I’m guessing it was because I used dark brown sugar? The recipe didn’t state which one to use, but I like the darker molasses flavor, so that’s what I selected. We’ll be having these again.
I made these muffins last night and had such a great time letting my 2 and 4 year olds “help” me. Mine didn’t turn our nearly as pretty as yours, but they taste amazing. I think they were even better this morning after they sat all night. Thanks for a great recipe!
Totally love these. They look better than any thing store bought!
I made these last night for my husband to bring to work today. They are a hit. Thank you so much…this one is a keeper.
I forgot to mention I had 16, not 12 muffins.
I made these for (Canadian) Thanksgiving this past weekend. They were a HUGE hit for elevenses! Thanks!
I made these yesterday and they turned out fantastic. I did substitute chopped pecans for the oats for topping. YUMMY!!. I got 16 instead of 12, Lucky Me!!
These look like a fabulous way to start a crisp Fall morning.
Made the Apple Pie Muffins this morning – love them. They really make you think of a fall day in the mountains.
I made these today and they were fabulous, but I halved the recipe and made 7 muffins and they still pooled over. Next time, I’ll halve the recipe and make nine. They were just too hard to get out of the pan and looked ugly.
I am making these right now! They smell amazing!!! Thanks for the recipe!
These are OMGoodness wonderful!! Wouldn’t change a thing. Will definitely be one of my regular treats!! Thanks for posting.
A friend gave me this recipe and they were some of the best muffins I’ve made. My 12 yro daughter loved them and she can be a picky eater. Love this web site. Have it bookmarked and will be visiting often.
I made these yesterday to take to a horse clinic for everyone to enjoy. They are wonderful, the ladies loved them. Thanks for the recipe, I know I will be making them again…..
I made these and they were awesome! They looked and tasted like something you would find in a bakery. The topping definitely “makes” the muffin and I love the top about keeping the apple chunks larger. I ended up with 16 muffins instead of 12, must have had a smaller tin. Thanks for all of your amazing recipes!
I just made these last night and they received rave reviews. I had leftover batter so I put it into a souffle dish and baked a mini cake…turned out perfectly! I also opted for Fuji apples, which are sweeter, but still great in the final product. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! I just came across your blog and find it great! Nice recipes & beautiful photos (I just started loving photography).
I have some apples that are exactly waiting for a yummy recipe like this one, so I’ll try it this evening for sure. I only need some conversions into metric measures and then I’m dome.
I’ll come back
Chiara
OMG, these were sooooo good. I will make then again for sure.
omg! i made these yesterday for my Restaurant/Cafe and the clients just loved them! thank you so much they are delicious!<3
Hi Jaime – I made these muffins tonight with some apples from an apple picking adventure! I’ve made many of your recipes – but I thought something was wrong when I got 20 muffins instead of 12, and that is with me filling up the top. The topping seemed not crumbly at all. Long story short, after being in the oven for only 22minutes…they were spilled over & burnt.
( I’m sure part of it may be my oven being too hot, but it was a bummer as my boys were looking forward to having these for breakfast. Any ideas why I got so many muffins? What size muffin tins are you using? Thanks for any insight!
Jess-
Sorry for the late response on this comment – I just found it in my spam. Honestly, I have no clue what could have happened. I have made these a couple of times and never had any issues. I used a standard muffin tin with standard liners – sorry I am not more of a help.
-Jamie
hi!……..I discovered this recipe way back in September and have made these every week for my family since then.Everyone loves them needless to say,I make 24 muffins with this recipe, double the apples and the topping.Thanks for such a wonderful recipe.I really love your web site,the photography and comments. are exceptional…..keep those recipes coming.
Irene-
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
OMG these were amazing. I did find that they made 21 muffins not 12 but super good and my kids LOVED them. Thanks for the great recipe.
These were super tasty! Thanks!!
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