Apple Fritter Muffins
A delicious crumbly streusel muffing with a cinnamon apple filling and a royal icing glaze. Enjoy these anytime of day!
Apple fritters are a staple dessert once a year for me. Not only are they so easy to make, but the taste is out of this world. I can’t pass one up when I see one. I love how chewy the apple stays and how the glaze keeps the fritter so soft. This muffin recipe highlights my two favorite things about apple fritters with a soft apple-y interior and a crunchy glaze exterior. A hybrid recipe from coffee cake to apple fritter. You will be addicted to the crunchy sugary topping and so will everyone else. Enjoy these in the morning for breakfast or in the evening for dessert. You have to try these!
Just like any muffin recipe, it’s all about the batter. Take some time to cream together your butter and sugar. The more time you take for this step, the lighter and fluffier the muffin. Pick your favorite apples to fold into the muffins. The sweeter the apple, the sweeter the muffin. I like a sour granny smith apple. As they bake, the apples will help create a moist environment to prevent over-cooking.
With every bite there is a layer of flavor, from apple to cinnamon batter, to the buttery streusel filling and topping. These elements keeps your muffins exciting! Use what you like. I like to use the streusel, so I don’t have to spend any extra effort making a filling.
Apple fritters are known for that signature glaze, so our second focus in this recipe should be on the glaze. We glaze these muffins hot out of the oven to not only lock in the moisture as they cool, but also help to create that signature sugar crust.
Bring these to your next holiday party or simply bake these for the house this week. You can store these in an air-tight tupperware or container for up to two weeks, or freeze them individually for a quick breakfast on-the-go for up to a month. I hope you bake these because there’s a lot of love in this one!
Apple Fritter Muffins
For batter:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups diced apples, granny smith, peeled
For topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
For glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425° F and prepare a cupcake pan with muffin liners and cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and softened butter to create the streusel topping. Use your fingers to push the butter into the dry mixture as you mix. You should form pea-sized pieces of butter/sugar clumps. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Mix the muffin batter using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment starting by creaming your butter and sugar together for 3 - 4 minutes or until pale in color. Scrape down the sides every minute to ensure even mixing.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt to the mixture and combine.
- Fold in the apples and dry ingredients in the bowl with a spatula until no flour clumps remain.
- Spoon one heaping tablespoon of batter in each muffin cup then sprinkle a teaspoon of streusel topping in the middle. Repeat with remaining batter, then top each with streusel. Bake for 22 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Mix the glaze with a whisk until a thick glue-like paste forms. It will melt into each muffin.
- Remove muffins when cooked to a wire cooling rack immediately then glaze while they are hot with a pastry brush. Be sure to cover every side of the muffin for best results. Enjoy!