Subtly sweet bakery style muffins filled with chunks of apple, spiced with cinnamon and cardamom, with a naturally crunchy muffin top, and apple fan decoration. Perfect for Fall baking. Makes 9 large muffins.
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Muffins are in my constant rotation. They are customizable, come together and bake quickly, can be made healthier or more indulgent, and are enjoyable to eat on the hottest days or the coziest mornings. This recipe takes a bit more time than other recipes because of all of the peeling and chopping, but I find I don’t mind the extra work because it’s such a fun way to celebrate the season.
This recipe in particular is adapted from the recipe from Melissa Coleman’s cookbook, The Minimalist Kitchen. My husband gave it to me for Christmas years ago, and it’s still one of my go to’s for easy and healthy dinners and overall recipes. Her version of the recipe includes butter, but I find I prefer making muffins (and most cakes) with oil because they don’t dry out as easily, and sometimes butter can have an off taste after a couple of days. Definitely feel free to use whatever fat you prefer.
I made this recipe when I put together boxes for Good Neighbor Day to surprise my neighbors with. They were included alongside large cinnamon rolls, Pumpkin Shortbread, Scooted Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Pumpkin Blueberry Granola.
Tips to getting this recipe right:
Use the crispiest apples you can find. Most baking recipes call for Granny Smith because they tend to be more tart, and have more flavor. I find the texture of Granny Smith Apples is less consistent (usually more mushy), so I like to reach for the crispiest apples I can find at Trader Joe’s. Usually that’s a Pink Lady, Fuji, or Honeycrisp. I honestly haven’t used Granny Smith apples in pies for years, and no one ever misses them. Depending on the size of your apples, you might find you’ll need a few more or less so get extra just in case.
Weigh your flour. Flour compacts when it gets packaged, so there can be huge variations in the actual amount of flour when you measure with volume, and can make or break how your recipe turns out. My favorite baking scale is the Zwilling one, because it’s rechargeable, but there are affordable options that work just as well.
Make sure your oven temperature is accurate. Muffin recipes usually start with a very high heat (425°F or 218°C) that helps the muffins rise quickly, then reduce to 375°F (190°C) for a gentler bake. Most ovens run cool or hot so knowing how your oven works is helpful if you want to get the best bake possible.
Use large muffin tins (not cupcake tins). The beautiful fan design is too large for cupcake tins, so the standard ~1/2 cup muffin tins are the way to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this recipe be made gluten-free? Yes! My first test of this recipe was actually a gluten-free version made with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free flour, and it turned out delicious. I find you usually have to increase the bake time by 15% if you use gluten free flour.
Ingredients
Wet
2/3 cup Sour cream
1 cup Canola oil (or melted and cooled butter)
2 large Eggs
Dry
3 cups (411gr) All Purpose Flour (or Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour, I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 cup (200gr) Granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Baking soda
¾ teaspoon Sea salt
3-4 Large Apples (tart and crispy), for batter and topping
1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Cardamom, ground
Method
Preheat an oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a muffin tin with liners or spray with baking spray. Add the flour (fluff with fork before scooping and level with a knife if you aren’t measuring by weight) to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, and cardamom in a large bowl. Peel and core three apples, and chop into 1/2” cubes. I don’t haver an apple corer so I usually slice two paralell halves then cut the remaining quarter off of the core on both sides. Toss chopped apples into the dry ingredients and coat with flour mixture.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, canola oil. Pour into dry ingredients and stir together. Use a rubber spatula to make sure there aren’t any flour pockets left on the bottom. Fill the muffin liners almost to the top with batter. Slice the apple reserved for topping as thin as possible (almost paper thin) using a very sharp knife. Top with 4-5 slices of thinly sliced apple fanned out.
Bake in the oven for five minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 20-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs. If you don’t have a toothpick you can carefully press into the middle of the tallest muffin and if it resists and springs back then the muffins are done.
Once the muffins are done, remove them from the oven and carefully take them out of the tin to cool on a cooling rack. If you let them cool in the tin, you run the risk of them drying out. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or the refrigerator for up to five days.
Apple Muffins
Subtly sweet bakery style muffins filled with chunks of apple, spiced with cinnamon and cardamom, with a naturally crunchy muffin top, and apple fan decoration. Perfect for Fall baking. Makes 9 large muffins.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a muffin tin with liners or spray with baking spray.
- Add the flour (fluff with fork before scooping and level with a knife if you aren’t measuring by weight) to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, and cardamom in a large bowl.
- Peel two apples, core, and chop into 1/2” cubes. You should end up with about three cups. Toss chopped apples into the dry ingredients to coat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs, vanilla and canola oil. Pour into dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula. Scrape the bottom to make sure there aren't any flour pockets. Batter will be very thick.
- Fill the prepared muffin tins to the top with batter, and use your fingertips to flatten.
- Slice the apple reserved for topping as thin as possible (almost paper thin) using a very sharp knife. Top each muffin with 5 thinly sliced apple pieces fanned out. Arrange the slices from largest in the back to smallest in the front. I usually cut up most of the apple and choose the thinnest pieces, you'll have some left over.
- Bake in the oven for five minutes (8 minutes if you are making gluten-free muffins), then reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 15-18 minutes rotating and switching racks halfway through for even baking.
- Muffins are done baking when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the tallest muffin comes out with just a few crumbs. If you don’t have a toothpick you can carefully press into the middle of the tallest muffin, and if it resists and springs back then the muffins are done.
- Once the muffins are done, remove them from the oven and carefully take them out of the tin to cool on a cooling rack. If you let them cool in the tin, you run the risk of them drying out.
- Let cool completely before eating. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or the refrigerator for up to five days.
Notes
For best results, measure the flour by weight.
Oil can be substituted for melted and cooled butter 1:1
