Description

Delight in these moist and flavorful Caramel Apple Muffins, featuring a tender crumb infused with cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and chunks of tart Granny Smith apples. Topped with a crunchy cinnamon brown sugar streusel and finished with a luscious caramel vanilla drizzle, these muffins are perfect for breakfast or an indulgent snack.

Ingredients

Scale

Streusel Topping

1 tablespoon cold salted butter
⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup finely chopped walnuts

Muffin Batter

½ cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (may need a bit more if batter is too wet)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped peeled apple (Granny Smith recommended)

Caramel Drizzle

2 tablespoons salted butter
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Prepare Streusel: In a bowl, combine cold salted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. Use your fingers to mix until crumbly. Set aside.
Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 400˚F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease and flour the tin if liners are unavailable.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, combine vegetable oil, brown sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Combine Batter: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well. Gently fold in the chopped apples. If batter is too thin, add a little more flour to achieve a fairly stiff consistency.
Fill Muffin Tins: Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each to the top. Evenly sprinkle streusel topping on each muffin.
Bake Muffins: Bake at 400˚F for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350˚F and bake an additional 10 minutes. Check doneness by pressing lightly (should spring back) or by inserting a toothpick (should come out clean).
Cool Muffins: Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15-20 minutes.
Prepare Caramel Drizzle: While muffins bake, combine brown sugar, butter, and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave another 15 seconds and stir again.
Finish Drizzle: Add vanilla extract to the mixture. Gradually stir in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Adjust consistency with milk or powdered sugar if needed to ensure a drizzle-able but not runny texture.
Drizzle Muffins: Spoon the caramel vanilla drizzle over the cooled muffins and serve.

Notes

Use Granny Smith apples for the best tartness and texture.
If batter is too wet, add flour gradually to avoid overly dense muffins.
Make sure muffins cool completely before drizzling to prevent melting the icing.
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For a nut-free version, omit walnuts in the streusel topping.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Baking
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: caramel apple muffins, apple muffins, streusel muffins, caramel drizzle, fall baking, cinnamon apple muffins, walnut muffins