Apple Butter Muffins

“These muffins taste like Cinnamon Toast Crunch on top and Apple Pie in the middle!” So said one of the young middle school aged boys who sampled these muffins back in early February. Yessiree! These Apple Butter Muffins are spectacular in more ways than one.

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I started pouring through my old Taste of Home cookbooks about a month ago. I decided to update my own compilation of recipes that I wanted to try from those cookbooks. I included recipes for our own family meals as well as meals for others. I came across these Apple Butter Muffins and knew instantly that I would love them. I was right. I made two batches of these muffins. One batch went to our Hospitality Committee at church and the other batch was divvied up among a few of our neighbors.

Without exception, everyone raved over these muffins. Several people mentioned that the insides tasted like biting into Apple Pie. They really turned out scrumptious. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. I increased the sugar in the batter, and I doubled the topping ingredients because they seemed rather sparse. I also swapped out half-and-half for milk to make the batter a little richer. We enjoyed all of those changes.

When I looked back on the original cookbook pictures for these muffins, I noticed the muffin tops were pretty flat. I’m not sure if it was the increase in sugar I added to the recipe or the additional topping, but my muffin tops puffed up beautifully. Instead of spreading the Apple Butter all the way across the muffin, I spooned on small teaspoonfuls of Apple Butter in each center instead.

When I was spreading the batter into the muffin tins, the first batch seemed a little gooier than the second. I attribute that to the fact that it took me about 20 minutes to get the muffin batter and Apple Butter spooned into the muffin tins along with adding the topping ingredients. It was after I completed the first pan that I began the second. The ingredients had time to expand and thicken during that time period. But as for outcome, both batches came out looking and tasting exactly the same.

If you’re looking for an amazing breakfast recipe for your next brunch buffet, weekend or holiday breakfast or for snacks anytime of the day, I can’t recommend these Apple Butter Muffins enough. They’re just like eating “Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Apple Pie!”

We thought Apple Butter Muffins were outstanding.

Every bite tastes like Apple Pie in the middle!

The topping is really very simple: just a little granulated sugar and pecans sprinkled over top. But it added so much flavor and texture to these muffins.

These really are yummy.

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients for the muffins.

In a mixing bowl, combine unbleached all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods). Add granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg allspice and ginger.

Stir ingredients really well to combine. This took me about 3 minutes to get the spices worked in evenly. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs lightly. Add oil.

Add half-and-half.

Whisk wet ingredients until smooth.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.

Stir ingredients until just moistened. Do not overmix.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Spread one rounded tablespoonful of batter into each muffin tin.

Spoon one rounded teaspoonful Apple Butter into the centers of each muffin.

Spoon another rounded tablespoonful of muffin batter over top of the apple butter in the tins. Use a knife if necessary to spread batter evenly over top of Apple Butter to the edges of the muffin tin.

I used these ingredients. I later doubled the topping ingredients because I thought they were a little skimpy.

Place chopped pecans and granulated sugar in a small bowl.

Stir ingredients to combine.

Spoon one to two tablespoons of topping mixture into each muffin tin.

Try to spread topping as evenly as possible.

Bake at 400 degrees about 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. My muffins took 18 minutes.

Apple Butter Muffins are fantastic for a weekend brunch buffet.

If you have a sweet tooth, these muffins are marvelous with your morning coffee.

Prepare to drool over every single bite!

The muffin tops on these Apple Butter Muffins came out beautifully. No flat tops!

Here’s the recipe.

APPLE BUTTER MUFFINS

(Recipe adapted from Taste of Home, Prize Winning Recipes)

We loved how these Apple Butter Muffins turned out!

This recipe calls for thick Apple Butter. I used a really thick one from Kroger (their own private selection brand). It worked fantastically with this recipe.

The original picture for these muffins showed them baked straight in the muffin tins without paper liners, so that’s what I did. I thought they turned out exceptionally well.

Apple Butter Muffins are the real deal. Your palate will be captivated by the delicious “Apple Pie and Cinnamon Toast Crunch” flavors!

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

Caramel Apple Muffins

Maple Apple Pie Muffins

Caramel Apple Pie Streusel Muffins