Spiced Apple Muffins (think old fashioned donuts!)

Classic Spiced Apple Muffins require only one bowl and a few pantry staples. These incredibly simple muffins taste exactly like an old fashioned donut! And it gets better… they’re rolled in cinnamon and sugar!!

Greetings from Tokyo! Did you catch my travel post that I made last week?! We’ve spent the last few days meandering through this incredibly busy city, trying to catch up on jet lag, and taking in as many sights as we can. So far we’re loving it! I plan to post travel highlights every week or so, but if you love photos and want to know what we’re up to right now, follow me on Instagram! (Spoiler alert, there will probably be a lot of coffee and ramen photos. I have a hunch.)

About These Muffins

Spiced Apple Muffins are a classic that I grew up with. They’re astonishingly simple to make (only one bowl necessary!) yet taste incredible. The inside tastes 100% like an old fashioned donut, and the outside is rolled in cinnamon and sugar. It just doesn’t get better than that! My family actually calls these “Baked Apple Donuts,” but to avoid confusion I’ve renamed them to muffins. I mean, they are technically muffins after all.

Ground nutmeg and grated apple are the stars of the show with these muffins. Apple keeps these muffins moist without the addition of excessive amounts of butter and oil. And nutmeg lends the perfect hint of spice that complements the cinnamon and sugar coating perfectly. Don’t skip it!

This weekend, welcome fall with a lazy breakfast and these muffins! This recipe has been passed through my family since well before my time. It always makes an appearance at family events, and rightfully so, because it’s so darn good! Bonus: your house will smell amazing while they bake!

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Spiced Apple Muffins

Classic Spiced Apple Muffins require only one bowl and a few pantry staples. Bonus: they smell amazing while they bake and taste like an old fashioned donut! 

Servings 10 donut muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup salted butter, chilled
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup raw grated apple

Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp salted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 10-12 muffin tins and set aside.

2. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut in butter. Form a well in the flour mixture, then mix together egg, milk, and grated apple (trying not to mix in too much flour until the liquids are combined). Then fold flour mixture in with egg mixture until just combined. Do not over mix. Batter will be sticky. 

3. Divide batter among greased muffins tins, and then bake for 20-22 minutes. To test for doneness, a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the muffin.

Recipe Notes

If making mini muffins, they will bake in around 12-15 minutes.

If you’re still feeling like cozy fall foods, be sure to check out my pumpkin soup recipe! It’s the most popular recipe on my site right now!