I know I am the minority on this one, but pumpkin spice everything is not my favorite thing about fall. Although I do like pumpkin bread and chai tea, my fall obsession is apples. My daughters and I love apples so much we go through about 15 pounds of them every week!
We try to make it to the local orchard at least once every fall. The kids love it! We have so much fun riding the hay ride, picking apples, drinking hot apple cider, and of course, eating apple cider doughnuts. We always end up bringing a couple of dozen home with us. I’ve tried to replicate those doughnuts many times without success. The recipes have been okay; I just haven’t found that perfect one yet.
On my last attempt, the doughnuts were just too dense and kind of dry, but they had great flavor. With a few minor tweaks, I found the recipe makes amazing apple muffins! The texture is a bit like a corn muffin, but very moist and flavorful. And when you add the apple cider cream cheese glaze, watch out! You won’t stop at just one!
Apple Muffins with Apple Cider Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
For the muffin dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups chopped apples
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- 1 cup apple cider, plus extra to get desired consistency
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 4 oz room-temp cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping:
- In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Add butter, stirring until incorporated.
- Using your fingertips, finish working butter into flour mixture, squeezing until a nice crumbly mixture forms.
For the dough:
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
- Beat sugar and the butter in a mixer bowl on medium speed until sandy.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla, scrape the bowl, then stir in apples.
- Gradually blend in the flour mixture.
- Beat to make a sticky dough, scraping sides occasionally; do not over mix. (NOTE: I made the dough ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. I baked the muffins the next day after allowing the dough to sit out for about 15-20 minutes.)
- Add cupcake liners to a muffin pan and fill 2/3 full with dough.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar crumble liberally on top of each muffin. The dough will expand as it bakes so use more than you think you will need. The first time I baked the muffins, the kids complained I didn't get enough of the crumble on each muffin.
- Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 4 minutes to ensure even baking (may take more or less time depending on your oven).
- Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make the Cream Cheese Glaze:
- Simmer 1 cup cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10-15 mins).
- In a mixing bowl, blend cream cheese with the sugar and then add in the reduced cider. Mix thoroughly so it's smooth, set aside.
- Cool muffins slightly on a wire rack then drizzle with the cider cream cheese glaze.
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Those look applelicious! I can’t wait to give these a try. Apple is one of my favorite flavors in anything.
Oh my gosh, we’re total apple lovers here too! Thankfully we live in an area totally saturated by orchards. lol I’m going to have to make these for my boys because they would love them!
I am totally doing this for Thanksgiving! What a great and delicious snack while we wait for dinner to come. Oh my gosh I wish I could eat it right off the page it looks so good.
Apple muffins sound right up my alley. I love anything and everything apple flavored in the fall. We usually go to an apple barn in a nearby city and load up.
I am with you on the pumpkin spice everything. I do not like it lol. But, this recipe? You’re killing me!!! On a diet and I now want to make these. Will have to find a lower fat way to do it…..
I am a huge apple fan in the Fall season (more than pumpkin) haha! This recipe is most certainly something I will try to eat! For sure.
This sounds totally delicious. Apple muffins is perfect for the fall. We have a lot of apples from apple picking so I’m totally going to try this recipe.
I have yet to visit an orchard but would really love to one day. I love nature. I think I’d enjoy that. Recipe sounds delicious.
Wow – your photos sold me on this and your recipe is so simple I will have to give it a try this weekend!
Oh my goodness, this recipe looks fantastic. My mom brought us a ton of apples so this would put them to great use.
Muffins make for a great snack and these apple muffins look delicious. I will have to make these for sure. We love apple muffins and always love trying new recipes. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
These look absolutely delicious and are perfect for this time of year. I love the crumble top.
These look and sound amazing. Sometimes I wish I could grab these treats from the screan and have me one too.
These look really delicious! The apple cider cream cheese glaze sounds just heavenly. Would love to give these a try!
These look great! I’m definitely keeping the recipe. It’s perfect for the season and well, how can you resist apple muffins! YUM!
These would be a HUGE hit around my office. Anything with apple cider in it is to die for. Yum!
These muffins look so yummy! I love cream cheese 😉