Caramel Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Fresh Apples bring that bakery-style flavor home with tender crumbs, warm spice, and real apple goodness in every bite. This healthy apple cinnamon muffins recipe blends apple pie vibes with hints of fritter, crisp topping, and cinnamon roll flavor while still feeling easy and doable.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a muffin tin with liners or spray with nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon) until well combined.
Add the egg, milk, vanilla bean paste, and butter to the bowl and mix well.
Fold fresh chopped apples into the mixture and stir to combine.
Once combined, use a medium scoop to fill muffin liners ¾ full with batter.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.
While muffins are baking, make the Caramel Glaze following the glaze recipe instructions below.
Cool muffins for 10 minutes, then drizzle muffin tops with the caramel glaze.
For the caramel glaze
Combine brown sugar, butter, and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring continuously until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar.
Drizzle the hot glaze onto muffin tops after the muffins have cooled slightly. Glaze will harden as it cools, so if it is too thick to pour, simply reheat it in the saucepan and it will become pourable again.
Notes
Placing the chopped apples in a bowl with lemon juice and water helps keep them from turning brown before you are ready to use them. If they do turn brown, it won't hurt anything. They will taste the same as white chopped apples.Muffins can be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 4 days.Refrigerate any leftover caramel glaze in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. It is delicious served warm over ice cream, banana bread, or pound cake.