Apple Walnut Spice Muffins
Warm, tender muffins made with fresh Granny Smith apples, chopped walnuts, and cozy fall spices, topped with a cinnamon crumble and spiced glaze.
Servings
Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- 3 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup milk
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Crumble Topping:
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For the Spiced Glaze:
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground ginger
- 1 pinch ground cloves
Instructions
Prepare the Apple Mixture:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the diced apples and granulated sugar. Pour the canola oil over the apples and stir thoroughly. Allow the mixture to rest at room temperature for 45 minutes to draw out the juices and soften the fruit.
Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan:
- Adjust the oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners.
Combine the Dry Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and chopped walnuts. Set aside.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- To the apple mixture, add the milk, lightly beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until well incorporated. Gradually fold in the dry flour mixture, mixing just until the batter is moistened. Do not overmix.
Fill the Muffin Tin:
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
Prepare the Crumble Topping:
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter using a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over each muffin.
Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Prepare the Spiced Glaze:
- While the muffins cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a small bowl until smooth.
Drizzle and Serve:
- Once the muffins have cooled completely, drizzle the spiced glaze over the top of each muffin. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Notes
To make these muffins gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour in both the muffin batter and crumble topping with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Ensure your baking powder and other ingredients are certified gluten-free. No additional modifications are needed.