Cinnamon Sugar Apple Donut Muffins

Now that’s a mouthful.  A delicious mouthful. 

The recipe is actually called caramel apple donut muffins but I left out the caramel.  I know, I know. I love caramel but they were so good without the caramel I was afraid to mess with the good I already had. :)

 

I found the recipe on a blog called Willow Bird Baking.  Julie made an assortment of donut muffins.  She had powdered sugar donut muffins, chocolate dipped with sprinkles ones, jelly filled, and the caramel apple.  They all look great but I had to go with cinnamon and caramel.  My kids loved these and gobbled up in no time.  The only thing I would do differently next time is to add more apple.  My apple was a bit small so I’d use a nice big one or two small ones.  Happy Apple Baking!  :)

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Donut Muffins, adapted from Willow Bird Baking 

Batter Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking power

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk (low fat is fine)

1 tsp vanilla extract 

4 tablespoons melted butter, for dipping

1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 apple, peeled and diced (I used a Granny Smith)

Directions:
Prepare two mini-muffin pans by spraying with cooking spray.* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.   Beat sugar and egg together in a large bowl until fluffy. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until combined. Add vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract and mix.   Stir in apples.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 13-15 minutes until tester comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing onto a cooling rack (if muffins are extremely delicate and difficult to remove, you may need to bake them a minute longer.) While the muffins are cooling melt the butter in the microwave and mix the cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, dunk the tops into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

*I made 24 mini donut muffins and 6 regular sized ones.  You can make 36 minis or 18 regular size ones.  For the printable recipe I used click here.