Apple Cinnamon Muffins Recipe

Peel, core, and slice the granny smith apples. Place them in a food processor and pulse until shredded—no large chunks but not pureed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the melted salted butter and light brown sugar until thoroughly combined.

Add one room temperature egg at a time, whisking each until fully incorporated and the mixture lightens in color, about 30 seconds per egg.

Whisk in the unsweetened applesauce and pure vanilla extract until the batter is smooth.

Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until some streaks of flour remain.

Gently fold the shredded apples into the batter until evenly distributed.

Cover the bowl with a lid, plastic wrap, or a tea towel and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) and line muffin tins for 12 muffins.

Use a small cookie scooper to fill each muffin tin halfway with batter. Then spread about 1/2 tablespoon of apple butter onto each muffin.

Top the apple butter with the remaining batter until muffins are filled past the top. This yields 12 large muffins or 13-15 normal-sized muffins.

Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar over each muffin for a crispy top.

Bake muffins at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 13-15 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and spring back when pressed gently.

Remove muffins from oven and cool for at least 10-20 minutes before serving.