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Magic Stay-Moist Apple Muffins

By:Nagi
485 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

If you’ve ever been disappointed by dry day-after muffins, these Apple Muffins are going to blow your mind. They stay 100% fresh for 4 to 5 days!

Made with fresh apples, in one bowl, this magic muffin recipe is super quick to prepare and I’m guessing you have everything you need to make this!!

These Brown Sugar Apple Muffins are magical - made with pantry staples (no buttermilk or yoghurt), they stay moist for 4 - 5 days! recipetineats.com

Stay-moist Apple Muffins!

If you’ve ever been disappointed / annoyed at stale, dry muffins the day after making them, these Apple Muffins are going to blow your mind!! They’re super moist on the day and they stay moist for 4 to 5 days!!

Here’s the secret to keep muffins moist…

The secret to these stay-moist Apple Muffins are:

  • Brown sugar instead of white – brown sugar retains moisture far better in baked goods; and

  • Only 1 egg – Eggs dry out baked goods. Well, the egg white part does. That’s why you’ll find some baking recipes only call for egg yolks – because it binds without drying out the batter.

And that’s the only difference between the batter for these muffins and the usual muffin mixes!

These Brown Sugar Apple Muffins are magical - made with pantry staples (no buttermilk or yoghurt), they stay moist for 4 - 5 days! recipetineats.com

Miracle stay-moist muffin recipe

This magic stay-moist muffin recipe is a great master muffin mix because it’s made with pantry staples:

  • flour – wholewheat OR white

  • butter

  • egg

  • milk

  • brown sugar

  • baking soda

  • vinegar*

  • cinnamon (or other spice mix)

No buttermilk, no yoghurt, no sour cream.

I know there are muffin recipes out there that swear by them for moist muffins. But they aren’t required for this recipe. I promise you, these Apple Muffins are going to be super moist straight out of the oven – and they will stay moist for 4 to 5 days. No need to even warm them up!

Wondering what the vinegar is for?

Just a touch of vinegar gives baking soda a kick start, the same effect that buttermilk and yoghurt has when used in batters. Useful for muffins to give that dome a boost.

These Brown Sugar Apple Muffins are magical - made with pantry staples (no buttermilk or yoghurt), they stay moist for 4 - 5 days! recipetineats.com

Customise to your hearts’ content

I’ve made Apple Muffins here, but this miracle muffin batter is just waiting for your own add ins! Just add 2 to 2.5 cups of diced fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate or other chips – go wild!

For the fresh fruit, just be sure it’s fruit that won’t bleed too much and become mushy when baked. Some fruits I’ve used that work very well include:

  • Pears

  • Mango

  • Berries – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, mulberries

  • Strawberries (use small ones)

These Brown Sugar Apple Muffins are magical - made with pantry staples (no buttermilk or yoghurt), they stay moist for 4 - 5 days! recipetineats.com

With the super long shelf life of these Apple Muffins, they are ideal for grab and go snacks, popping into lunch boxes, afternoon teas and just generally devouring on an as-needed basis.

With the sweet little dome, a sparkling sugar crust (if you so choose), tender pieces of apple and a hint of cinnamon fragrance, they look and smell as great as they taste! Enjoy! – Nagi x

Muffin Mania

These Brown Sugar Apple Muffins are magical - made with pantry staples (no buttermilk or yoghurt), they stay moist for 4 - 5 days! recipetineats.com

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Freshly baked apple muffins

Stay-Moist Apple Muffins!

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Baking
Western
4.96 from 165 votes
Servings11 - 12 muffins
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe VIDEO above. These muffins are a miracle - they stay moist for 4 to 5 days!! KEY TIP: Do not over mix batter (causes dry muffin), stir until flour is just incorporated, few lumps is fine. This recipe will work with cup measures regardless of which country you are in, with the exception of Japan - please use weights provided. 

Ingredients

  • 2 level cups apple pieces (peeled) , 0.7 cm / 1/3" cubes (2 large apples, I use red)
  • 1 tbsp melted butter , for muffin tim (or use paper liners)

Wet:

  • 115g / 0.5 cup unsalted butter , melted (1 stick)
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar , packed
  • 2/3 cup (165 ml) milk (low fat, full fat, non dairy also fine)
  • 1 large egg (approx 60g / 2 oz)
  • 1 tsp white vinegar (or any other clear vinegar)

Dry:

  • 2 cups (300g) wholemeal flour (wholewheat flour)(white also ok, Note 1)
  • 1 tsp baking soda (bi carb) (NOT baking powder)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • Pinch salt

Topping (optional):

  • 2 tbsp raw sugar (demerara sugar - large granules)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
  • Brush a 12 hole, standard muffin tin with melted butter, or line with paper cases. (Note 3)
  • Place butter and brown sugar in a bowl, whisk to combine.
  • Add milk, then egg and vinegar. Whisk to combine.
  • Scatter flour across batter surface, followed by baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk 10 times until the flour is incorporated - some lumps is fine.
  • Stir through apple -minimum stirs just to disperse.
  • Scoop batter into muffin tin - I use an ice cream scoop - filling it all the way to the top. If using a scooper, leave it the slight ball shape (see video) - don't smooth the top.  You should get 12 (see Note 3).
  • Sprinkle with sugar (if using - makes surface slightly crispy), place muffins in the oven.
  • Immediately turn down to 180C/350F.
  • Bake for 20 minutes (standard) or 18 minutes (fan / convection) , or until a skewer comes out clean.
  • Rest in the muffin tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool.
  • Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container - it will stay moist for up to 5 days. These also freeze very well.

Recipe Notes:

1. Flour - I like using wholewheat flour for these, but it works perfectly with plain / all purpose white flour as well. The muffins will be a bit paler and they are even softer. (They are soft with the wholewheat too, it's just they are even softer with white flour).
2. TIP: Chop the apple up into small pieces, otherwise it has a tendency to make the muffin seem too crumbly, noting that this muffin batter only uses 1 egg (which is a reason why it's so moist but also means the crumb is not as tightly bound as muffin mixes that use 2 eggs, so you need to ensure the apple pieces are chopped fairly small).
3. MUFFIN TIN SIZES: There are mini, standard and jumbo muffin tins. This recipe is for standard muffin tins. Standard muffin tin sizes do differ slightly here in Australia - there are 1/3 and 1/2 cup muffin tins. You should get 12 out of this recipe either way because with the 1/3 cup, the batter mounds slightly over the top of the muffin tin hole plus there is a bit left over. With the 1/2 cup, it fills 12 holes pretty much to the top, scraping every bit of batter out of the bowl. 
4. CAKE/LOAF: Don't use this recipe for a cake or loaf, the crumb is too delicate. Use this recipe (YES it is moist too!) -> https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-apple-cake-recipe/
5. STORING: These keep so great in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days, they stay really nice and moist but it's it's really hot and/or humid where you are, keep them in the fridge.
The crunchy top does soften overnight, as it does with anything with a sugar topping. These are also terrific FROZEN - then just defrost before consuming, and yes they are moist even without reheating. 🙂
HUMIDITY warning! If it's super humid and hot where you are (eg Sydney in summer!) these are prone to becoming mouldy because they are so moist! So store them in the fridge.
6. Recipe adapted from these Brown Sugar Muffins by Taste and Tell.
7. Different measures in different countries - read more here. This recipe is fine to use as written irrespective of what country you are in - except Japan, use weights and ml, not Japanese measuring cups.
8. Nutrition assuming 12 muffins.
different-measur…ferent-countries/

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 103gCalories: 253cal (13%)
Keywords: apple muffins, moist muffins
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

LIFE OF DOZER

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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485 Comments

  1. Michelle says

    Hi Nagi – Please help what am I doing wrong ? When i mix the egg, milk and vinegar with the butter and sugar, it curdles. Why ? Thanks

    Reply

  2. Annie says

    5 stars
    These muffins worked so well and were absolutely delicious. Better than I have had in any cafe. Thank you

    Reply

  3. Lareina says

    5 stars
    I was a little skeptical of the whole wheat flour, but it came together beautifully! I tossed in some toasted walnuts, and sprinkled a bit on top before baking. Heaven!

    Reply

  4. Lia says

    5 stars
    I had a freezer full of apple puree to use up, and this recipe was absolutely perfect for it! I had to use white flour, but no regrets: these muffins are so moist (can I say ‘supple’?) and flavoursome. Considering we’re coming into apple season again, I see many more muffins in my future…

    Reply

  6. Hannell says

    I make these for my breakfast friends at a senior residence where I live. I have tried many recipes but we all like this one the best. It is now my go to apple muffin. Thank you for sharing your cooking bc wisdom. Also, thank you for caring for others. You are blessdd!

    Reply

  7. Julie says

    5 stars
    Just made these with the help of my 5yo grandson. He wanted chocolate cup cakes so we compromised by adding white chocolate chips. He loves them! Thanks Nagi for giving us a great Nanna and grandson bonding time. Wonder if there will be any left when Mum and Dad get home? 🙂

    Reply

  8. Hannell Thompson says

    I live in a sr. Residence and many times provide muffins at breakfast. This was the recipe they keep asking for. Thanks for the great iinstructions. And delicious recipe. Its a real winner. I use Honey crisp apples from Washington State!!!

    Reply

  9. Sabina says

    For a muffin made with only whole wheat flour, these are quite good. I actually had buttermilk to use up, so I replaced the milk and vinegar with that. I doubled the recipe and used a 1/3 cup measure for each muffin and ended up with 23 muffins. I might add some extra spices or maybe some vanilla next time for just a bit more flavour. I do wish your video showed the muffins being made with whole wheat flour instead of white, just because I’d like the use of whole grains in baking to be more commonplace, and this recipe did work quite well with the whole wheat, as stated.

    Reply

  12. sue says

    5 stars
    I tried substiuting oat flour for whole wheat, I doubled the recipe and forgot to double the eggs and milk. what a bne head I am. they batter smelled amazing, sadly my muffins fell apart. My mistake, will try again soon. lol

    Reply

  13. KATRINA HUTSON says

    These muffins are all that I dream of, so very moist ! and so very yummy ! I added a few frozen blueberries on top, the top wasn’t as crunchy as it would be without them but the crunchy goes after storage any way. Love, Love all of your so well explained/detailed recipes Nagi !!!

    Reply

  14. Lisa says

    5 stars
    This is my muffin go-to recipe. They turn out moist every time. I like to add little chunks of cream cheese to the recipe. They taste like apple cheese cake.

    Reply

  15. Tina Vagg says

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi I made these muffins on the weekend and they were fabulous I even put a bit of blueberry on top. I think I would cut down on the brown sugar next time although Hubby loved them thank you 🙂

    Reply

  16. Susan says

    5 stars
    ABSOLUTELY the BEST apple
    Muffins! I made a double
    batch for a church meeting. 24 beautiful high top muffins. I used Granny Smith apples and white all-purpose flour and I added 1 cup chopped walnuts to the double batch.
    Used a light sprinkle of sugar to the top. They were exceptional!
    I sprayed my muffin tins with baking spray so the muffins popped right out.
    YUM!!!! This is the only apple muffin I’ll
    bake from here on! 👍

    Reply

  18. Vanessa says

    5 stars
    There are plenty of positive reviews here but what’s one more!? Don’t hesitate to make this recipe. Like all of Nagi’s recipes, this one is spot on. It’s not too dense, not too fluffy and full of flavour. The perfect amount of sweetness too. I actually didn’t have any apples on hand so I used pears instead and they still came out divine. Will try with apples next time!

    Reply

  19. Kim N says

    5 stars
    Really easy to put together. The muffins are super moist and delicious. I sprinkled some hazelnut and pearl sugar on top to give it a little crunch. This recipe will be a staple at our home in autumn. We really enjoyed your strawberry bars during the summer. Thank you

    Reply

  20. Elizabeth says

    5 stars
    Thank you for the most delicious Apple muffin recipe.
    Instead of stewing the apples, I steamed them so there was less liquid. Just perfect!

    Reply