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Home Muffin Recipes

Magic Stay-Moist Apple Muffins

By:Nagi
Published:27 Oct '17Updated:13 Nov '20
458 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

  • Blueberry Muffins

  • Choc Chip Muffins

  • Savoury Cheese Muffins

  • Cornbread Muffins (personal fave?)

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 mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Baking
Western
4.97 from 156 votes
Servings11 - 12 muffins
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 340
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.

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458 Comments

  1. Renee says

    November 30, 2023 at 8:19 pm

    5 stars
    These really are magic! Easy to make and absolutely delicious – thank you Nagi ✨

    Reply
  2. Lisa says

    November 8, 2023 at 4:03 am

    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
  3. Lucy says

    October 22, 2023 at 6:12 am

    5 stars
    Another great recipe!

    Reply
  4. Vanessa says

    October 19, 2023 at 10:31 pm

    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
  5. Kim N says

    October 17, 2023 at 4:26 am

    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
  6. Elizabeth says

    October 9, 2023 at 1:20 pm

    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
  7. Nancy Murphy says

    August 20, 2023 at 5:03 pm

    5 stars
    Love these muffins, so easy to make and easier to eat – yum!!

    Reply
  8. Melanie says

    August 10, 2023 at 3:48 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my, the most delicious apple
    muffins I have ever made (or eaten). Easy and so tasty!

    Reply
  9. Jean Morrison says

    August 3, 2023 at 4:44 pm

    5 stars
    Made this today. I used Packham pears diced up very small. Muffins were absolutely delicious but I must say I will reduce the sugar next time. Nice only having one bowl to wash up too.

    Reply
  10. Maggie says

    August 3, 2023 at 11:24 am

    Could you use tinned apples?

    Reply
  11. Tiffany says

    July 26, 2023 at 4:21 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious recipe! I used oat milk and mine were too moist on the bottom – any advice?

    Reply
  12. Joanne Goh says

    July 21, 2023 at 11:43 pm

    I really hate to be one of those people : but have you tried replacing the milk with yoghurt? Does that cancel the need for vinegar ?

    Reply
  13. Rose says

    June 9, 2023 at 11:52 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi, you are a star! It is easy and quick to make, and the muffin is very tasty. I sprinkled walnut pieces instead of sugar on top. Lovely!

    Reply
  14. Mo says

    June 8, 2023 at 7:48 pm

    5 stars
    Super easy and delicious. The best looking muffins I’ve made in a long time. Ran out of butter so topped up the last 30g with olive oil which didn’t seem to be a problem.

    Reply
  15. Prue says

    June 7, 2023 at 5:58 pm

    5 stars
    Holy dooly, these are good! They haven’t yet cooled and we’ve eaten most of them. Yum!

    Reply
  16. Mia says

    June 4, 2023 at 6:48 pm

    5 stars
    I halved this recipe and made 6, turned out crunchy and just the right amount of sweetness.
    Thanks Nagi for another great recipe!

    Reply
  17. Wendy says

    June 1, 2023 at 11:28 am

    5 stars
    Between last night’s chicken pasta bake and today’s muffins I’m giving everything 10 out of 10 for making me look like I can cook, when I’m actually NOT a great cook! Also wasn’t sure whether to peel the apple, so I left the skin on (because I’m lazy) and it still seemed fine!

    Reply
  18. Rebecca T. says

    May 27, 2023 at 3:34 pm

    5 stars
    The result was so delicious! I used pears that I salvaged, and so lazy, just grated them…I know. I doubled the spices by accident. LOL. But the result was still absolutely so amazing. What a beautiful flavour. This one for the book for sure! Thank you Nagi

    Reply
  19. AJ says

    May 1, 2023 at 3:37 pm

    5 stars
    The best muffins I have ever made!!

    Reply
  20. Cindy says

    April 16, 2023 at 9:58 pm

    Baked moist apple muffins with crunchy top – lovely food heaven! One thing I did differently- used lemon juice to stop chopped apple from browning and used that same juice in recipe instead of vinegar. I figured would give same result and it did.

    Reply
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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! Read More

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