Loaded Apple Muffins

Let’s end this apple loving season with a bang. These loaded apple muffins will definitely deliver on celebration, taste, and overall happiness with each bite.

Now, if you’re like me, apple season runs year-round, so make sure to keep this recipe handy.

Apples may be my favorite, but now we’re heading into cranberry season, which means delicious recipes full of holiday love are about to go down.

I’m actually sad finalizing the Appleton Farm Man Card collection. It’s been fun creating a world around something so special to me. I loved sharing a little piece of me with each story.

After five steamy short stores at Appleton Farm, we’re leaving for a bit, but we’ll be back. Next year the new Appleton Farm Series will begin. We have so many more sexy apple farmers to meet.

Special notes: This recipe was supposed to have a crumble top. When I added the crumble top it fell into the batter while baking. That process was a happy accident. The crumble mixture into the batter provided another layer of flavor that made these muffins perfect.

You definitely don’t need to use hard cider for the recipe. You could add apple juice instead. I was channeling Levi from My Apple Farmer (Man Card Book 8) and Jesse from Mr. Apple Pie (Man Card Book 9) when I made the recipe. After they created a fried apple pie hard cider I’ve had a few cravings.

Have fun making the recipe and reading each short story!

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Loaded Apple Muffin

Recipe created by Terra Kelly

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 6-12 (depending on muffin pan used)

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

4 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup hard cider (or apple juice)

1 ½ cup All-purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 medium apple, diced

Crumble top:

¼ cup salted butter, melted

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup oats

½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease Muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Medium bowl: Add cream cheese and whip with hand mixer. Then add sugar, vanilla, and eggs and mix well. Switch to spatula and mix hard cider into batter and set aside.

Small bowl: Sift flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and mix well. Add diced apples to flour mixture (this will help ensure the apples are well incorporated and don’t sink to the bottom of each muffin).

Add Dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Do not over mix the batter, just ensure the ingredients are mixed completely. Set aside.

Crumble top: in small pan melt ¼ cup of salted butter on medium heat. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, chopped pecans, oats, cinnamon and melted butter.

Optional: You can use jumbo muffin pan- recipe will make 6 muffins.

You can use standard muffin pan and recipe will make 12 muffins.

Add muffin batter to each prepared muffin cup. Fill each cup ¾ full. Top batter with a small amount of crumble topping.

This recipe used jumbo muffin pan- Bake 20-25 minutes depending on oven. Check center with toothpick.

Enjoy!