Spiced Apple Raisin Muffins (Print)

Tender muffins bursting with diced apples, sweet raisins, and warm spices baked to perfection.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
09 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 - 1/2 cup milk

→ Fruits

13 - 1 1/2 cups peeled, diced apples (approximately 2 medium apples)
14 - 3/4 cup raisins

→ Optional Topping

15 - 2 tablespoons demerara sugar
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk vegetable oil and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and milk.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Carefully fold in diced apples and raisins into the batter.
06 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
07 - If desired, mix demerara sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle over muffin tops.
08 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Cool muffins in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like fall even in the middle of summer, soft and spiced without being heavy.
  • The apples stay tender and the raisins plump up into little pockets of sweetness.
  • You can mix the batter in one bowl and have them cooling on the rack in half an hour.
02 -
  • Do not overmix the batter or the muffins will come out tough and tunneled, stir just until the flour is gone.
  • Dice the apples small, about half an inch, so they cook through and do not leave raw pockets.
  • If your raisins are dry and hard, soak them in warm apple juice for ten minutes before folding them in.
03 -
  • Use room temperature eggs and milk so the batter mixes smoothly and bakes evenly.
  • Do not skip the demerara topping, the crunchy sugary crust is what makes these feel bakery quality.
  • If the tops are browning too fast, tent the tin loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking.

Go Back