Grandma's Apple Butter Muffins are the perfect recipe for making ahead, potlucks, or just because! These muffins are sweet with a spice, making them a great treat for any time of day!
There’s something magical about recipes that are passed down through generations. They’re more than just a list of ingredients and instructions—they’re memories, traditions, and a taste of home. Grandma Eva’s Apple Butter Muffins are all that and more. Sweet, spiced, and irresistible, these muffins are a perfect way to bring a little nostalgia into your kitchen.
A Recipe with a Story
Grandma Eva’s Apple Butter Muffins hold a special place in our family. They’re simple enough to whip up for a weekday breakfast yet comforting and decadent enough to serve at a holiday brunch. And the secret to their incredible flavor? Homemade apple butter.
What Makes These Muffins Special?
Grandma Eva’s recipe combines the rich, spiced sweetness of apple butter with a perfectly moist muffin base. Yes, I used the "M" word! These flavors are a celebration of fall but are just as delightful any time of the year. Each bite is like a warm hug, and the aroma as they bake will fill your home with the kind of coziness only a cherished family recipe can provide.
How to make Grandma's Apple Butter Muffins
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the cups.
- Cream the butter and sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and apple butter. Mix until smooth and well combined.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined—don’t overmix!
- Fill the muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top if using.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and enjoy: Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, if you’re like us, enjoy one warm with a smear of butter or extra apple butter on top!
Tips for Making the Perfect Muffin
- Homemade Apple Butter: If you have the time, making apple butter from scratch adds an extra layer of love to this recipe. But don’t worry—store-bought works wonderfully, too!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature for a smooth batter and fluffy muffins.
- Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the batter can make muffins dense. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Grandma's Apple Butter Muffins
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 C Flour
- 1/3 C Sugar
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 C Milk
- 1/4 C Oil
- 1/3 C Apple Butter
- 1/3 C Chopped Pecans
- 2 T Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine Flour, 1/3 Cup Sugar, Baking Powder, Spice and Salt.
- Make a well in center.
- Combine egg, milk, oil-add to flour mixture, mix well.
- Lightly grease muffin tin. Fill each with 1 tablespoon of batter, 1 tablespoon of Apple Butter, and 1 tablespoon batter, in this order.
- Combine sugar and pecans and sprinkle on top of each muffin.
- Bake 20 min at 400 degrees.
