Baked Apple Fritter Muffins Recipe

I can only think of a few better things than the classic apple fritter baked inside of a muffin. They smell like warm apple pie…but better.

It’s been years since I’ve had a traditional apple fritter. Our first home, a tiny 870 sq ft pink raised house, was just down the street from a local grocery with a huge bakery department. They sold the most amazing donuts and gigantic apple fritters. From time to time, my husband and I would treat ourselves to one on the weekends.

The sweet melt-in-your-mouth glaze, the fried crispy edged pieces of dough, and the almost jelly like pieces of apples inside… Wow. Sometimes it’s nice to take a trip down memory lane, isn’t it?

Not too long ago, I was determined to make a grain free version; and sadly, the outcome didn’t come close to what I remembered. Tasty yes, resembled an apple fritter…no.

Then I thought: I might as well make a gluten free version and “cheat” with those (I eat gluten free things on occasion). And once I developed the gluten free version, I adapted it for regular baking. It’s a win-win for everyone, right?

You might have noticed that some of the recipes in this website and on MOMables now include a video. Last September, I launched the MOMables channel on YouTube and I am having so much fun creating food videos for you!

I love working with my (small) crew every 4-5 weeks. Clay, my camera man and editor, also eats gluten free; so he is always excited when see sees gluten free recipes in my production sheet. It’s safe to say that we eat a lot between takes.

Watch this video and check out how easy these baked apple fritter muffins are to make. You can see that the ones in the video are gluten free because they are lighter in color. You are not going to want to miss what they look like in the inside!

So back to the recipe. My middle son, who also needs to eat gluten free, misses the classic fluffy texture of many baked. But not with these! These muffins pass the fluffy test. The only caveat is that if I chop the apples too big they don’t cook enough and they are left a little crunchy. He then complains about that (kids!) so keep that in mind if you have picky eaters with texture issues at home.

Today’s photos were taken with a batch where I used whole-wheat pastry flour (or white whole-wheat). Using white-whole wheat flour will give the muffins a golden brown tone. If you use all-purpose white flour or most gluten-free baking flour mixes, they will turn out much lighter (like in the video).

I typically reserve all baking for the weekends. It’s always nice to sit in our back porch on a Saturday morning and enjoy freshly baked goods with a little yogurt and fresh fruit. But don’t worry, you can make these on weekdays too!

I typically prepare the batter the night before, fill the lined muffin pan, and store the entire thing in the refrigerator. In the morning, all I have  to do is bake in the preheated oven while I wait for my coffee to brew and the kids get ready… and enjoy! Bonus: they are perfectly portable for those rushed mornings we are running a little late to school.

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