Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins - What a winning combination! They rise up tall and high and are topped with a delicious buttery cinnamon crumble.

Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins

By Chris Scheuer | Updated on May 19, 2024
4.96 from 22 votes
What a winning combination! They rise up tall and high and are topped with a delicious buttery cinnamon crumble.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.

These Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins rise up tall and high and are topped with a delicious, buttery cinnamon crumble and a drizzle of caramel icing!

That wonderful autumn season is soon approaching and these Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins are paving the way to Fall here at The Café!

Photo of a baking grate filled with Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins with the frosting melting onto the grate. A text graphic title is at the top of the photo.
But then it happened, out of the blue. My husband came home from work one day with a crisp, red-blushed, shiny, fabulous looking apple. And that was all it took! Before I knew it, I was dicing, mixing, stirring and dolloping out muffin batter and my oven was doing a happy dance as it was preheating (after feeling a bit neglected all summer long).

Closeup of a Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffin on a baking pan with sunlight streaming in from the top left.

I tried a new recipe from a cookbook I'd recently ordered. A new recipe is always a little scary, but when these beauties rolled out of the oven, I almost squealed with delight! The aroma was completely intoxicating and the first bite of these Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins, well, let's just say that all who partook (my official taste-testers) were quite smitten. There were "wows" and "mmms" and "oh my goodnesses" and sentiments like "these are crazy good!".

Photo of a baking pan of rows of Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins.

It's the muffin recipe one dreams of (okay maybe just the dreams of crazy cooks like me), easy to throw together, not temperamental, very adaptable, delectably tender, super moist and fabulously delicious. Need I say more? If you want to get into the spirit of Fall in a very delightful way, whip up a batch of these Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins. But one warning: just be sure to close the windows tightly, unless you want the neighbors lined up down the front walk and up the street wiping the drool off their chins.

Need a deliciously healthy muffin alternative? Try these Healthy Banana Bran Muffins. They're so good!

Scroll Down for the Recipe - or Save It to Your Inbox

We’ll email you the recipe so it’s easy to save, print, or share.

Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins

Chris Scheuer
What a winning combination! They rise up tall and high and are topped with a delicious buttery cinnamon crumble.
4.96 from 22 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 326

Ingredients
 
 

For the streusel topping:

  • 1 tablespoon cold butter
  • cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup finely chopped walnuts

For the muffins:

  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • cups all-purpose flour, you may need a bit more, if the batter is too wet
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • cups coarsely chopped peeled* apple

For the caramel icing:

  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  1. In a bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients. With your fingers, combine until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. and line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
  3. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda); set aside. In another bowl, combine the oil, brown sugar, and egg. Once combined, stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Gently mix in the apple*. If the batter seems to thin, add a tiny bit more flour. The batter should be fairly stiff. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups dividing it equally.
  5. Divide the streusel topping equally among the muffins.
  6. Lower the temperature to 350˚ F. and bake for 20-25 minutes. When the muffins are done, they will spring back when lightly pressed. Otherwise, test the muffins by inserting a toothpick. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove them and let cool for 15-20 minutes on a wire rack before drizzling with caramel icing.
  7. While muffins are baking, prepare drizzle mixture. Combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a medium size microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir well and return to microwave for 15 seconds.
  8. Add vanilla. While stirring, add powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. Mixture should drizzle easily, but should not be super 'runny". Add a bit more milk or powdered sugar to adjust thickness. Drizzle over cooled muffins.

Notes

* I like to leave about ½ cup of the apple unpeeled and reserve it. I stick these pieces into the batter after filling the muffin tins. It give the muffins a pretty look.
Adapted from The Best of BetterBaking by Marcy Goldman

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 118mgPotassium: 176mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 115IUVitamin C: 0.7mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 1.3mg
Course: Breakfast, Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine: American

Shop Our Café Loves

We’ve gathered our favorite kitchen tools, tableware, and entertaining treasures in one place, the Café Loves store. It’s a wonderful spot to find something special for yourself or the cooks and hosts you love!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a comment and star rating Do you have a cooking question? Leave your comment below and let me know how I can help. Did you love this recipe? Just click on the stars to leave a rating!




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

162 Comments

    1. Thanks for the great review, Heather! It's wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe and we appreciate you taking the time to let us know!

  1. Hello, ive made these many times and they are absolutely brilliant. I reduced the sugar because they are a bit too sweet.
    Could you tell me if I were to make these eggless what i could substitute with ? Would there be a noticeable difference ? Thankyou looking forward to your response!

    1. Hi Serena, so happy you've enjoyed this recipe and have adapted it to your taste - that's what baking and cooking are all about!
      Regarding your question, I haven't tested this recipe without eggs so I can really say. Plus, I have to admit, I'm not an expert at eggless baking!

  2. I have made this recipe multiple times and it taste amazing. Mine have never looked like the picture. They don't not rise tall. The streusel topping always melts away and sinks in. Any tips? I follow the above recipe to a T. Thanks!

    1. Hi Amanda, flour and butter can vary in moisture content. Regarding the muffins spreading, you can push the muffins back into shape with a spoon right when they come out of the oven. They are pretty flexible at that point. And I would add a 2-3 extra tablespoons of flour to the crumble to keep it from melting.

      1. 2 to 3 "extra" tablespoons? There is no flour in the crumble part of the recipe, should there be? I will definitely try this out the next time I make these.

        1. Hi Amanda, my mistake. I was thinking of another crumble recipe. Yes, you could add a little flour to this crumble to hold it together. I would start with 1 tablespoon.

  3. made these amazing muffins. They are not only delicious. They are a very beautiful presentation. Will definitely make again.

  4. I nearly didn't make these today - all these comments and it was a nuisance having to read all of them to finally find SOMEONE that actually made the recipe! I took a leap of faith and made them and they turned out really good despite a couple boo-boo's on my part lol. I should have had my glasses on because I thought the recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of sugar....and I completely forgot the vanilla. I did add some cinnamon though because I added in a cup of sliced apples. These turned out delicious and I can't wait to try them with other add ins as well

  5. I made these muffins today with my 10-year old granddaughter. We made some mistakes, but they were still absolutely delicious! I was short on brown sugar, so instead of 1 1/3 cups in the batter, I used 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of white sugar. I totally forgot the vanilla in the batter. Oops. I let her put the topping on top, and I cautioned her to start with a little to be sure she had enough, but that concept went over her head and she ran out long before she got it on all the muffins, so we had to dip some off and spoon it onto the others.

    I will definitely make this recipe again. I will add some cinnamon to the batter, though, and maybe bump up the amount of streusel for more topping. They are SO good despite our blunders. They will be AMAZING when I do it right. I am wondering, however, why the recipe says to preheat the oven to 400 degrees, but then lower the temperature to 350 degrees when you bake the muffins.

    1. Hi Lynn, so happy you enjoyed making these muffins with your granddaughter. You are passing on a wonderful legacy!
      Regarding your question, the higher heat helps to give the muffins a rising boost to start off with but they would get too brown if you kept the temperature that high.

      1. Do these muffins freeze well. I would like to make for a La the gathering and would need these made ahead of time. I’ve made them before and they are delicious.

  6. Hi, Chris! I am looking forward to making these for my sister’s baby shower this weekend! Could I substitute butter - melted or softened? Or even brown butter? Thank you for your help!

    1. Hi Camryn, you could make that sub although the oil makes the muffins really nice and moist - I'm a big butter fan but in this recipe, I really like the oil.

  7. Hello Chris,

    Can I make these the day before to serve for breakfast the following day? If so, how should I store them? If not and I freeze them do I just thaw them on the counter and then drizzle topping? These look so amazing!

    Thank you,
    Debbie

    1. Hi Debbie, you could store them on the counter under a glass cake dome or they freeze perfectly. You can thaw them on the counter and then warm them slightly in the microwave and then drizzle the topping. Hope you enjoy them!

  8. Do yourself a favour and make these muffins. They are amazing! My husband is diabetic so I don’t put the caramel icing on them. Even without it they are moist and light and utterly delicious.

  9. This recipe is delicious. I made them today in honor of my deceased husband's birthday to celebrate with two very special friends. The muffins were airy, light and full of flavor. We all agreed this was a keeper as we each ate two! My muffin tins are regulare size and the recipe made 22 nice full muffins. I definitely will be making these again.
    p.s. I may have posted this comment to the Apple Pie Muffins by mistake as I have not made those.

    1. Hi Jan, thanks so much, for taking the time to share this sweet comment. I'm sorry about your husband, I know this is a hard day for you. But I love that you baked a special treat to celebrate his birthday. I know he would have loved that! 💕
      You posted your comment in exactly the right place!

  10. Am planning to make these for family gathering and am wondering if I can freeze them before the icing. Then add the icing before serving.

  11. A quick Internet search for a recipe using apples and buttermilk brought me to your site for the first time. These muffins are melt-in-your-mouth delights. My husband heartily approves. He and I both cook. They are better than any similar item I've tried from a bakery. Like the blog, too.

  12. I made these and they are perfect! I had gotten away from baking muffins but was intrigued by this interesting recipe. The family loves them, thanks.

  13. These muffins cae out absolutely delicious! My only concern is that mine were completely flat! I followed the recipe exactly. My baking powder is brand new... What could I have done wrong?

    1. It's hard to say, Diana without being in the kitchen with you. A possibility is that our oven may not be as hot as it's registering. Muffins do need a nice blast of heat to get the rise going.

    2. Don't worry. If they are delicious they can be flat or even ugly looking I will be pleased to help eating them. Uhm!

  14. Hello!
    Love the muffins! They are delicious! They look like they came from a bakery and I received many compliments!
    When baking, do you use regular sized muffin tins, or the miniature? Seems when I made a few years ago I made them in miniature muffin pans, but don’t remember! Thank you!
    JPB

  15. I made these today using Spelt freshly ground flour. I didn't put the glaze.

    My husband LOVED them. I also gave some to people at school and to our great granddaughters teacher for Teacher Appreciation.

  16. these muffins are amazing my boyfriend said they are the best thing ive ever baked and that i have to make them for every family function. i am curious as to what makes them so unbelievably moist ?

    1. Hi Tamara, so happy you enjoyed them! I think it's the combination of buttermilk and apples that makes them so moist.

      1. That's awesome, Charlotte, that for sharing your results. I'm so happy to know you can use spelt flour in this recipe!

  17. I've been under the weather lately (would love to "thank" the person that passed this cold on to me lol) and I must be feeling better because I actually woke up hungry. I wasn't in the mood for the usual cereal or toast so I went to Pinterest and searched muffins. When I found your recipe I knew it was the one I wanted - and it helped that I actually had all the ingredients on hand lol. I only had one apple so I just made a half batch and got 6 huge muffins - which is a good amount for empty nesters lol. I have to admit I was a bit concerned at how dry the batter seemed to be until I stirred in the apples. Like magic it smoothed out nicely! They came out so light and fluffy and sooo yummy! Even without the struesel or glaze - next time I'll add those, today I just wanted a basic muffin. These are so good I can see myself making them over and over again. Thanks!

  18. These are absolutely amazing. Loved them so so much! Will save this recipe and send my followers your way!

  19. I made these, and they were so good I sent some to university with my son to share with his friends. They were such a hit one of them asked me to bake them for a catered event! Absolutely delicious!

  20. Made these the other day--they were wonderful...my husband's new favorite. Only changes I made were to add 1/2 C. walnuts to batter and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Thanks Penny, I'm happy you enjoyed them. Walnuts sound wonderful and I bet with the cinnamon they're wonderful!

  21. I made these today. They are wonderful. Moist and flavorful,the sauce over the top is great. I did make a mistake and accidentally put a cup of plain sugar instead of brown,so just a third of brown. But still turned out great. I will make these again and again. It's nice to know that you can add different fruit. I like the apple though. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.

    1. Thanks Sharon, they're pretty versatile and seem to always turn out great, so happy you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!

  22. these were the BEST muffins EVER!!
    they were so light and fluffy and delicious!!
    thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!

  23. I have already made this recipe twice this week, both times in a bundt cake pan! It always comes out tall and golden. Family and friends all now want the recipe. Greetings from Brazil 🙂

    1. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful idea! I'd love to know exactly how you did it Renata 🙂

  24. Umm! Ummm! Made these using honest to goodness real un-homoginised buttermilk that I buy at the farmer's market, thick and flavourful like the buttermilk of my childhood, not the thin excuse now sold in supermarkets! I will use this recipe as the base for all my fresh fruit muffins, with minor adjustment to showcase the whatever fruit I use... mango, papaya, pineapple, berries, whatever is in season here in Costa Rica. There is always an abundance of fresh produce year round. My husband is still licking his chops! As I served it with a fruit salad I did not use the caramel drizzle.

    1. Jocelyne, so good to hear from you! I would be a little pig in mud if I had all the fresh fruits you have down there! Enjoy!

  25. Perfect timing to stumble upon this recipe. Can't wait to get home tonight and use the remaining Macs I picked a week ago. Yum!!!

  26. Was looking for a recipe to use up some buttermilk and came across this recipe. So glad I did! Made a batch this afternoon and they turned out wonderfully. Will definitely be making them again, now that it is apple season.????

  27. After searching for just the right apple muffin recipe, I found this and baked them the other day. They are possibly the best muffins I have ever made. I followed the recipe exactly (not something I normally do), but it paid off. My husband took them to work and he had colleagues emailing him telling him how great they were. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    1. That's awesome Kendra, thanks so much for letting us know! Now you've got me wanting to make them again 🙂

  28. I just made these and love caramel and apples. They don't quite look like yours ????. They kinda spread. Should I have added more flour or refrigerated the dough? I did add some xtra flour let me you said but maybe not enough. And the crumble kinda made holes in the top while baking. I did refrigerate the crumble before I put it on the unbaked muffin.

    1. Hi Kimm,
      It's always hard to say. Ovens, altitudes and even flours vary a great deal. It does sound like you probably needed more flour. The crumble may have made holes because the batter was too loose. Again, I can't say for sure.

  29. OH MY GOOD-GOLLY,
    Here it is 5-22-16 and we here in Sparks NV woke up to 38 degrees , so what better to bake for Sunday breakfast than your crazy yummy muffins! Delicious a million times over!!!! THANK-YOU!

  30. Just baked these -- so good. I had a half cup flour ready to add if needed. Batter was a little thin so I used it to coat the apples. Also made 22 cupcakes -- next time I plan to add another small apple so hope to make 24 cupcakes. I used Granny Smith apples cut small and they did fine. I used caramel sweetened condensed milk -- it was too thin and it tasted more like butterscotch to me. Will use recipe icing next time. Also added 1 tsp cinnamon to batter.

  31. I tried these out and found that they didn't rise properly. I always mix my ingredients together first then gently fold in the baking powder last so you dont mix as much. My mother always said you put your baking powder last.

    1. Hi Caryn, so sorry you had trouble with these. I've baked for a zillion years and never heard to add the leavening agent last. It's so interesting to learn other's tips for cooking and baking. I haven't had any trouble with these rising though. They are always high and domed, not sure why you had this problem. Again, sorry.

  32. Hi! these look great!
    quick question, are they made with light or dark brown sugar?
    A quick reply will be appreciated.

  33. Great recipe! I tried them on my family...needless to say they didn't last long. I love to cook, but my son is my worst critic. Partly because his taste buds are still developing. But he devoured these! I had some trouble making the icing. I could not get rid of the gritty texture of the sugar. Any tips?

    1. Hi Cassie, I"m so happy you enjoyed them and that your son gave them the thumbs up! If the icing is gritty I would just add a bit more milk and microwave it longer - try 30 more seconds then stir really well.

  34. These look fantastic. I would love to make these for our church cafe but they would need to be made ahead and frozen . Do you think freezing and thawing them would affect the glaze, would it run off?

    1. Hi Pam, I think these would be fine frozen. They didn't last long enough at my house to freeze but I do freeze muffins like this all the time and they come out great. ENJOY!!

  35. Bum er, my oven must be running hot - mine came out basically done at 15 minutes and slightly burnt with 5 hi Ute's at 350. Too bad 🙁

  36. I have made these twice and they are amazing! The second time I was out of buttermilk and used skim milk and honestly you couldn't even tell. Thank you for sharing them. I also used honey crisp apples this time and braeburn last time. Both worked well.

    1. Oh thanks for letting me know, I'm so happy they turned out so well for you! That's good to know that you don't have to use buttermilk, thanks!

  37. Could you please tell me what kind of apples are best.Planning on making them in the morning.They look AMAZING.!!!!! Can't wait to taste them.

    1. Hi! I like to use Golden Delicious, Gala, Braeburn, Honey Crisp or Pink Lady when I make muffins. Any good baking apple that's not too firm. I love Granny Smith apples but not for these as their baking time is quite a bit longer. Hope that helps! Have fun!

  38. These came out delicious but didn't look nearly as pretty! I won't fill them to the brim next time- because my tops didn't puff up nicely, but rather spread all over. Only thing I changed was adding 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the batter and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Tasted yummy!

  39. I made these last night and they are fabulous!! I did have to add an extra 1/2 cup of flour for a total of 3 cups. The next time (and there will be many next times!), I won't fill the muffin cups quite to the top to keep them from spilling over the liners. Everyone in the family loved them, and I'm making them for a Girl Scout bake sale this weekend. The perfect fall treat!

    1. I'm so sorry about this. I'm going to make them again and make sure the measurements are correct. I did have one reader say she had to add 1/2 cup extra flour. I'll check it out.

  40. Thanks a lot for your answer. I didn't know it's the same as Bicarbonate de soude : I have that in my kitchen 😉 ! So, as soon as I will receive the "us spoons and cups" measures I've ordered, I will try many of your receipts !!! (It's too hard to convert the american measures made in cups and spoons...) and I will notice it on my blog (I will note the name of your blog of course !!) : http://lesmainsdanslafarine.com
    Have a nice day !

  41. I'm sorry but can you explain me what's exactly "baking soda", please ? I'm french, and I don't know this product here in France... 🙁

    1. Hi, thanks for visiting The Café, all the way from France!! I looked up baking soda and found that it is a big difficult to obtain in France but I did find this bit of information which I thought might help you.
      Bicarbonate is usually found near the salt in super markets and is your easiest substitute for baking soda. Not all supermarkets will carry it, however. You can also ask for Bicarbonate de Soudre in most pharmacies. You will not find it on the shelf, so just ask the pharmacist.

  42. I was so excited when I made them last night....unfortunately they came out burnt! I followed the directions to a tee....edges were burnt from something oozing out of the muffin! Could it have something to do with greaseproof muffin liners? I make cupcakes and muffins all the time and have never had this problem! Any advice?

    1. Gosh, I'm so sorry about this. I really don't know ............. as you can see from the photos, mine came out so wonderful. I was thrilled with the results. The recipe is from a cookbook author who has ran a bunch of bakeries and these muffins have been sell-out items every day. I feel bad that yours didn't turn out. Wish I had an answer for you ............ the only thing I can think of is that your oven might be hotter than mine ........?

    2. I would suggest double checking your oven temperature. It may be running high. Or, After you place them in the oven at 400 degrees, immediately reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. That way your muffin start baking closer to 350 degrees since the oven drops in temperature any time the oven door is open. 400 degrees may darken them especially in a dark pan as opposed to aluminum/light colored pan.

      I do not use muffin liners. A few bakers that did "studies" on it found out that muffins rise higher without the liners. I found this to be the case as well. And it's cheaper, too!

  43. I had just decided to make something apple this week when I saw this post~it must be fate!! I fell instantly in love with that gorgeous dripping nutty muffin! Thanks so much
    Jenna

  44. These photos are so beautiful, Chris, they make me want to get my Fall decorations out and fully embrace the soon to be here season.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

  45. Another one of your recipes that I'm printing as I'm commenting. These will appear on my table on the first chilly Saturday morning of fall. Thanks!

  46. These look just like they belong to a fancy bakery, the look incredible and I'm sure they taste that way too. Wishing you were my neighbor 🙂

  47. We're seeing good apples, too. But I'm resisting - still too much good summer fruit available. But in a few weeks I'll be craving apple anything, and this looks like it would be wonderful. Thanks for this.

  48. Oh my these are gorgeous! We LOVE apples at our house. I'd love to have you share this or any of your amazing posts at our weekly Super Saturday Link Party. It starts Friday's at 3pm, hope we see you there!
    (Please remember to add a link to Made From Pinterest at the end of your post!)
    Tracy

  49. Those look sensational and I have apple trees galore, so it's hard not to get into "fall mode". I still have a couple blogs for summer but, that's all she wrote 😉 Have a great weekend Chris!

  50. Chris, I can certainly relate to the "holding off on the fall recipes" - there are still so many fruits and berries and veggies available that it it hard not to cook and bake with them but these Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins just changed my mind - the first fresh apples have hit the markets around here, so your recipe will be the first apple recipe that I will try to bake this season. They look utterly delightful, Chris!
    Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend, dear Chris!

  51. Chris - my mouth is SERIOUSLY watering right now. These are a must make. Hope you have a great holiday weekend!!!

  52. Your have made some wonderful and yummy sweets but this looks and sounds so decadent and delicious.

  53. OMG these look sinful. I adore caramel apples so just the sound of these has me salivating. Nice recipe. I'll have to check out her cookbook.

  54. Absolutely drooooling over here, Chris! These are the kind of muffins that belong behind a beautiful glass bakery case... and in my mouth. Wonderful fall recipe!

  55. Not sure if our recipe is the same..will chec ..we had liked a lot..
    But your photos ..oustanding muffin pics!!

  56. I have apples in my kitchen so you're making me think that it's time to do more with them than just put them in Hubby's lunch. Since you took the plunge, I get to as well, right?

  57. These muffins look so phenomenal that makes me drool...Looking at the pictures makes me want having breakfast again...

    1. Oh, thanks Charlotte, I actually omitted the citrus and added the apples instead. I corrected the recipe. Thanks for being my "eyes" 🙂

  58. I am sooooooo drooling over these muffins! Wish my Husband would being me home apples! This is so perfect for the weekend!