Fall Flavor Alert: use my favorite base recipe and add a few simple mix-ins and voila: fabulous fall muffins!

Caramel, apple, and streusel all combine beautifully for fall. Feel free to mix and match: I’ve done Cinnamon Apple muffins, Caramel Apple muffins, Caramel Apple Streusel muffins, Apple Streusel muffins, and Caramel Streusel muffins by combining these three options. Have fun!

*This recipe is based on a variation of my 6 Week Mix It Up Muffins. This recipe has been adapted to make fewer muffins (18) if you don’t want a full batch of base mix.

6 Week Mix It Up Muffins Base Ingredients – ¼ Recipe

  • 1 ¾ cups (slightly full) of Raisin Bran cereal
  • ¾  cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼  cups of flour
  • 1 ¼  tsp baking soda
  • ¼ – ½  tsp salt (depending on taste preference; I add ¼)
  • ½  tbsp cinnamon
  • ½ stick salted butter (¼ cup), melted and cooled OR ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ Tbsp vanilla (with a slight overpour)
  • 1 cup buttermilk *see Tricks, Tips, and Tweaks

Caramel Option Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp salted butter (room temperature)
  • ½ cup dark sugar (firmly packed)
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • Medium sauce pan, heatproof whisk
  • Takes 7 minutes to create; at least 15 minutes to cool

Apple Option Ingredients

  • 1 large apple, diced (optional to leave the skin on for flavor)
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • Cutting board, sharp knife, small prep bowl
  • Takes 2 minutes to prep ahead of time

Streusel Option Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 c whole wheat pastry flour (can substitute wheat or reg flour)
  • ½ c old fashioned oats
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Prep bowl
  • Takes 30 minutes for butter to come to room temp; 3-5 minutes to prep
caramel apple streusel muffins

Tools and Timing

  • The mix MUST chill at least 6 hours; in total, you’ll need about 7 hours to prep, chill, and bake these amazing muffins! About 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake, you’re your molten chocolate and your streusel. Once your molten chocolate mixture is setting in your fridge, preheat your oven to 400. Then, assemble your muffins and bake for 15-20 minutes for some spectacular muffins!
  • Muffin tin
  • Cooking spray (or muffin cup liners)
  • 3 Mixing bowls (with cover or plastic wrap for two); one should be heat-proof
  • Large wooden spoon or spatula (or mixing implement of your choice!)
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Space in your fridge for two bowls (muffin mix and molten chocolate mix)

Background

My mom has been making this base recipe for years! Seeing as it’s a family staple, and it’s so easy and fun to modify, I thought it would be the perfect base for a variety of Fall Flavor muffin recipes! Check out my 6 Week Mix It Up Muffins post for other great muffin recipe ideas!

Streusel adapted from  Half Baked Harvest

PS. If you love these muffins, check out my other Fall Flavors options!

  • pumpkin cream cheese streusel muffins
    Pumpkin Fall Muffin Options
  • orange cranberry streusel muffins with vanilla glaze
    Cranberry Orange Streusel Option

Step-by-Step: the Base Batter

  1. If using butter, cut into pats (1/2 inch pieces) and place in microwave safe bowl. Melt in 30 second increments, stirring after each interval. Once completely melted, set aside to cool. (If using oil, skip this step.)
  2. Crack egg into a bowl; whisk and set aside.
  3. In your very large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  4. Add cereal and mix carefully so as not to crush the bran flakes.
  5. Check your butter – once it’s room temperature, pour the cooled butter into the eggs. Add the vanilla (and slightly overpour – this is one of my life rules). Whisk all together.
  6. Pour egg mixture on top of cereal blend.
  7. Add the buttermilk and mix everything together using a large wooden spoon or spatula.
  8. Molten Streusel Customization step: if you really LOVE chocolate, mix in ½ cup of chocolate chips.
  9. Chill batter at least 6 hours before using!

About 30 minutes before Baking

*Set out butter for streusel to soften.

If using CARAMEL, make your caramel sauce:

See my easy directions for “Rich Vanilla Caramel Sauce.” Do this first so caramel can begin to cool.

If using, make the STREUSEL:

Blend sugar, wheat flour, oats, and cinnamon with a metal whisk. Then, using your fingers, incorporate the butter until you have “pieces” of streusel. (This is the fun part of making streusel – you squish the butter and the oat blend with your hands until the mixture looks like large crumbs!)

If using, prep your APPLES:

Wash and dry a medium or large apple. You may leave the skin on, as it adds fiber and flavor, but you may also peel your apple. Slice into wedges and dice into cubes about 1/3  inch by 1/3 inch.

To mix into batter:*About 1/3 of a large apple yields 1 cup of apple cubes, roughly speaking. For each muffin, you will need 3 cubes of apple to mix into the batter…so 1 cup of apple cubes should work for 12 muffins. Chop a few more cubes if necessary! Toss these with half of your cinnamon and two pinches of nutmeg (about 1/8 tsp).

To top your muffins: If you are using streusel, you will need 3 apple cubes for the top of your muffins…without streusel, I double the number of apple cubes on top of my muffin…so chop another 1/3 of your apple (or the entire thing) and toss with 1 (or 2) tsp of honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.

When Ready to Bake

Preheat oven to 400

  1. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray (or line with paper liners). Note: These muffins do not have a traditional “muffin top” so you only need to grease the cups and not the edges of the pan. For these muffins, I prefer making them without the liners as the firmer edges complement the streusel; however, if you put too much filling in, the muffin liners help hold the muffins together…so…your choice!
  2. Using a teaspoon, spoon about 1 tsp of muffin mix into the muffin cup. You only want enough to cover the bottom of the cup.
  3. Press 3 cinnamon/nitmeg apple cubes into batter; make sure they are in the batter and don’t have an edge sticking out!
  4. Carefully place another tsp or so of batter on top of apples; your muffin cup should be about 2/3 full.
  5. Spoon honey cinnamon cubes on top (if using streusel, leave room).
  6. If using, sprinkle the top with streusel. Careful not to overfill or the streusel will spill over and burn. The cup should just be full when everything is assembled.
  7. Bake 15-20 minutes (apple muffins may take a bit longer due to the increased moisture, so if you’re using various flavor options for one batch, watch these!).
  8. Remove from oven (if you didn’t use paper liners, let muffins sit in muffin pan for 5 additional minutes).
  9. If using, drizzle with caramel right before serving.

Serve and Enjoy

PS. If you have a few leftover muffins, store them in a Tupperware. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, microwave them for 30 seconds and serve!

There are so many flavor options that you can do with this muffin recipe: pictured here are chocolate molten streusel, orange cranberry, pineapple mango, coconut pineapple mango, orange chocolate chunk, and streusel muffins.

Remember, for more mix it up options, check out the base recipe. Have fun!

Tricks, Tips, and Tweaks

*If you need to make fewer muffins, fill the empty muffin spots 2/3 full of water. This will ensure that your muffins cook correctly!

**Get to know your oven: every oven cooks differently…for instance, my oven takes exactly 17 minutes to cook these.

***Make your own buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk (google it – it’s very easy!)