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Enjoy baking a single serving Apple Muffin with a buttery streusel topping, a perfectly portioned treat that’s bursting with flavor. Experience the unique satisfaction of baking just the right amount, with a warm, cozy apple muffin made for one. This recipe is ideal if you’re craving a personal treat without the need to bake a whole batch.
Are you looking for more single serving muffin recipes? Try our tasty selection: juicy Blueberry Muffin, rich Maple Walnut Muffin, decadent Chocolate Chip Muffin, and moist Banana Bread.
For those who need a recipe that makes a few more than one muffin, but not a large batch, our Banana Muffins, Corn Muffins, and Morning Glory Muffins are perfect choices!
Why You’ll Love This Apple Muffin Recipe
- Simplicity: With simple steps, this recipe takes the guesswork out of baking.
- Quick Prep: No need for special equipment; just your ingredients and a ramekin.
- Tailored For You: Perfectly portioned for a single serve indulgence.
- Minimal Waste: Say goodbye to excess muffins. Bake just what you need.
RELATED: Apple Recipes For One
Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the go-to for this apple muffin recipe due to its moderate protein content, which makes for a balanced texture. If you’re aiming for a gluten-free muffin, switch to a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Baking powder: This leavening agent is key for making your muffin rise and achieve that classic dome shape.
- Ground cinnamon, vanilla, and salt: These ingredients work in unison to infuse your muffin with rich, comforting flavors.
- Brown sugar: Both light and dark brown sugar work well here. If you’re out of brown sugar, check out our brown sugar recipe. The molasses in brown sugar not only adds moisture to the muffins but is also an essential ingredient in the cinnamon streusel topping.
- Butter: Double-duty butter! It’s responsible for both the muffin’s moistness and its delicate crumb texture, and it’s also a must-have for the streusel topping.
- An egg yolk: One yolk provides the necessary structure to your muffin. Don’t toss the white; use it in one of our many egg white recipes like Meringues, a mini Texas Sheet Cake, or Coconut Macaroons.
- Milk: The recipe calls for 1% milk, but feel free to use skim, whole, 2%, or even dairy-free milk options to suit your preferences.
- Apple: One small apple is all it takes. Choose your favorite variety to make this muffin truly your own. Got an extra apple? Use it in a mini Apple Cake, Apple Pie Oatmeal, or Apple Cobbler!
- Pecans: Chopped pecans add a delightful crunch, but if you’re not a fan, you can opt for chopped walnuts or even skip the nuts altogether. Extra pecans or walnuts can be used in a mini Pecan Pie, a small bowl of Ambrosia, and a small batch of Carrot Cake Cupcakes.
If you have any ingredients leftover from this apple muffin recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Recipe Variations
Got the basics down and looking to experiment a little? These recipe variations allow you to play around while keeping the soul of the original apple muffin intact.
- Nut-Free Apple Muffin: If you’re not a fan of pecans or have a nut allergy, you can easily omit them. Consider adding an equal amount of oats as a topping for that crunchy texture.
- Fruit Muffin: Swap out the apple for an equal amount of diced pears or even a mix of berries for a fruity twist.
- Spiced Apple Muffin: If you’re in the mood for a more spice-filled muffin, add a dash of ground cloves or cardamom along with the cinnamon.
How To Make One Apple Muffin
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a single serve apple muffin. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat the oven to 400° F (200° C).
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, an egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the diced apples and chopped pecans.
- Transfer the batter to a lightly buttered 10-ounce ramekin.
- Make the topping by combining flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecans, and softened butter in a small bowl until crumbly.
- Pour the streusel topping over the muffin batter and spread evenly over the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack and enjoy warm.
RELATED: 20 Breakfast Recipes For One
Expert Tips
- Before you start cooking, make sure to read the entire recipe, including the Ingredient Notes section, and examine the process photos. This detailed guide will help you understand how the recipe unfolds, ensuring your apple muffin turns out perfect every time. All the information you need is found within the body of this recipe post, so don’t miss a thing!
- Choose the Right Baking Dish: The recipe’s success hinges on the correct baking dish. Opt for a 10-ounce ramekin that has a 4-inch diameter and a height of around 1 ¾ inches. Using a larger dish will thin out the batter, reducing cooking time, while a smaller dish will result in a thicker muffin that may need longer in the oven.
- Use a Rimmed Baking Sheet: To prevent any messy spills, place your ramekin on a rimmed baking sheet before popping it into the oven.
- Avoid Overmixing: Stir your batter just enough to combine the ingredients. Overmixing can lead to a tougher muffin texture.
- Accurate Flour Measurement is Key: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup until it overflows, then level it off using the flat edge of a kitchen knife. This ensures you’re using the exact amount needed for a perfect muffin.
Serving Suggestions
When you’ve got a mouthwatering single serving apple muffin fresh out of the oven, you might be wondering how to make the moment even more special. Here are a few serving suggestions that elevate this treat to the next level:
- Beverage: Pair with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
- Yogurt: Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or whipped cream.
- Drizzle: Top with caramel or honey for extra sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions
We can’t stress enough how vital the right ramekin size is for this recipe. Opt for a 10-ounce ramekin with a 4-inch diameter and a height around 1 ¾ inches. If your ramekin doesn’t specify its size, measure its capacity by filling it with water and then transferring it to a measuring cup. If your ramekins are smaller, divide the batter evenly between them. Check our Store page for our go-to baking dishes.
Choose your favorite baking apple variety. Personally, I recommend Gala, Rome, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp.
The choice is yours, but I usually peel the apple before dicing it into the batter.
The muffin stays fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature when covered or up to a week if refrigerated.
Absolutely! Berries or diced pears make excellent substitutes.
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
A Note on Calories…
The nutritional details provided in the recipe box are estimated using an online calculator.
This recipe produces a sizable apple muffin, baked in a 10-ounce ramekin. It’s bigger than your average muffin and can be savored all at once or over a few days.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
Examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen can be found on our Store page.
RELATED: Easy Recipes For Beginners
If you’ve tried this apple muffin or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating it and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Apple Muffin For One
Equipment
Ingredients
For the muffin
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter , melted
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup diced apples
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
For the topping
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon butter , softened
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400° F (200° C).
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the diced apples and chopped pecans.
- Transfer the batter to a lightly buttered 10-ounce ramekin.
Make the topping
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecans, and softened butter in a small bowl until crumbly.
- Pour the streusel topping over the muffin batter and spread evenly over the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack and enjoy warm.
Notes
- Before you start cooking, make sure to read the entire recipe, including the Ingredient Notes section, and examine the process photos. This detailed guide will help you understand how the recipe unfolds, ensuring your apple muffin turns out perfect every time. All the information you need is found within the body of this recipe post, so don’t miss a thing!
- Choose the Right Baking Dish: The recipe’s success hinges on the correct baking dish. Opt for a 10-ounce ramekin that has a 4-inch diameter and a height of around 1 ¾ inches. Using a larger dish will thin out the batter, reducing cooking time, while a smaller dish will result in a thicker muffin that may need longer in the oven.
- Use a Rimmed Baking Sheet: To prevent any messy spills, place your ramekin on a rimmed baking sheet before popping it into the oven.
- Avoid Overmixing: Stir your batter just enough to combine the ingredients. Overmixing can lead to a tougher muffin texture.
- Accurate Flour Measurement is Key: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup until it overflows, then level it off using the flat edge of a kitchen knife. This ensures you’re using the exact amount needed for a perfect muffin.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Delicious! I used half ground oatmeal for the flour, coconut oil and baked in three silicone jumbo cupcake liners. It was delicate, but I ate it with a fork and it was outstanding!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the muffin. Thank you so much for your feedback.
I tried it and we loved these. I subbed olive oil for the butter and equal parts rolled oats for the flour as I was trying to pack in a bit more nutrition. Threw the oats and the rest of the ingredients in the food processor and it came out moist and delicious!
Thank you for a great recipe!
The top of the recipe says Cook Time 15 minutes, however in the directions it says Cook for 25 minutes?
Bake for 25 minutes.
This made four regular-sized muffins. It is the best apple muffin I have ever eaten. Next time I will double the recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the muffins, thank you.
Hi, I happen to look for easy muffins. I found this one enjoy make them – easy. Gave a try I was happy did thanks
Mine just came out of the oven. It made 3 big ones. One for me two for the hubs. His will have a little bit of glaze icing on them. Excited to try them.
I made for breakfast today. It made 2 regular size muffins and a mini. Delicious! A tender crumb with much flavor. Even though I do cook for one, I still cook big because I need leftovers. No time to cook daily. Life can be demanding. But sometimes I do just want a little of something. So, this is so nice to have options.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi, as a single mom of a growing boy, most of the recipes out there are too mich. With you recipes I am able to double it and then there are no leftovers that end up wasted. The first thing I made was this muffin and we loved it. The meals are the right size him to have homemade hot lunches at school. Thank you so much ❤️😊💕
Hi Heather,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I’m so happy that you and your son are enjoying the recipes – your comment truly made my day.
Have a wonderful week!
Joanie
I love using ramekins for recipes! This looks wonderful. My husband loves apples and since it is just him and I now at home, I am thankful to find your recipes “for one”…what a great idea. Thanks!
Joanie, I have recently discovered your website and I absolutely love it! I just made this and it was amazing! I have also made your pumpkin coffee cake and that was delicious too! Do you think you could develop a recipe for a single serve almond poppy seed muffin? Thank you!
Hi Rachel,
Your comment made my day! I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes, thank you so much for letting me know. I don’t have an almond poppy seed muffin but thank you for the suggestion. That would be a great recipe to work on. In the meantime, we do have a lemon poppy seed scone recipe. If you’re interested, here is the link – https://onedishkitchen.com/small-batch-lemon-poppy-seed-scones/
Joanie
Those look delicious! I will have to try them! Thank you so much for these amazing recipes!
Delicious!
Hi, I just discovered your website and I like it. We are empty nesters, so it is nice to make smaller portions. I have a question, can’t you put in the whole egg? Why just the yolk? Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Hi Ingrid,
Welcome! I’m glad you found us and hope you enjoy the recipes. I only use one egg yolk because the recipe doesn’t work using the entire egg :). I have updated the article to include recipes that you can use the leftover egg white in. Have a wonderful weekend!