There is no season quite like fall that inspires me to bake. The flavors of fall are perfect for baking and nothing demonstrates this better than these chai apple streusel muffins. These light and fluffy muffins are reminiscent of a chai latte, but the chunks of apple add texture and tartness.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Apples:
Any type of apple will work in this recipe. However, I recommend honey crisp, Granny Smith, or something with a bit of tartness. I find the apples have a better texture in the muffins if they are peeled first. This is not entirely necessary so if you’d like you can leave the peels on. I grate one apple because this ensures that there is more of the apple flavor throughout each bite of muffin. If you’d like to cube both apples that is fine as well.
Chai Concentrate:
I purchase my chai concentrate locally in Chicago from Freeman House Chai (if you can get your hands on it – it is thee best). However, any chai concentrate will work as long as it’s already sweetened. If it’s not sweetened the muffins will be a touch less sweet. Chai concentrate is NOT the same as brewed chai tea, so please make sure you are purchasing a product such as this chai or this chai before making this recipe.
Milk:
Many muffins rely on buttermilk to make them light and fluffy. I find that buttermilk is sometimes hard to find, so this recipe relies on what is essentially a quick buttermilk substitute. By combining a milk of choice with a tablespoon of lemon juice you get a similar result to that of adding buttermilk. I personally use almond milk for this recipe and it works wonderfully. Feel free to use any type of milk you like. If you love buttermilk or have it readily available then you can use that instead – just make sure to omit the lemon juice.
Chai Apple Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Browned butter
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chai concentrate
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 2 cups all purpose flour OR gluten free 1:1 flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 apples - peeled & cored 1 grated & 1 cubed
Streusel Topping (optional)
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour OR gluten free 1:1 flour
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 4 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a small sauce pan brown butter until bubbling and golden brown
- Add browned butter to a bowl with brown sugar and whisk well to incorporate
- Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each
- Add vanilla, chai concentrate, milk, and lemon juice and whisk well to combine
- Add cinnamon, allspice, and dry ingredients and whisk until combined being careful not to over-stir - a few lumps are okay
- Peel and core the apples
- Chop one apple into cubes and grate the other apple using a box grater, mandolin, or food processor
- Fold the apples into the batter
- Make your streusel by combining all the streusel ingredients until a crumbly mixture forms
- Line a muffin tin and scoop the batter into each tin
- Add the crumble topping to each muffin
- Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean