These easy apple and blackberry muffins are soft, moist, and packed with juicy blackberries and small pieces of tart Bramley apple. A little cinnamon adds warmth, while natural yogurt helps keep the crumb lovely and tender. You might also like my blackberry & apple crumble recipe!
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Quick Summary - Apple Blackberry Muffins
I've tested the muffins with both fresh and frozen blackberries, and I didn't notice any significant difference in the finished muffins or their baking time. If I'm using frozen berries, I add them straight from the freezer rather than defrosting them first. Beth (Effortless Foodie)
🕒 Ready In: 28 minutes
👪 Serves: 12
🍽 Calories: 203
🥣 Main Ingredients: Bramley apple, blackberries, plain flour, caster sugar, natural yogurt, eggs, butter, bicarbonate of soda, and cinnamon.
👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy
👌 Why this recipe? These apple and blackberry muffins are a delicious way to make the most of seasonal fruit, combining tart pieces of Bramley apple with juicy blackberries in a soft, moist cinnamon-spiced muffin.
Summarise & Save This Content On
I make these muffins during blackberry season using berries foraged from the blackberry bushes in the field behind my house, but I've also tested the recipe with frozen blackberries and they work just as well. There's no need to defrost them first, and I haven't noticed any significant difference in the texture or baking time.
The muffins take just 10 minutes to prepare and 16-18 minutes to bake, making them an easy way to use up seasonal apples and blackberries.
Love muffins? Try my easy blueberry and white chocolate muffins, lemon blackberry muffins, and apple cinnamon muffins.
Jump to:
- Quick Summary - Apple Blackberry Muffins
- Why you'll love this apple and blackberry muffin recipe!
- Ingredient notes
- Why I use Bramley apples
- Need to substitute an ingredient?
- Variations
- Make it even better
- How to make apple and blackberry muffins
- Top Tips
- Serving suggestions
- Storage
- Troubleshooting guide
- Apple & Blackberry Muffins FAQs
- More apple & blackberry recipes
- More muffin recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why you'll love this apple and blackberry muffin recipe!
- Ready in under 30 minutes - the batter takes around 10 minutes to prepare.
- Fresh or frozen blackberries - I've tested both, and frozen berries can be used straight from the freezer.
- Tart Bramley apple - its sharp flavour works brilliantly with the sweet muffin batter and juicy blackberries.
- Soft and moist - natural yogurt and melted butter help give the muffins a tender texture.
- Easy muffin method - no mixer is needed; just two bowls and a wooden spoon.
- Great for blackberry season - perfect if you've been blackberry picking and need an easy recipe for your haul.
- Freezer-friendly - handy for lunchboxes, snacks, and quick breakfasts.
Ingredient notes
A full ingredients list along with Metric and US Customary measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Plain flour (all-purpose flour) - forms the base of the muffin batter.
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) - reacts with the yogurt to help the muffins rise. Make sure yours is fresh for the best results.
Caster sugar (superfine sugar) - sweetens the muffins without overpowering the tart fruit. Regular granulated sugar can be used if superfine sugar isn't readily available.
Ground cinnamon - adds gentle warmth and works particularly well with both apple and blackberry.
Natural yogurt (plain yogurt) - adds moisture and helps create the soft muffin texture.
Eggs - use large eggs at room temperature if possible.
Butter - melted and allowed to cool slightly before being mixed with the other wet ingredients.
Bramley apple - I use one Bramley cooking apple weighing approximately 220g (8 oz) before peeling and coring. Peel, core, and chop it into roughly 1cm (⅜-inch) dice.
Blackberries - fresh or frozen both work well. I've tested the recipe with both and haven't found a noticeable difference in the finished muffins. There's no need to thaw frozen blackberries first.
Why I use Bramley apples
I use Bramley cooking apples for these blackberry and apple muffins because their naturally tart flavour provides a lovely contrast to the sweet muffin batter and ripe blackberries.
Bramleys also soften beautifully when baked. Cutting the apple into small dice means you still get noticeable pieces of tender apple throughout the muffin without making the batter excessively wet.
I've tested grated Bramley too, but I prefer diced apple because grating releases considerably more moisture.
Bramley apples aren't as widely available in the United States. A tart, firm cooking apple such as Granny Smith would be the closest readily available alternative.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
Variations
- Flavour the muffins with orange zest, lemon zest, or vanilla extract instead of cinnamon.
- Sprinkle a crumble topping (or oat streusel topping) over the muffins before baking.
- Use apple sauce or stewed apples instead of chopped Bramley apples.
- Swap the yogurt for sour cream.
- Use different berries. Raspberries or blueberries work well.
Make it even better
Add more protein: Serve a muffin with Greek yogurt and a spoonful of nut butter for a more filling breakfast or snack.
Add more fibre: Replace a small amount of the plain flour (all-purpose flour) with wholemeal flour (whole wheat flour), or stir 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed into the dry ingredients.
Use less sugar: If you prefer less-sweet muffins, you can experiment with reducing the caster sugar (superfine sugar) slightly. The Bramley apple and blackberries are naturally tart, though, so I wouldn't reduce it too drastically.
Add healthy fats: Stir a handful of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds through the batter. They add extra texture as well as unsaturated fats, fibre, and protein.
How to make apple and blackberry muffins
Prep: Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / 375°F and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
One: Place the plain flour (all-purpose flour), bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), caster sugar (superfine sugar), and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Two: In a separate jug or bowl, whisk together the natural yogurt (plain yogurt), eggs, and melted butter.
Three: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix until they are just combined. Don't beat the batter or continue mixing until completely smooth. A few small lumps are absolutely fine and will help keep the muffins soft.
Four: Gently fold in the diced Bramley apple and blackberries.
Five: Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cases. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the muffins are risen and a skewer inserted into the cake part of a muffin comes out without wet batter.
Remember that if you insert the skewer directly into a blackberry, it may look wet even when the muffin itself is cooked.
Top Tips
- For a high domed muffin, preheat the oven to 20 degrees ABOVE the specified temperature in the recipe card. As soon as you put the muffins in the oven, turn it back down. The high heat will help the raising agent to start working.
- Chop the apple into small pieces (about 1cm dice). The muffins will hold together better if the apple pieces are on the smaller side.
- Use frozen blackberries straight from the freezer. There's no need to thaw them.
- Don't overmix. Stop as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Overmixing can produce dense or tough muffins.
- Sprinkle a little demerara sugar (turbinado sugar) over the tops of the muffins just before baking. It gives them a lightly crunchy bakery-style top that contrasts nicely with the soft, moist centre.
Serving suggestions
Serve the muffins as an after-school snack, pack them into lunchboxes, or take on picnics.
You could also serve the apple and blackberry muffins for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of maple syrup.
Storage
Store - Allow the muffins to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. They're best eaten within 3 days.
Because these are moist fruit muffins, make sure they're completely cool before putting the lid on the container. Storing them while they're still warm can create condensation.
Freeze - The apple and blackberry muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Troubleshooting guide
Why are my muffins dense?
The batter has probably been overmixed. Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix only until everything is just combined. Muffin batter doesn't need to be perfectly smooth.
Why are my apple and blackberry muffins wet inside?
Both apples and blackberries contain plenty of moisture, so avoid using grated apple. I've tested grated Bramley in this recipe and find that small diced pieces work much better.
Also check that you're testing the actual muffin crumb for doneness rather than inserting the skewer directly into a juicy blackberry.
Why have my blackberries broken up?
Blackberries are delicate, particularly when very ripe. Fold them through the batter gently and only after the rest of the batter has been combined.
Can frozen blackberries make the muffins soggy?
I've tested these muffins with both fresh and frozen blackberries and haven't noticed a significant difference in the finished texture. Add frozen blackberries directly to the batter without defrosting them.
Why didn't my muffins rise?
Check that your bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) is still fresh, don't overmix the batter, and bake the muffins soon after combining the wet and dry ingredients.
Apple & Blackberry Muffins FAQs
Yes. I've tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen blackberries and haven't noticed any significant difference in the finished muffins. Use frozen blackberries straight from the freezer without thawing them first.
For this recipe, chopped apple works best. I've tested the Bramley grated and diced, and grated apple adds more moisture to the batter. I recommend peeling and chopping the apple into approximately 1cm (⅜-inch) dice.
Yes. I peel and core the Bramley before cutting it into small dice. This gives the muffins a softer texture without pieces of apple skin.
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Recipe
Easy Apple and Blackberry Muffins
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 140 g Caster Sugar
- 200 g Plain Flour
- 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 100 ml Plain Yogurt
- 2 Eggs large
- 140 g Butter melted
- 1 Bramley Apple (approx 220g before peeling and coring) peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm dice
- 100 g Blackberries
- 1 tablespoon Icing Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°c (170fan/ Gas 5/ 375F) and line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
- Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl.140 g Caster Sugar, 200 g Plain Flour, 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a large jug and gently mix them into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.100 ml Plain Yogurt, 2 Eggs, 140 g Butter
- Fold the chopped apple and blackberries through the muffin batter.1 Bramley Apple, 100 g Blackberries
- Divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin cases. Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes until cooked. Dust with icing sugar once cool.1 tablespoon Icing Sugar
Notes
- Bramley apple: I use one Bramley cooking apple weighing approximately 220 g / 8 oz before peeling and coring. I've only tested this recipe with Bramley apples.
- US apple substitute: If Bramley apples aren't available, Granny Smith would be my suggested US substitute because of its tart flavour and firm texture. I haven't tested this substitution in this particular recipe.
- Dice rather than grate: I've tested both methods and 1 cm / ⅜-inch diced apple works best. Grated Bramley releases more moisture and makes the muffin batter wetter.
- Fresh or frozen blackberries: I've tested both and haven't noticed any significant difference in the finished muffins or baking time. Add frozen blackberries straight from the freezer.
- Don't overmix: Fold the wet and dry ingredients together only until combined. Overmixing can make muffins dense and tough.
- Checking for doneness: Insert a skewer into the cake rather than a blackberry. A skewer pushed through the fruit may look wet even when the muffin is fully baked.
- For taller muffin tops: Preheat the oven to 210°C / 190°C fan / 410°F, then immediately reduce it to 190°C / 170°C fan / 375°F when the muffins go into the oven.
- Storage: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze completely cooled muffins for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
George says
Absolutely love these muffins!! Love not having to use oil too!
Will be trying out this same recipe but using the berries for a homemade jam & using it as a blackberry centre filling!
10/10 from me!
Tara says
So delicious! And great to find a muffin recipe that doesn't use oil - I can always taste it and it put me off making them. Thank you!
Carrie says
Muffins turned out tender and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Shadi says
Love how easy this recipe is. Can’t wait to try it this weekend.thank you for the recipe!
Beth says
I love all the fruity goodness in this recipe. I'm so excited to give this one a try.
Carrie Robinson says
Such a perfect combination of summer and fall flavors! A great breakfast idea for back to school. 🙂
Chris says
Our kids look forward to picking blackberries every year and this recipe is definitely going into the regular lineup. So good! Thanks!