Apple Brown Butter Bouchons (aka Apple Donut Muffins ) are very easy to make and oh so delicious! Baked instead of fried, they are brushed in browned butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Simply the Best!
I pray this winter be gentle and kind–a season of rest from the wheel of the mind. –John Geddes
Here’s a simple delicious recipe for Apple Brown Butter Bouchons. You may know these as “Donut Muffins” -a cross between a donut and a muffin, and baked rather than fried. Once they are baked, they brushed with brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
These are basically apple muffins that taste like donuts! Or… apple donut muffins.
They are good with morning coffee or served as dessert. I call them “bouchons” because I used a bouchon mold instead of a muffin tin.
Plus it is just WAY more fun to say…. bouchooooooon! 😉
What is a Bouchon?
Bouchon means “cork” in French- and the Bouchon molds are tall and skinny, basically cork-shaped, hence the name!
But know that a muffin tin will work great too.
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting the Hansen family- founders of Hansen’s Green Bluff Orchard. They have been growing apples in Green Bluff for over 30 years. How connected they are to the earth and its cycles, how rooted and grounded their beings are.
A life spent outside growing, in this case, amazing apples, seems to grow amazing people too. I was touched by their genuineness, their vibrancy, their wisdom and humility.
I left feeling inspired by them and their creative expression of life, and have thought much about them this week. Somehow the simple lessons they shared in apple growing, were strangely applicable to life in general.
How every apple has a variety of different seeds, and each seed will produce a different type of apple tree. Kind of like children. 😉
But the one thing they said that I can’t stop thinking about, is that one of the most important parts of the growing cycle is the long winter’s rest.
I don’t know about you, but I needed to hear that when I did. Don’t we all need that from time to time?
A period to go inward, and be still, and just listen, cocooning for a time, in order to connect with who we really are, so that come spring we can emerge refreshed and renewed, and in alignment with our true selves, creating a life out of this place?
I know I do.
Anyways… I hope you enjoy a time of rest and these apple donut muffins!
They are very easy to make. If you like the “cork” shape of these – get a bouchon mold and play around with it! So much fun!
After they are baked in the oven and popped out of the mold, roll them in warm browned butter and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
It’s seriously impossible to have just one. 😉
happy baking!
PS. You may also enjoy this recipe for Chocolate Bouchons
Apple Brown Butter Bouchons
Apple Brown Butter Bouchons (aka Donut Muffins! ) are very easy to make and oh so delicious! Baked instead of fried, they are rolled in browned butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 8-10
- Category: dessert
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 large apple- diced small (honey crisp, empire, pink lady)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1¾ cups Flour
- 1½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅓ cup olive oil (light is best)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large Egg
- ¾ cup Milk (or nut milk)
Brown Butter topping
- ¼ cup Butter
- ⅓ cup White Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat butter in a medium skillet and add diced apples. Saute on med heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg and milk.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir only to combine. Fold in apples.
- Pour into greased Bouchon molds or cupcake or muffin tins.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- For the topping, brown the butter over medium heat in a small pot until golden brown, nutty and fragrant. Combine sugar and cinnamon in bowl.
- Shake Bouchons or muffins out of the tins while still hot.
- Dip or brush muffins tops and sides with brown butter, then roll into the sugar-cinnamon mix.
- Let cool.
Notes
I use this bouchon mold.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 308
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 134.2 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.9 g
- Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 3.7 g
- Cholesterol: 34.2 mg
Keywords: apple donuts, donut muffins, bouchons, bouchon recipe, apple bourbons, don't muffin recipe
These are so delicious! Perfect for apple season. I’m adding some cardamom too this time.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed these Nikki! Love the idea of cardamom!
Oh my goodness where do I start … the flavour of a donut in a muffin … genius ! Made a batch yesterday and they were all eaten within the day … easy recipe to follow and turned out exactly as I’d hoped using a muffin tray … thank you !
★★★★★
Thanks so much Maria- glad you enjoyed!
You are right….you can’t stop eating just one. Very easy and quick dessert and with the addition of apple stay moist the next day. Can’t wait to enjoy one with my morning coffee!
Glad yo uliked it Lois!
wow i love it.
★★★★★
Definitely a must try! Light, sweet and we love the addition of apple. I used a small muffin tin for baking.
★★★★★
The only Baba Recipe i found on the internet! Made them in a large muffin metal mold and they turned out looking and tasting close enough to the ones at Second Up so my daughter to loves them!
Hi Sylvia, I am wondering what “1 T butter” stands for. Im not familiar with that measurement. Thank you.
Tablespoon! I updated the recipe! Let me know how you liked these… curious!
I am rating this recipe 4 stars for ease of completion and taste but there have been issues with baking times. I used small size silicone 8 hole baba pans and was able to get 12 bouchon. However the first time after removing the cakes after 20 minutes they were not fully baked. The second time I baked the batch of 12 for 30 minutes which seemed to be fine. Wondering if the silicone pans we’re what required the longer cooking time. Stove temperature did not seem to be the issue
★★★★
I’m wondering if these could be adapted to use fresh cranberries in place of, or in addition to, the apples. Would I need to add more sugar to the muffin recipe?
Thanks!
I think it sounds great! Yes, perhaps a bit more sugar?
Will these freeze well??
That is a great question Melissa, and I have no idea! Never tried freezing them. Im sorry…no help at all!. If you do try, would you let me know what you think?
I am curious as to the bouchon pan you used, is it silicone or metal? I have considered WS silicone or the Nordicware metal.
I have both kinds…I think I used metal for this though.
Thank you! I generally am not a big fan of baking in silicone so i need to purchase the actual bouchone baking pan, I do have a nice popover pan but I like that the bouchon pan doesn’t have a bit of tapering which makes these muffins so beautiful!
Sorry – this is the recipe I was referring to. Please see prior comment on the chocolate bouchons. Would you mind if I rework for allergy-friendly and post the link to the original recipe (you)? Thanks!
Please feel free to use!
These are great. I’m glad that you visited San Francisco, as its where I live and I love it!!
I love this so much.
Great photos! Cannot wait to try this 🙂
These little bouchons look absolutely gorgeous – wonderful photos.
Wow what a truly inspiring post; I am so glad (for more than one reason) that I have found your blog. Your words have solidified a lot of what I have been feeling. Good food and Soul searching is great mix for me; looks like you’ve found yourself a new loyal follower. Have a beautiful day!
Hi! I highly recommend you to check out askmonicaberg.com it’s a truly remarkable woman and believe me, it will help you connect to your soul!
The trip sounds like a very nice one. A lovely post. Hope SF was nice.
The apple pictures are beautiful.
Thanks Asha, SF was totally inspiring and full of amazing food!!
Such a lovely post. I do feel that way, and I sometimes find it hard to readjust. I think that’s why I bake. It’s satisfying and honest and I made it and other people enjoy it, and it makes me feel good. Bouchons are about the cutest thing, I think. And these look so good!
I’ve been enjoying your posts as well!
These sound fabulous!!
Beautiful post. Glad you were able to take some time to re-find your balance. It’s remarkable how coming back to base and to purity can be so fulfilling. Less expands to more. I also relate to your expression of creating and sharing food. Really beautiful. Thanks! and the apple bouchons look scrumptious!
Thanks Gail!
Wow, Sylvia! These photos are amazing! Such beautiful apples. Yum!