Apricot Muffins Recipe

These apricot muffins are made with chopped dried apricots, buttermilk, and a mix of butter and oil. They bake up moist and a little chewy, with bits of soft apricot throughout. They take about 40 minutes and make 12 muffins.

The dried apricots get a quick soak in boiling water for 5 minutes first. That softens them so they turn tender in the batter instead of staying tough. Drain them well before stirring them in.

Using both butter and oil keeps these moist. Butter brings the flavor, oil keeps the crumb soft for days. Stir the batter until just blended and leave the lumps. Overmixing is what makes muffins dense and tough.

Apricot Muffins Recipe

Author: Hamdi Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Summer Desserts

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

These apricot muffins fold soft dried apricots into a buttermilk batter made with butter and oil, baking up moist, chewy, and tender.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 3/4 cup white sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 cup melted butter
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 cup buttermilk
  
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line it with paper liners. Place the apricots in a small bowl and pour 1 cup of boiling water over them. Let stand for 5 minutes.
   
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, oil, buttermilk, and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just blended; some lumps are fine. Drain the apricots and discard the water. Mix the apricots into the batter, then spoon it into the prepared muffin cups.
   
3. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack.

FAQs

Why do I soak the dried apricots first

Pouring boiling water over them for 5 minutes softens them so they turn tender in the batter. Skip it and the apricot pieces stay chewy and firm after baking. Drain them well so the extra water doesn’t thin the batter.

Why does this recipe use both butter and oil?

Butter gives the muffins flavor, and oil keeps the crumb moist for several days. Using both means you get the taste of butter without the muffins drying out as fast.

Why shouldn’t I overmix the batter?

Stirring too much develops the gluten, which makes muffins dense and tough. Mix just until the flour disappears and leave the lumps. They bake out fine.

Can I add other dried fruit?

Yes. A 1/2 cup of chopped dates works well alongside the apricots. Keep the total amount of dried fruit about the same so the batter stays balanced.

Can I use a different form of apricot in these?

This recipe is built for dried apricots, since fresh ones add too much moisture to the batter. If you have extra dried apricots, they also make my Dried Apricot Jam, and that jam fills the centers of my Apricot Cookies Recipe.