Apple Crumb Muffins

Tender, moist, and super flavorful, these apple cinnamon muffins are topped with a crunchy, buttery streusel.

Before I started this blog, most of my baking contained at least one of these ingredients: chocolate, banana, caramel, peanut butter, cinnamon, or Nutella. And if you’ve been following my blog, then you know that not much has changed. 😉

Seriously, though, ever since I began blogging, I’ve been baking pretty often (does every day count as pretty often?), and I easily get bored of making the same things or using the same ingredients. Today, for example, I can barely recognize myself – I’m not craving chocolate. Instead, I want something fruity and full of spice, so apples sounded just right for today’s dessert.

These moist, fluffy muffins are full of cinnamon and apples. The buttery crumbs on top are the best part as they give a nice crunchy contrast to the tender bread. My friend taste-tasted them, and you should have seen the look at her face! I think she liked them. 🙂

The muffins are made using the muffin method, which is probably the easiest method to make a baked good. Mix all of the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another bowl, and then combine the two together and fold in the apples. It’s very important not to over mix the batter to keep the muffins as light as possible. Once all ingredients are combined, the batter will look lumpy and that’s perfectly fine.

The apples in these muffins are cut into very small cubes, around ¼-inch. That way, they become soft during the short time they are baked. If you prefer crunchier bites of apple, you can slice them larger. You can also cut them into various sizes to give different textures throughout.

To make the streusel, pulse all of the ingredients together in a food processor. Alternatively, you can also crumble the mixture using a pastry blender/cutter or a fork. Pulse just until crumbs of different sizes are formed. You can make the crumbs ahead of time and keep them covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The muffins are baked at a high temperature for the first few minutes. This way, they rise quickly and the outside edges set faster than the center, causing the muffin to have a nice tall peak rather than being spread out at the sides.

You can find more muffin making tips here.

5 from 2 votes

Apple Crumb Muffins

YIELD: 12 standard-size muffins

 

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Ingredients

Streusel:

• 1/2 cup (70g/2.5oz) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (70g/2.5oz) light brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 Tablespoons (70g/2.5oz) cold butter, cut into small cubes

Muffins:

• 1 3/4 cups (250g/8.8oz) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 cup (100g/3.5oz) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g/1.7oz) brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (200ml) buttermilk
• 6 tablespoons (85g/3oz) butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 250 g (about 2 cups/2 medium) apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch cubes (first cut the apples, then measure)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220C/425F. Butter 12 muffin cups or line them with liner papers.
2. The streusel: Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixture becomes crumbly and unevenly shaped pieces are formed. Alternatively, you can crumble the ingredients in a bowl using your fingertips, a pastry cutter, or a fork. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
3. The muffins: In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, and mix.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until combined. Do not over mix. The batter should be thick and lumpy. Fold in apples.
5. Divide the batter evenly between muffin cups, filling almost fully to the top. Sprinkle the streusel into the top of each. Bake for 3 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F and continue to bake for an additional 12-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool muffins in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set on wire rack to cool completely.
6. Muffins are best the same day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Muffins can also be frozen for up to 2 months.