Loaded with chunks of fresh apple, these apple crumble muffins will be just what you need to start your morning. The sweet crumb topping mixed with the tangy apples makes the perfect combination.
Sweet Apple Crumble Muffins
This simple and easy apple crumble muffin has all the best fall flavors wrapped up in one bite. I love making these apples right as the leaves fall off the trees and the weather turns chilly. The muffins are the perfect morning treat, thanks to the tangy apples and sweet crumble topping.
The base of these muffins is so fluffy and moist, thanks to the combination of applesauce and sour cream in the batter. The applesauce enhances the apple flavor in the muffins, while the sour cream keeps everything nice and moist.
This muffin recipe is great to bookmark and use right after you go apple picking. Any apple works in this recipe, so it doesn't matter what you get fresh from the trees. If you buy apples from the store, look for apples that bake well, like honey crisp or Granny Smith.
Looking for more apple recipes? Try my apple cider snickerdoodle cookies or my apple chai scones.
Why You'll Love This Apple Crumble Muffin Recipe
- Freezer-Friendly - These apple crumble muffins are excellent to keep in the freezer. They keep their consistency and thaw out well.
- Seasonal Recipe - The apple flavor is unmatched when using seasonal apples right from the tree.
- Panty Recipe - Pretty much everything you need to make this recipe, you will already have in your pantry.
Ingredients Needed To Make Apple Crumble Muffins
- Apples - Any type of apple will work in this recipe.
- Applesauce - Adds to the texture and flavor of the muffin batter.
- Butter - Melted butter adds to a more moist texture.
- Cinnamon - The base of the crumb topping and spice for the muffins.
- Sour Cream - Keeps the muffin batter moist.
Directions For How To Make Apple Crumble Muffins
- Prepare.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare a giant muffin tin with muffin liners. Set to the side.
- Mix dry ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Then, add in the applesauce and sour cream and mix until combined.
- Fold in apples.
Use a rubber spatula to fold in the apple chunks, making sure they are evenly distributed.
- Make the crumb topping.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and flour. Mix with a fork to form crumbs.
- Prepare the muffins.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling them ¾ths of the way full. Top the muffin batter with the crumb topping.
- Bake the muffins.
Bake the muffins at 425 for 5 minutes, and then turn the oven temperature down to 350. Continue to bake the muffins in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
While muffins are typically a breakfast food, these muffins are sweet enough to be a dessert or sweet afternoon treat.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: While these muffins will taste best fresh out of the oven, they can be made ahead of time. Keep the muffins in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- To Store: Store extra muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The chunks in the apples may make the batter slightly soggy, so storing them in the fridge is best.
- To Freeze: Freeze the muffins in a plastic bag for 2-3 months.
Tips and Variations
- Crumb Topping - If you aren't a fan of the crumb topping, feel free to skip it. You can bake the muffins without a topping or sprinkle the tops of the muffins with coarse sugar.
- Apples - Keep the apples slightly chunky when chopping them up. If you chop them too fine, they will melt into the muffin batter and won't have the fruit pieces in it.
- Size - If you'd prefer to make regular-size muffins rather than jumbo, go for it. Use a regular-sized baking tray. The muffins will cook faster as they are smaller, so adjust the time in the oven accordingly.
FAQs
Any fresh apples will work in this recipe. However, I'd recommend using Honeycrisp or Granny Smith if it is outside of apple season.
If you find that your muffins are rather dry, you probably overmixed the batter. Mix the batter as little as possible to ensure moist and fluffy muffins.
Add more melted butter to the mixture if your crumb topping is sandier than crumbs. Gradually add it to get the texture you are looking for.
Apple Crumble Muffins
Equipment
- Jumbo Muffin Tin
- mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
Apple Muffins
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup apples, peeled and chopped
Crumb Topping
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspon cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons melted butter
- ⅔ cup flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and prepare a 6-slot jumbo muffin tin with liners and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Then, add in the sour cream and apple sauce and whisk until smooth.
- Add the apples to the batter and fold them in with a rubber spatula.
- Make the crumb topping. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and flour in a medium-sized bowl. Mix with a fork to form the crumbs.
- Add batter to the muffin tin and fill all the way to the top. Generously top each muffin with the crumb topping.
- Bake muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes and turn the heat down on the oven to 350°F while the muffins are in the oven. Continue to bake for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins are fully browned on top and a toothpick can run clean through them.
- Let muffins slightly cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before taking them out.
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