There’s something so timeless about the combination of tender baked apples, cinnamon, and a buttery crumb topping. It’s the flavour of crisp autumn mornings, sweater weather, and slow weekends in the kitchen. Apple crumble muffins take everything you love about traditional apple crumble and package it into a perfectly portable, bakery-style treat. These beloved muffins are a staple in our house. We often make these on a Sunday morning to enjoy with our morning coffee for the perfect cozy start to the day.
Whether you’re baking for a family brunch, meal-prepping for the week, or just craving something comforting with your coffee, these muffins deliver big flavor with simple ingredients.
The Secret to Moist Apple Muffins
If you’ve ever had a dry muffin, you know how disappointing it can be. The key to keeping apple crumble muffins moist lies in:
1. The Right Apples
Choose apples that hold their shape during baking. Great options include:
- Granny Smith (tart and firm)
- Honeycrisp (sweet with slight tartness)
- Braeburn (balanced and sturdy)
2. Proper Fat Balance
Using melted butter (or vegan butter) gives richness, while a little oil can add extra moisture. These muffins combine the two for the best of both worlds.
3. Don’t Overmix
Once the flour goes in, mix just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and leads to dense muffins.
Apple Crumble Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 cup almond milk sub for cow’s milk, cashew or soy milk
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 tbsp avocado oil you can also use vegetable or canola
- 2 apples peeled and chopped into small pieces.
Crumble:
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter softened (you can sub for vegan butter)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C) and line or grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
- To a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and white sugar.
- Peel and cut two apples into small pieces and set aside.
- To a smaller bowl, mix together your milk, vanilla, melted butter and oil.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and combine. Be careful not to over mix.
- Gently fold in your apples.
- To a small bowl, combine all ingredients. I find using my hands is the easiest way to do this.
- Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter into a 12 cup muffin tin.
- Sprinkle each muffin with the crumble topping.
- Bake the muffins for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
