Irresistible Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Crunchy Streusel Topping: Your Ultimate Fall & Winter Treat

Welcome the cozy flavors of Autumn and Winter with these incredibly delicious and easy-to-make Apple Cinnamon Muffins, beautifully crowned with a crunchy Cinnamon Streusel Topping. Perfect for a quick breakfast on the go, a delightful snack, or a comforting accompaniment to your afternoon tea, these muffins are a taste of pure bliss in every bite. Their moist texture, rich apple flavor, and spiced aroma make them an instant classic that everyone will adore.

There’s something uniquely comforting about a baked good that instantly transports you to the crisp air and warm hearths of Autumn and Winter. The classic pairing of apple and cinnamon is undoubtedly the quintessential flavor combination for these seasons, evoking memories of apple pies, spiced ciders, and holiday gatherings. Our Apple Cinnamon Muffins encapsulate these beloved flavors, offering a delightful twist in an individual, perfectly portioned treat. What better way to savor the heartwarming essence of these ingredients than in a fluffy muffin, generously topped with a delectable, crunchy cinnamon streusel?

These muffins aren’t just a treat for your taste buds; they also fill your home with an inviting aroma that signifies warmth and comfort. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting your baking journey, this recipe is straightforward and yields impressive results every time. Let’s dive into creating these irresistible muffins that promise to be a new family favorite!

Ingredients for Perfect Apple Cinnamon Muffins

To achieve the ultimate moist and flavorful apple cinnamon muffins, our recipe focuses on packing in as much fresh fruit goodness as possible. The two star ingredients are fresh diced apples and unsweetened applesauce, ensuring a naturally sweet and tender crumb. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in creating the perfect balance of flavor and texture.

For the main Apple Cinnamon Muffins, gather the following (Refer to the full recipe card below for exact quantities):

• Apples: The heart of our muffins! Choose firm, sweet-tart varieties that hold their shape well when baked. (See FAQ for recommended types).
• Melted Butter: Provides richness and moisture. For a dairy-free option or a lighter touch, it can be easily replaced with a neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil.
• Eggs: Essential for structure and binding. Ensure they are at room temperature for better emulsification with other ingredients, leading to a lighter, more consistent batter.
• Brown Sugar: Adds a deeper, caramel-like sweetness and helps keep the muffins wonderfully moist. Its molasses content contributes to a lovely golden-brown finish.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: A secret weapon for moisture and intense apple flavor without adding excessive sweetness. We highly recommend using homemade applesauce if you have it, as it offers a superior, fresher taste.
• Milk: Contributes to the tender texture. Full cream milk works beautifully, but you can effortlessly substitute with a dairy-free milk alternative (like almond or oat milk) if preferred.
• Plain / All-Purpose Flour: The primary dry ingredient, providing the main structure for the muffins.
• Baking Powder: Our leavening agent, responsible for those wonderfully fluffy, sky-high muffin tops.
• Ground Cinnamon: The perfect warming spice that pairs exquisitely with apples, enhancing their natural sweetness and fragrance.
• Salt: A small pinch dramatically boosts all the other flavors, balancing the sweetness and making the apples shine.

For the irresistible Cinnamon Streusel Topping:

This crunchy topping adds a delightful textural contrast and an extra layer of cinnamon-sugar flavor. You’ll only need a few common pantry staples for this simple yet impactful crumble:

• Plain/AP Flour: Forms the base of the streusel crumbs.
• Almond Meal: Adds a subtle nutty flavor and a finer crumb texture, contributing to the streusel’s crispiness. If you don’t have almond meal, you can use more plain flour, though the texture might be slightly different.
• Brown Sugar: Gives the streusel its signature rich sweetness and helps create clusters as it bakes.
• Ground Cinnamon: Reinforces the cinnamon theme, ensuring a fragrant and spiced topping.
• Butter: The key to binding the dry ingredients into delectable crumbs. Cold butter is essential for a crumbly, not pasty, texture.

The combination of these carefully selected ingredients ensures that every bite of these apple cinnamon muffins is a symphony of moist, fluffy texture, bursts of sweet apple, and a delightful cinnamon-spiced crunch.

Discover More Apple & Cinnamon Delights:

If you’re as big a fan of the apple and cinnamon pairing as we are, you’ll love exploring these other comforting recipes:

• Apple and Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
• Apple Pie Bliss Bites from Goodie Goodie Lunchbox
• Easy French Apple Cake
• Apple Upside-Down Cake
• Apple Loaf Cake
• Puff Pastry Apple Tartlets
• Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
• Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Crafting Your Delightful Apple Cinnamon Muffins: A Step-by-Step Guide

Making these cinnamon applesauce muffins is a straightforward and rewarding process. The key to their incredible flavor and moist texture lies in careful preparation and gentle mixing. Before you begin assembling the batter, a little prep work goes a long way. If you’re using your own homemade applesauce, we recommend preparing it a day in advance so it has ample time to cool completely. This prevents it from warming your butter and potentially affecting the batter’s consistency.

Here’s a detailed guide on how to prepare your super easy apple pie muffin batter:

• First, tackle your fresh apples. Wash them thoroughly, then peel, core, and dice them into small, uniform cubes. Aim for pieces that are small enough to be evenly distributed throughout the batter and soften beautifully during baking, releasing their sweet juices into every bite. Larger chunks might sink or make the muffins dense.
• Next, melt your butter gently, either in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Once melted, set it aside to cool slightly. You don’t want to add hot butter to your eggs, as it could scramble them.
• In a spacious mixing bowl, combine the Eggs and Brown Sugar. Whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes pale, light, and foamy. This aeration is crucial for creating a lighter muffin texture. Once foamy, gradually whisk in the cooled melted butter until fully incorporated. Then, add the applesauce and milk, whisking until the wet ingredients are smoothly combined.
• It’s time for the dry ingredients! Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the Plain/All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Ground Cinnamon, and Salt directly into the wet mixture. Sifting helps to remove any lumps and ensures the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, contributing to a smoother batter and preventing overmixing later.
• Finally, with a spatula, gently fold in the small cubes of fresh apples. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough, dense muffins. Mix just until the ingredients are combined and no pockets of dry flour remain. A few small lumps in the batter are perfectly fine – they’re a sign of a tender muffin to come!

When preparing your muffin tin, ensure it’s properly greased, especially if you opt not to use paper liners. A good coating of butter or baking spray will prevent the muffins from sticking, making removal much easier. If you prefer a cleaner look and easier cleanup, muffin liners are always a great choice.

After baking, patience is key! It is crucial to leave your apple muffins to cool down completely in the tin before attempting to remove them. The baked apples within the muffins release moisture, making the muffins quite fragile and prone to crumbling when still warm. Allowing them to cool and firm up ensures they maintain their perfect shape and texture.

Creating the Perfect Brown Sugar Cinnamon Streusel Topping

The cinnamon streusel topping is what truly elevates these apple muffins from good to utterly irresistible. Its crunchy texture provides a wonderful contrast to the soft, moist muffin, and the burst of buttery, spiced sweetness is simply divine. There are two primary methods to prepare a superb crumble topping for your muffins, both yielding fantastic results:

Regardless of the technique you choose, the underlying principle remains the same: thoroughly mixing all the dry ingredients, then incorporating cold butter until a delightful, thick, sand-like crumb forms. The key is to avoid overworking the butter, which can lead to a pasty texture rather than distinct crumbs.

• Method 1: By Hand:
  – Begin by cutting your cold butter into small cubes. It should still be firm, not completely frozen, but definitely not soft or melted. This coldness is crucial for creating distinct crumbs.
  – In a large bowl, whisk together all of your dry streusel ingredients: flour, almond meal, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Ensure there are no large lumps of sugar or flour before adding the butter.
  – Add the cubed butter to the dry mixture. Using your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the dry ingredients. You’ll want to gently press and break down the butter, coating each piece with the flour mixture. Continue this process until the mixture resembles coarse, wet sand or small peas, with the butter fully incorporated and no large pieces remaining. Avoid overworking it, as the warmth of your hands can melt the butter too quickly.

• Method 2: With a Food Processor:
  – This method is quicker and requires less effort. Place all the dry streusel ingredients (flour, almond meal, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon) into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a couple of times to ensure everything is well mixed.
  – Add the cold, cubed butter to the food processor bowl. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture comes together into a homogeneous, sand-like texture with small crumbs. Be careful not to over-process, or you’ll end up with a solid dough rather than a crumbly topping.

Once your streusel crumbs are ready, keep them aside. After you have filled all of your muffin tins with the prepared apple cinnamon muffin batter, generously sprinkle the streusel over the top of each muffin. Gently press the streusel into the batter with your fingertips. This crucial step helps the streusel adhere to the muffin during baking and ensures it doesn’t just fall off once baked, allowing it to fuse with the muffin top and create that irresistible crunchy crust.

Explore More Delicious Crumble Recipes:

If you’re a fan of crunchy crumble toppings, these recipes are sure to delight:

• Apple and Pear Crumble
• Pear Crumble Coffee Cake
• Fresh Apricot Crumble
• Strawberry Crumble Cake

Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Cinnamon Muffins

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Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Streusel Topping

5 from 11 votes

Light, fluffy, packed with deliciously fresh spiced fruits and topped with a crunchy streusel topping, these Apple Cinnamon Muffins are the ultimate Fall and Winter sweet treat!

Servings: 12 Muffins

Author: Sylvie

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Streusel Topping

• 1/3 cup (50gr) Plain Flour
• 1/4 cup (25 gr) Almond Meal (or almond flour)
• 1 1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1/2 teasp. Ground Cinnamon
• 2 1/2 tbsp Cold Butter

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

• 2 Large Apples
• 1/2 cup (120gr) Butter, melted
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup (50gr) Brown Sugar
• 1 cup (150gr) Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1/4 cup (60ml) Full Cream Milk
• 1 1/2 cups (225gr) Plain Flour
• 1 1/2 teasp. Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 teasp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1 pinch Salt

Instructions

Streusel Topping

• Place the Flour, Brown Sugar, and Ground Cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add them to the dry ingredients. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips to create small, distinct crumbs. All the dry ingredients should be coated in butter, and the streusel should resemble coarse, wet sand. Set aside.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

• Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C / 325°F fan-forced) and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by greasing it thoroughly or lining it with paper liners (see Note 2 below for greasing tips).
• Peel, core, and dice the Apples into very small, uniform pieces (about 1/4 inch). Set Aside.
• Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly to room temperature.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the Brown Sugar and Eggs together vigorously until the mixture is light, pale, and foamy (approximately 2-3 minutes). Pour in the cooled melted Butter, followed by the Applesauce and Milk. Whisk until all the wet ingredients are well combined and smooth.
• Sift the Dry Ingredients (Plain Flour, Baking Powder, Ground Cinnamon, and Salt) directly into the wet mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry into the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Finally, gently fold in the diced fresh Apples until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Assembling and Baking the Muffins

• Evenly spoon the Muffin batter into each cup of your prepared muffin pan, filling them about two-thirds full. Generously cover the top of each muffin with some of the prepared Streusel Topping. Gently press the streusel into the muffin batter with your fingertips to help it adhere during baking.
• Bake the muffins for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer or the tip of a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Once baked, remove the tin from the oven and let the muffins cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before attempting to remove them. This step is crucial for the muffins to set properly and prevent them from breaking apart (see Note 2).

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Notes

1. You can make the Streusel Topping either by hands (rubbing cold butter into the dry ingredients) or directly in your food processor (pulsing until crumbs form). Aim for varied crumb sizes – some larger, some smaller – as this creates a more dynamic and satisfying crunch over your muffins!
2. If you choose not to use paper liners, ensure your muffin tins are very thoroughly greased to prevent sticking. It is absolutely vital to let the muffins cool down completely in the pan before attempting to remove them. The baked apples make the muffins quite delicate and fragile when still warm, and they could easily fall apart.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 388IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg