A Crumble Confession
I love this recipe for apple crumble muffins, but I have a confession to make. When I was little, I loved when my mom or nana bought muffins from the grocery store. Not necessarily because I liked muffins all that much. It was all about the crumble on top of the muffin. I can picture them perfectly – a plastic container with four large chocolate chip muffins, covered with the perfectly sweet, salty, crumble. My mom kept them with the bread on top of the refrigerator. I would steal one from the container, tell myself I needed to be a grown up and eat the entire thing, only to find myself only eating the top and tossing the rest. As much as I wanted to eat the entire thing, the rest of the muffin seemed so boring without the crumble on top.
Today, I’m much more accepting of non-crumbled muffins. Though let’s be honest, they are always better with crumble. These days, I’m a big fan of making apple muffins. Apple muffins are great for this time of year for snacks or breakfasts. Making a batch of these will have you set for the entire week!
The Supplies
Ingredients
To make this apple crumble muffins recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- Old fashioned rolled oats
- Unsalted butter
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Vanilla extract
- Large eggs
- Granny Smith apples
For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Equipment
In order to make these apple crumble muffins, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:
Frequent Recipe Questions
Can I freeze these muffins?
- A: Yes, definitely! Put the cooled muffins in a zip top bag, with all of the air removed. Freeze the muffins for up to 3 months.
Is there a substitute for the Granny Smith Apple in this recipe?
- A: While Granny Smith Apples will hold their structure and have the best balance of sweetness, you can substitute for another apple if needed. Look for another apple that’s on the firmer side. Look for a Braeburn or Pippin variety of apples. Both will be sweeter, but will bake nicely.
Apple Crumble Muffins Recipe Details
Make the Crumble Topping
The recipe is broken into two parts, first creating a crumble and then mixing up the muffins themselves. The crumble recipe is pretty classic: butter, flour, sugar, and oats mixed together until sandy. Stick the crumble in the fridge to chill while you mix up the muffin batter, so the butter doesn’t melt.
Mix and Bake the Apple Crumble Muffins
When it comes to the muffin recipe, it’s made extra special by subbing in some applesauce as well as chopped apples. It’s the perfect autumnal bake with a subtle taste of cinnamon. When making the recipe, mix the dry ingredients separately and then mix them into the dry ingredients. Once the batter is made, gently fold in the diced apples. Pour the muffin batter into a lined muffin tray and top with the chilled crumble topping.
Bake the apple crumble muffins for about 20 minutes and then let cool slightly, just until they’re easily handled. These muffins are best the day of, but will last a day or two in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy these muffins at room temperature or slightly warmed in the microwave.
Do you love apple season as much as I do? Check out these other recipes that celebrate a fresh apple:
If you make this apple crumble muffins recipe, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating – I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!
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Apple Crumble Muffins
Description
These apple crumble muffins are super moist, full of apple cinnamon flavor, and topped with a salty, sweet crumble topping.
Ingredients
Crumble Topping
Apple Muffins
Instructions
Make the Crumble
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In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and rolled oats. Mix until evenly combined.
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Add the butter to the oat mixture. Using a pastry cutter or fork, mix the butter into the oat mixture until it’s the texture of coarse sand and you can no longer see chunks of butter.
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Set in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the Muffins
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Preheat your oven to 350° F and place muffin liners in a twelve-count muffin tin.
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In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
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In a separate, larger bowl add the butter, sugar, and applesauce. Whisk until well combined and the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter.
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Add the vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture, whisking until completely combined.
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Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring to combine. Once the dry ingredients are almost completely mixed in, add the apples. Give the mixture a few more stirs, incorporating the apples evenly.
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Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin liners. Take the crumble mixture out of the fridge and sprinkle across the top of each, lightly pushing the crumble into the muffin batter if needed.
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Bake muffins for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
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Let cool on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes and then remove from the tin. These muffins are best eaten the same day, but can be saved for 1 to 2 days in an airtight container.
