Description
Delicious Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins feature tender muffin bases studded with juicy chopped apples and a sweet cinnamon-spiced streusel topping. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, these muffins offer a cozy balance of fruity and spiced flavors with a delightful crumbly topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Muffin Batter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped apples (about 1 medium apple)
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners to prevent sticking and for easy muffin removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the large egg, milk, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently just until moistened—it’s important not to overmix to maintain tender muffins. Some lumps in the batter are okay.
- Fold in Apples: Gently fold in the chopped apples to evenly distribute them through the batter without bruising or breaking them down too much.
- Prepare Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, packed light brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
- Add Streusel: Sprinkle a generous amount of streusel topping over each filled muffin cup to create a sweet, crunchy topping.
- Bake: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use firm apple varieties like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Fuji for the best texture and flavor in the muffins.
- Do not overmix the batter; overmixing can develop gluten and lead to tough muffins rather than tender ones.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness and moisture.
- For longer storage, muffins can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: apple cinnamon muffins, streusel muffins, breakfast muffins, fall baking, apple dessert
