Description
These Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins are moist and tender, bursting with sweet chunks of apples and topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, these muffins combine warm spices and fresh fruit for a comforting treat that’s easy to make and enjoy.
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) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners to ensure easy removal and cleanup.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently just until the mixture is moistened, leaving some lumps to avoid overmixing which can toughen the muffins.
- Add Apples: Carefully fold the chopped apples into the batter to evenly distribute the fruit without breaking it down.
- Prepare Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full to allow room for rising.
- Top with Streusel: Generously sprinkle the prepared streusel topping over each muffin to create a crunchy, sweet crust.
- Bake: Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, indicating they are fully cooked.
- Cool: Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving to retain their texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith for a nice balance of sweetness and tartness.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep muffins light and fluffy.
- Make sure the butter for the streusel is very cold; this helps create a crumbly topping.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute milk and butter with plant-based alternatives.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: apple cinnamon muffins, streusel topping muffins, breakfast muffins, easy muffin recipe, apple snack
