Apple Spice Muffins

Up close vertical photo of Apple Crumble Muffins lined up on a cooling rack.

There's nothing quite like the luscious spiced filled fragrance wafting from the kitchen while these Apple Spice Muffins bake. Packed with juicy apples, fall spices and buttery crumb topping, these scrumptious bakery style muffins are wonderful to enjoy on a crisp fall day.

Course Breakfast or Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Apple Crumb Muffins, Apple Spice Muffins, Cinnamon Apple Muffin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings muffins

Calories 255kcal

Author Heather

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Apples

2 cups granny smith apples peeled and diced *approximately 2 med apples, See Note #1 below
2 tbsp brown sugar *packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Wet Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup oil *see Note #2 below
1 cup buttermilk *see Note #3 below
2 tsp vanilla extract

Crumble Topping

3 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 cup & 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
5 tbsp butter *melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 ℉ and place rack in middle position.

Dry Ingredients

In a medium sized mixing bowl, measure all dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly to incorporate spices well. Set aside

Apples

Peel and cut apples into small chunks adding them to small bowl. Measure sugar, cinnamon and flour. Add to apples, stir well to cover all chunks. Set aside.

Wet Ingredients

In a separate large mixing bowl beat eggs with a hand mixer until light and frothy, about 2 minutes.
Add sugar and continue beating for 1 minute.
Add vanilla and buttermilk. Beat until combined.

Crumb Topping

Mix sugars, flour and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl.
Melt butter and pour over sugar mixture.
Stir until the butter is just incorporated and both large and small chunks form. Set aside.

Assembly

Line two 12 cup muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners or spray with a nonstick cooking spray.
Working in batches of 3, add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just incorporated. Be careful to not over stir. There will still be lumps.
Add apples and stir until just incorporated.
With a small measuring cup or ice cream scoop, fill muffin cups to just above 3/4 full.
Using a tablespoon, spoon crumb topping over batter dividing evenly among muffins.
Bake at 425℉ for 5 mins. Reduce temperature to 375℉ and bake for 18 to 22 mins or until golden brown and toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs
Let cool for 5-10 mins. Remove from muffin tins and let cool on wire rack. Enjoy while still warm and then store in an air tight container.

Notes

Recipe Notes

Note #1- If Granny Smith Apples are unavailable, choose varieties that are firm, crisp and have a balance of sweetness and tartness. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Fuji, and Pink Lady are all good alternatives.

Note #2- Here are a few common healthier oils used for baking:

Sunflower or Safflower Oil- These neutral-tasting oil can be used in most baked goods.
Olive Oil- Extra virgin and virgin olive oils add nice flavor to quick breads and muffins.
Avocado Oil- Pressed from avocados, this oil has a subtle flavor and can replace other oils.

Note #3- To make buttermilk easily for this recipe, mix 1 cup of milk (with 1 tablespoon removed) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. The acidity will cause the milk to thicken and develop the tangy flavor of buttermilk. Additionally, the acidity reacts with the baking soda helping to give rise to the muffins.

Nutrition