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These fluffy Apple Muffins are filled with apple chunks with warm cinnamon flavor. The brown sugar crumble topping adds a bit of crunch to the moist muffins – these are the perfect fall muffin recipe!
Moist Cinnamon Apple Muffins
I fell in love with this muffin recipe because of the crumb topping. If the crumb recipe isn’t the best part of any recipe, then I don’t know what is. I turned my favorite all-purpose muffin recipe into an apple muffin because we are apple lovers – especially in the fall.
My secret to moist muffins is using sour cream instead of milk – the acid and moisture in the sour cream keeps these muffins moist for days.
Ingredients Needed
- Apples: Peeled, cored, and diced very small. Use your favorite kind of apple!
- Butter: You’ll need melted butter for the crumble topping. I love using unsalted butter!
- Vegetable oil: I find oil best for making a tender muffin – plus it makes them easy to mix.
- White vinegar: Interacts with the baking soda and sour cream to help the muffins rise nice and fluffy with the perfect muffin tops.
How to make Apple Muffins
1. Make the apples: place the diced apples in a medium sized microwave bowl. Add water to the bowl and microwave until the apples start to get a bit translucent/opaque. Drain them well, then sprinkle with cinnamon and granulated sugar.
2. Make the topping by stirring together melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and all-purpose flour with a fork in a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix eggs with sugar and oil then stir in vanilla, vinegar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in sour cream then stir in flour using a wooden spoon. Stir in drained and slightly cooled apples.
4. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners and fill with batter. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top of the muffins. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a muffin.
Expert Tips
- Fill muffin cups 2/3 full of batter (about 1/4 cup per muffin cups) for the best results. I love using a cookie scoop for this!
- If your batter is slightly lumpy after adding the sour cream that’s okay.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
FAQs
Granny Smith and Gala are my favorites, but you can use whatever you would like!
Crumb Apple Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
Apples:
- 2 ½ cups about 3 small/medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced very small
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Topping:
- ½ cups (62g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter melted
Muffins:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (245g) sour cream
- 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with paper baking cups.
- Make the apples: place the diced apples in a medium sized microwave bowl. Add about 1/2” of water in the bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes, or just until the apples start to get a bit translucent/opaque but aren’t cooked all the way through. Drain them well, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Make the topping by stirring together all topping ingredients with a fork in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or wooden spoon, mix eggs with sugar and oil, beat until creamy. Mix vanilla, vinegar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in sour cream then stir in flour using a wooden spoon. (Batter may be slightly lumpy.) Stir in apples.
- Fill muffin cups 2/3 full of batter (about 1/4 cup per muffin cups) Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top of the muffins.
- Bake for 15-19 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a muffin. Cool 5 minutes in pan then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Fill muffin cups 2/3 full of batter (about 1/4 cup per muffin cups) for the best results. I love using a cookie scoop for this!
- If your batter is slightly lumpy after adding the sour cream that’s okay.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
These look so wonderful, but can I substitute unsweetened applesauce for the oil? Thanks for all your great recipes!
Yes you should be able too! I’ve done that in other recipes, but not this one.
Do you recommend any certain type of Apple? Do you peel them?
I used Gala but you should use your favorite apple. I did peel them, yes.
These look delicious- -!and I vote YES on wine with breakfast! ?
Yum, are these the ones that we tried? Very good and the crumble just takes them over the top!
Yep, but yours were berry. 🙂
I suck at muffins. It is the #1 fail I have. I always think…this will be the time I am going to perfect my base dough and have it for life. And then they either spread like crazy all over the muffin pan or sink like mad upon cooling. Major props to you for recreating the best muffins of your life! Oh and crumb topping…when I try, I swear half the time it compresses the muffin and it won’t rise. Muffins and me just don’t get along so I will try these, verbatim. Thank you for your hard work!
This base recipe is the best one I’ve found! That vinegar and baking soda combo is the best.
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