Soft, warmly spiced muffins packed with tender diced apple and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping, the classic autumn breakfast muffin that smells like the best version of a crisp September morning.
About This Recipe
Apple cinnamon muffins are the most genuinely autumnal item in this collection. Their combination of warm cinnamon spice, sweet-tart fresh apple pieces, and the buttery, crunchy streusel topping produces a muffin that captures everything appealing about the autumn baking season in a single portable portion. They are one of the most widely made seasonal muffins and one of the most consistently successful.
The apple pieces must be cut into a small, consistent dice rather than grated or processed. Small cubes of about half a centimetre provide visible apple pieces through the crumb that cook through completely during baking while retaining their shape and a slight al dente texture.
The streusel topping is what most elevates apple cinnamon muffins from pleasant to exceptional. Cold butter rubbed into flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until the mixture forms clumps, scattered over the top of each muffin before baking, produces a golden, crunchy, caramelised crown. A streusel that has been overworked and become smooth rather than clumpy will bake flat rather than crunchy.
History and Origins
Apple and cinnamon baked goods have been made across British and American cooking traditions for centuries. The muffin format with a streusel topping is a distinctly American innovation that developed through the coffee shop culture of the late 20th century. Apple cinnamon muffins with streusel are now one of the most searched autumn muffin recipes.
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Course: Cupcakes12
servings22
minutes40
minutes3120
kcalIngredients
•t300g plain flour
•t180g white sugar
•t2 tsp baking powder
•t0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
•t1.5 tsp cinnamon
•t0.5 tsp nutmeg
•t0.5 tsp salt
•t2 large eggs
•t120ml neutral oil
•t180ml buttermilk
•t1 tsp vanilla extract
•t2 medium apples peeled and cut into small dice
•tFor streusel: 60g cold butter, 80g plain flour, 80g brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon
Directions
- Make streusel: rub cold butter into flour, sugar and cinnamon until clumpy. Refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 190C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin.
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Whisk eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Fold wet into dry until just combined.
- Fold in diced apple.
- Divide between cases filling three quarters full.
- Scatter streusel generously over each muffin.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean
Notes
- Keep the streusel in the fridge until the exact moment it goes on the muffin batter. Cold streusel bakes into a crunchier, more distinct crumble. Warm streusel melts into a flat, cakey layer.
The streusel must be genuinely clumpy with pieces ranging from pea-sized to hazelnut-sized. If it has been overworked into a smooth paste it will bake flat. Chill it and try again if this happens.
Dice the apple into pieces no larger than 5mm. This is the maximum size that cooks through completely during the 20-minute baking time. Larger pieces remain slightly crunchy which is pleasant in some recipes but not ideal here.
A Granny Smith or Bramley apple provides the best tartness against the sweet batter and streusel. Sweeter varieties like Fuji or Gala produce a less interesting flavour contrast.
Press the streusel down very lightly onto the batter with your fingertips after scattering. This helps it adhere to the muffin surface during baking rather than falling off when the muffin rises.
Caramel chips added to the batter alongside the apple produce a caramel apple muffin that is particularly indulgent and popular.
These muffins are best eaten within two days when the streusel still has some crunch. After that the streusel softens from the moisture of the muffin beneath but the flavour remains excellent.
Make Ahead Tips
Keep at room temperature for 3 days. The streusel softens slightly after day one but remains good. Freeze for 3 months.
Storage and Serving
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The streusel remains reasonably crunchy for the first day and softens slightly thereafter. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Variations and Substitutions
Add caramel chips alongside the apple for an indulgent caramel apple muffin. Replace the streusel with a caramel glaze drizzled over the warm muffins for a completely different but equally delicious finish. Add 80g of toasted walnuts or pecans to the batter alongside the apple. Use pear instead of apple for a different but equally excellent autumnal result. Add a pinch of cardamom alongside the cinnamon and nutmeg for a more complex spice profile. Replace buttermilk with sour cream for a richer, more substantial crumb. Make a cream cheese filling by pressing a teaspoon of sweetened cream cheese into the centre of each muffin before topping with streusel.
