Description
Delightfully moist and tender Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins made with diced fresh apples, warm cinnamon-spiced batter, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel. These muffins are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert and offer a cozy autumn flavor in every bite.
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, at room temperature
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Prepare Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Cut in ¼ cup very cold unsalted butter using your fingertips or a pastry blender until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms. Set aside.
- Prepare Apples and Preheat Oven: Peel, core, and finely dice 1 cup of apples. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Combine Dry Muffin Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt until evenly mixed.
- Combine Wet Muffin Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk 1 large egg, ½ cup milk, ¼ cup melted and slightly cooled unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and just combined.
- Mix Batter and Fold in Apples: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Carefully fold in the diced apples until evenly distributed, being careful not to overmix.
- Assemble and Bake Muffins: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon streusel topping over each muffin. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) without opening the door and continue baking for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the muffin tin from the oven. Let muffins cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith for a nice balance of sweetness and tartness.
- Ensure the butter for the streusel is very cold to achieve a crumbly texture.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep muffins tender and light.
- Allow muffins to cool completely before storing to prevent sogginess.
- Freeze leftover muffins individually wrapped for easy grab-and-go breakfasts.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: apple cinnamon muffins, streusel muffins, easy breakfast muffins, fall muffins, apple recipes, cinnamon muffins
