Apple Crumble Muffin Recipe with Quick Glaze
Our best apple muffins with a tender crumb and buttery topping. It uses pantry staples and fresh apples, come together fast and can be frozen.
Servings 6 jumbo or 12 regular
Ingredients
For the crumb topping:
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and lukewarm, not hot
For the apple muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk at room temperature, or whole milk with lemon juice; see Notes below
- ½ cup vegetable oil I use sunflower or a light olive oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped Granny Smith apples about 2 medium
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
For the crumble topping:
- In a medium bowl, stir together ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ⅓ cup white sugar.
- Drizzle ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and lukewarm, and stir with a fork, spatula or spoon to integrate. The mixture will be crumbly and irregular, with flour patches.
- Refrigerate while making the muffin batter.
For the apple muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Line 6 jumbo muffin pans or 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners, or butter/spray the pans.
- In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup white granulated sugar, ⅔ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon apple pie spice. Stir to combine.
- Whisk 2 eggs, ¾ cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Do not beat, but mix well until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Add the wet ingredients at once to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Mix until you barely have streaks of flour, but do NOT overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely mixed and that is fine.
- Add 2 cups chopped Granny Smith apples and stir lightly to combine with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the apple muffin batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups or liners. Don't go over ¾ of their capacity. Sprinkle the cold streusel topping over each muffin. If necessary, break up large clumps. You might not use it all.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is dry and golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake.
- Let cool down completely before glazing. Or eat warm without glaze.
- They are best eaten the day they are made, but you can keep them for a day at room temperature, covered or wrapped. Store leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for a month.
For the lemon glaze:
- Mix ½ cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. It should be like thick honey. If needed, add more lemon juice, ½ teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Drizzle over the cooled muffins and let them set before eating.
Video
Notes
Homemade buttermilk: mix ¾ cup of milk (preferably whole milk) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes at room temperature until it thickens and slightly curdles. Stir it once more, and measure it again before using.
Extra citrus flavor: use orange or lemon. Add a teaspoon of orange or lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of zest to the batter. Orange is mellower and sweeter, but lemon is sharp, so go easy with the zest.
