Apple Oatmeal Muffins with Crunchy Top
These muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, and after-school snacks. They're quick to put together and are ready in about 45 minutes. Reader feedback inspired these muffins as they shared variations on our popular oatmeal muffin recipe and how great their versions turned out!
Servings 12 muffins
Ingredients
For the topping:
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup traditional rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the muffins:
- 1 cup milk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups traditional rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of allspice or nutmeg optional
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup oil I use sunflower
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped baking apple
Instructions
For the topping:
- Stir ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ cup traditional rolled oats, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small bowl until clumpy.
- Refrigerate while making the muffins.
For the apple oat muffins:
- Mix 1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add 1 ½ cups traditional rolled oats, and leave to hydrate while preparing the rest.
- Turn on the oven at 350°F (180ºC). Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Or butter and flour them if not using paper cups. Reserve.
- Sift 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of allspice or nutmeg (if using) into a large bowl.
- Add ½ cup light brown sugar to the oat mixture and stir to combine.
- Add ½ cup oil, 1 egg and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to the oats, or stir to mix. Integrate everything well without beating.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then 1 cup chopped baking apple and stir with a spatula until just combined. Don’t be tempted to beat it or overmix it as it will result in tougher and less fluffy muffins.
- Fill the muffin tins or paper cups no more than ¾ full, dividing the mixture as evenly as possible.
- Sprinkle the reserved oat topping on top of the muffins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out dry. Let them cool on a wire rack.
- Store muffins that are left in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat briefly before eating. Or in the freezer for a month.
Notes
Baking time: Consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Best apples: though I normally use Granny Smith (tart green apples), I tried these with other variations and also love them with red baking apples that are slightly tart, like honeycrisp and braeburn, or pink lady for a sweeter muffin.