Cinnamon Apple Crumb Muffins

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The early days of fall are just around the corner, and we noticed that our local farmers’ market has started selling fresh-picked apples. That’s when we know that our favorite time of year is on its way. What better way to celebrate than making a cozy recipe to celebrate the harvest of crisp, fall apples than with these Cinnamon Apple Crumb Muffins.

In our opinion, there isn’t a more classic and nostalgic flavor combo this time of year. We find ourselves making these muffins throughout the season — whether we’re enjoying them on a cozy morning inside, serving them at a fall brunch with friends, or gifting them to a neighbor. 

These muffins are made with a cinnamon, vanilla batter, sprinkled with warm cinnamon apples, and topped with a heap of brown sugar crumb topping. They are the perfect pastry treat for fall — full of warm spices and apples in every bite. You’ll want to go back for seconds —lol!

More Popular Muffin Recipes:

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Muffins

Ingredient Snapshot

• Fuji Apples
• Butter
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Flour 
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Eggs
• Granulated Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Milk
• Sour Cream
• Vanilla

Direction Snapshot

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prep a muffin pan with liners or grease the pan with butter.
2. Make the cinnamon apples in a skillet. Set aside for later.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients and granulated sugar.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until fully combined. Add the cooked cinnamon apples and fold them into the batter.
5. In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the brown sugar crumb topping. Mix until it comes together.
6. Portion out muffin batter in the muffin tin. Top with crumb topping and bake for 18-22 minutes — or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before eating.

Muffin Q & A:

Do I have to cook apples before adding them to the muffin batter?

Cooking apples before adding them to the muffin batter makes the apples softer when they bake in the oven. In our opinion, it makes the texture of the apples in the muffin more enjoyable.

FYI: If you skip cooking the apples and just add them to the batter, they will be crunchier and drier than they would if you cooked them down.

In this recipe, cooking the apples is essential to creating the perfect texture and flavor in the muffins. The additional butter, sugar, and spices elevate the flavor profile that makes these muffins so darn tasty.

Do I have to peel the apples before cooking them?

In this recipe, we did not specify to peel the apples before cooking them. That’s because we prefer the flavor the peel adds to the muffin recipe. However, we know this is a controversial topic (lol), so if you prefer the peel of the apple to be removed, then we recommend peeling the apples before chopping them and adding them to the skillet to cook.

How do you store muffins?

If you do not plan on eating the muffins the same day, they will be good for 3-4 days in an airtight container or ziplock at room temperature.

Can you freeze muffins to bake later?

Yes, you can! To freeze muffins properly, we wrap each muffin in plastic wrap, place them in a single layer in a ziplock freezer bag, and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pro tip: Make sure to label the bag with the contents of the bag and the date (ex, “Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins — “date added to the freezer” )

How do you reheat frozen muffins?

• Thaw at room temperature: Leave muffins on the counter to thaw for 1-2 hours until completely thawed out. Warm them to your liking in the microwave for 10-15 seconds each. 

• Oven: Preheat oven to a low temperature, 350ºF. Place on a baking sheet and heat for 10-15 minutes until warm.

• Microwave: Unwrap and preheat for 30-60 seconds until warm.

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