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Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Buttery Cinnamon Crumb

Apple cinnamon muffins made bakery-style with tender apple pieces and a buttery cinnamon crumb topping. This method preheats the oven high for tall domes, then finishes at a lower temperature for a moist, clean toothpick bake.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry muffin batter
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Wet muffin batter
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs large
  • 0.5 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 0.25 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple pieces
  • 2 cup apples peeled and diced
Cinnamon crumb topping
  • 0.33 cup all-purpose flour for crumb
  • 0.25 cup light brown sugar for crumb, packed
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon for crumb
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted for crumb

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 muffin tin

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Make the crumb topping
  1. Mix the crumb flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter with a fork until crumbly.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Whisk the melted butter, both sugars, eggs, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
Combine batter
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Add apples
  1. Fold in the diced apples until evenly distributed.
Fill and top
  1. Fill the liners almost to the top and sprinkle with the crumb topping.
Bake two-stage for tall muffins
  1. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 F (220 C), until the tops start to rise.
  2. Lower the oven to 350 F (175 C) and bake for 15 to 18 minutes more, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool
  1. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.

Notes

For the best crumb texture, use cold or room-temperature melted butter (so the crumbs stay sandy) and avoid overmixing after adding the apples—stop as soon as the dry streaks disappear. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap half the sour cream/Greek yogurt for the same amount of low-fat plain Greek yogurt.