Apple Spice Crumb Muffins
Apple Spice Crumb Muffins are soft and tender with small bits of grated fresh apple, applesauce and plenty of warm spices. They’re topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble for the perfect fall breakfast or snack!
Apples are in season right now and so delicious! For more sweet apple goodness, try this Apple Pie Smoothie, Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats and this cozy Apple Blackberry Crumble.
You guys are going to love these apple muffins! They are made to imitate a bakery style muffin, but in a healthier way. They’ve really got the taste, texture and softness of something you would find in a pastry shop, but with about a third of the calories.
Typically, most muffins you find in bakeries are cupcakes in disguise – relying heavily on oil, butter, and cups of sugar for sweetness. When I’m craving a muffin, I find the only way I can truly enjoy them is to just make them myself. Plus they make my house smell so good!
Amazing! Delicious!! I made with slightly less sugar as my applesauce was naturally sweet. Thanks for the recipe!
— Paloma
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- The best taste and texture! These apple cinnamon muffins are soft, fluffy and taste so comforting and cozy.
- So easy to make: This is a simple recipe that doesn’t even require a mixer! These will be ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.
- Made healthier: Even though these are just like the ones from the bakery, they are made with just enough sugar to make them perfectly sweet and in lieu of butter or oil, we’re using unsweetened applesauce for tons of moisture.
- Great for meal prep: These keep well for days, and are great to grab-n-go as you’re heading out the door to school or work. They’re even freezer-friendly!
Ingredients you’ll need
The simple ingredients in this apple muffin recipe are pantry staples, ones you likely already have on hand. That’s what makes this recipe so great! I recommend stocking up on all of them because they’re common ingredients in many delicious fall recipes. Exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Crumb topping: For that sweet and buttery streusel topping you’ll need flour, brown sugar, melted butter (or melted coconut oil), cinnamon and a pinch of salt. So good!
- Milk: Feel free to use any milk you’d like to give these plenty of moisture and ensure the batter is the right consistency. I typically use unsweetened almond milk.
- Vinegar: Use apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice to give the apple muffins a light and airy texture.
- Eggs: Binds the ingredients and adds richness.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce adds extra moisture without the need for oil or butter while adding extra apple flavor, too!
- Brown sugar: Use dark or light brown sugar which adds moisture and enhances the cinnamon flavor with its molasses undertones.
- Pure vanilla extract: For sweet, warm flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour will result in the perfect tender texture.
- Baking powder: To ensure proper baking and plenty of lift.
- Spices: A blend of cinnamon, allspice and cloves adds a cozy flavor that goes great with apples.
- Salt: To bring all of the flavors together.
- Apple: Instead of using chunks of apple, this recipe calls for grated apple, which melds into the batter resulting in a moist and tender crumb that doesn’t fall apart. Grated fruit also distributes moisture more evenly throughout the batter, leading to a more consistent texture.
Variations and substitutions
Here are a few ways that you can customize this recipe:
- Alternative to all-purpose flour: You can use almost any type of Kodiak Cakes Pancake Mix instead of flour in this recipe, even for the crumb topping. For these apple muffins, I would suggest using the buttermilk or cinnamon oat mix.
- Make them gluten free: Simply use an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in place of the regular flour.
- Spices: If you don’t happen to have allspice and/or cloves, you can leave them out and maybe use a little extra ground cinnamon. Feel free to also add in a dash of nutmeg and/or ginger, which are common fall spices.
- Add nuts: The addition of chopped walnuts or pecans will give these a wonderful nutty flavor and crunchy texture. You can add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts.
- Add a glaze: For extra decadence, make a glaze by mixing 1/4 cup powdered sugar with 1 to 2 teaspoons milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over the cooled muffins.
Recipe tip
Have leftover applesauce? Use it to make this irresistible applesauce bread or these applesauce muffins.
How to make this recipe
These deliciously decadent apple cinnamon muffins are super simple to prepare and will make your kitchen smell like fall. A win-win! Follow these simple steps to have muffins ready to serve in less than 30 minutes:
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine all crumb topping ingredients and set aside. Preheat oven to 425℉ and spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray or use paper muffin liners and spray them with a bit of cooking spray to prevent any sticking; set aside.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk milk & vinegar. Set aside.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, beat eggs and then stir in applesauce, sugar, vanilla and the almond milk/vinegar mixture.
Step 4: In a separate large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt. Toss in the grated apple.
Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). Do NOT overmix. The batter will be thick.
Step 6: Divide the muffin batter evenly between the 12 muffin tins.
Step 7: Top each muffin evenly with the crumble topping. Then, bake muffins for 4 mins at 425℉ then immediately lower oven temperature to 375℉ and bake for 10-11 mins more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 8: Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing the muffins from the pan. Use a butter knife around the edges, as needed, to lift the muffins out after about 5-10 minutes. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Helpful tips
- Measure flour correctly: For the best texture, it’s important to use the right amount of flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup (don’t scoop it), and without shaking it, level off the top with the straight side of a butter knife.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter: With most baked goods, you want to mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined. If you mix too much, these can turn out overly dense and tough.
- Fill muffin tins all the way to the top: Filling your muffin tins only 1/2 or 2/3 of the way to the top is not enough batter to produce a muffin that will rise. Fill to the brim.
- Oven temperature: Start off with a very hot oven temperature, then lower it down – doing so lifts the muffin top up quickly and creates a tall crust. Typically, muffins are baked at 350℉ – 375℉ the whole time, but set the oven to 425℉ initially, then bring back down to 350℉ or 375℉.
Frequently asked questions
These apple muffins are super moist without the need for oil because we’re adding in applesauce, milk and grated apple, which distributes moisture throughout the batter.
I like to use Honeycrisp, gala, pink lady or fuji apples for incredible sweetness. In my opinion, Granny Smith apples are a bit too tart.
Vinegar helps baked goods rise and creates an airy texture by reacting with baking soda. The acidity of vinegar also interferes with gluten development to allow for a more delicate crumb and a soft, moist texture.
Storage recommendations
- Storing: Place the apple muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, then I recommend storing them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: To freeze, wrap the muffins individually in freezer-safe bags or store them in a large freezer bag. When you’re ready to enjoy them, reheat them for 30-45 seconds in the microwave or simply thaw them at room temperature.
More muffin recipes to try
- Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Customizable Oatmeal Muffins
- Flourless Blueberry Banana Muffins from Making Thyme for Health
- Cinnamon Sugar Apple Muffins from Pinch of Yum
If you try this recipe, leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Apple Spice Crumb Muffins
Ingredients
Crumb topping
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, can sub with Kodiak Cakes Pancake Mix
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
Muffins
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or other preferred milk
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice works
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, can sub with Kodiak Cakes Pancake Mix
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup grated apple (from one small apple), I like to use Honeycrisp, gala, pink lady or fuji apples
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all crumb topping ingredients and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425℉ and spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray or use muffin liners and spray them with a bit of cooking spray to prevent any sticking; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine milk & vinegar; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat eggs and then stir in applesauce, sugar, vanilla and the almond milk/vinegar mixture.
- In a separate large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt. Toss in the grated apple.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). Do NOT overmix. The batter will be thick. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
- Top each muffin evenly with the crumble topping and bake muffins for 4 mins at 425℉ then immediately lower oven temperature to 375℉ and bake for 10-11 mins more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing the muffins from the pan. Use a butter knife around the edges, as needed, to lift the muffins out after about 5-10 minutes. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
-
- Alternative to all-purpose flour: You can use almost any type of Kodiak Cakes Pancake Mix instead of flour in this recipe, even for the crumb topping. For these apple muffins, I would suggest using the buttermilk or cinnamon oat mix.
-
- Make them gluten free: Simply use an all-purpose 1:1 gluten free flour in place of the regular flour.
-
- Spices: If you don’t happen to have allspice and/or cloves, simply leave them out and maybe use a little extra ground cinnamon. Feel free to also add in a dash of nutmeg and/or ginger, which are common fall spices.
-
- Add nuts: The addition of chopped walnuts or pecans will give these a wonderful nutty flavor and crunchy texture. You can add 1/2 to 1 cup.
-
- Add a glaze: For extra decadence, make a glaze by mixing 1/4 cup powdered sugar with 1 to 2 teaspoons milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over the cooled muffins.
- Storing: Place the apple muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, then I recommend storing them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
-
Did you make this recipe?
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These are amazing! I added leftover fresh ginger and it was the perfect addition.
Amazing! Delicious!! I made with slightly less lugar as my applesauce was naturally sweet. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for your feedback!
I was concerned that these might be dry, but they are far from it. They are delicious and I love the texture. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these muffins..they are absolutely delicious, light and full of the flavors of fall….like autumn in your mouth! Thank you for this great recipe.
Fantastic! I made these with lemon juice vs vinegar and had to sub brown sugar substitute as I am diabetic. I used Brummel and Brown butter instead to bring calories down.
So so good! These muffins were moist on the inside and crunchy and sweet on top as advertised. I especially loved the topping, which I can see using over baked apples, possibly a crustless pumpkin pie and other baked goods. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed and thanks so much for taking time to comment.
These are SO good! I doubled the batch and made them with the glaze, and was a little concerned they wouldn’t be sweet enough as the muffins themselves call for less sugar than I’m used to using, but they are perfectly sweet with all the toppings!
Second time making this recipe. First time I forgot to add the almond milk mixture to the recipe but they were good just a little dense. This batch is amazing as it is fluffier. Love this product.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed, Terry! Thanks for your feedback!
Recipe worked great! I did a half batch so my husband and I could test them. I couldn’t find my grater so I peeled and diced the apple very finely. I used the oat and honey Kodiak mix so I added extra cinnamon and vanilla since the mix didn’t contain it already.
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks so much for taking time to comment!
Wow, these apple spice muffins were the perfect Fall sweet treats! Loved them!