Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

These Apple Coffee Cake Muffins are spiked with cinnamon, nutmeg and chunks of fresh, sweet apple. A streusel topping and simple glaze make these fall-inspired muffins a truly delicious treat!

More sweet apple recipes we love include my Apple Cider Coffee Cake and Apple Banana Bread.

If there’s anything that can make it less painful to say goodbye to the lazy days of summer, it’s these lovely Apple Coffee Cake Muffins. The transition to fall can be tough, believe me, I know. But we’ll do it together, and we’ll do it with something sweet.

Let’s look at the bright side. We may be saying goodbye to long sunny days, a more relaxed schedule, summer trips, and casual summer clothes (I love casual summer clothes), but we get to say hello to hearty, comforting food and all things apple and pumpkin.

Yes, I can be bribed with food.

As these Apple Coffee Cake Muffins bake, your house will fill with an incredibly comforting aroma and quickly remind your entire household that there are some delicious benefits to the fall season.

Ingredient Notes

For the Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Cinnamon and nutmeg – The quintessential fall flavor combination!
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Oil – Vegetable or canola oil.
• Eggs
• Pure vanilla extract
• Sour cream – I’ve made these muffins with sour cream and plain Greek yogurt and they are absolutely interchangeable. I always use either light sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt but regular, full fat dairy products work too.
• Apple – See below for my baking apple tips.

What are the best baking apples?

The best baking apples are the crisp-sweet variety. They add sweetness, eliminating the need to add an excessive amount of sugar and their firm texture ensures they will keep their structure and not become mushy when baked. My favorites include Envy, Honeycrisp, Mutsu (my absolute favorite when I can find them), Fuji, and Gala. Granny Smith apples are commonly used for baking but they are very tart so I only use them when the recipe calls for more than one so that I can balance them with a sweeter variety.

For the Streusel Topping and Glaze

Streusel Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Light brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter allows you to more precisely control the level of salt in the streusel. If you substitute salted butter, reduce the amount of salt called for in half.

Glaze Ingredients

• Powdered sugar
• Pure vanilla extract
• Heavy cream – You can substitute half and half if you’d like.

How to Make Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Prepare the Streusel Topping

1. Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and unsalted butter (cut into small pieces) to a small mixing bowl.
2. Cut the mixture together with a pastry blender or fork. When it is well mixed, work the mixture between your fingers until it begins to hold together. Set it aside.

Prepare the Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

1. Beat the eggs with an electric hand mixer. Add granulated sugar and beat for a minute then pour in the oil, with the beaters running,. Finally, add the vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda.
3. Using a wooden spoon, mix a little of the flour mixture into wet mixture.
4. Alternate with the sour cream (or Greek yogurt), mixing in between additions, until all of both have been added.
   

1. Add the chopped apples to the batter.
2. Mix just until combined.
3. Divide the batter between cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the muffin tops, lightly pressing it down so it will stay in place as the muffins rise in the oven. It may look like a lot, but pile it all on. If you lose a little in the baking process, it’s fine because the glaze will fill in the empty spaces. Brush off as much of the streusel from the area between muffins for easier cleanup.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins completely before glazing.

Prepare the Glaze

1. Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, and as much heavy cream as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
2. Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled muffins.

Storage Tips

Room Temperature – Store the completely cooled muffins on top of a layer of paper towels in an airtight container in you pantry or kitchen counter. You can keep them on your kitchen counter or pantry. They should be fresh and delicious for up to 4 days if stored properly.

Freezer Instructions – If you want to freeze Apple Coffee Cake Muffins, omit the glaze and add it after they’ve been defrosted. To prevent freezer burn, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and then place the wrapped muffins in a freezer safe plastic storage bag and freeze for up to two months. Thaw frozen the frozen muffins at room temperature and follow the instructions for glazing, if desired.

These “all-day muffins” are delicious in the morning or for an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea. Try warming them for a few seconds in the microwave for an even cozier experience.

More Muffin Recipes You’ll Love

• Spectacular Blueberry Muffins
• Bran Muffins
• Raspberry Dark Chocolate Muffins
• Glazed Strawberry Muffins
• Oatmeal Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips

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This post was originally published on August 29, 2015. It has been updated with new text and images.