By: Denise Bustard45 Comments
Posted: 9/2/14Updated: 8/29/20
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These apple coffee cake muffins are bursting with fresh apples, swirled with cinnamon sugar, and topped with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping. All the flavors of coffee cake, in muffin form!
Ahhhhhhh.
Guess where I've been? Nowhere.
We are having ourselves a little 'staycation'. This was going to be Hawaii...that was until I took a 1.5 hour flight with Kai and decided there was absolutely nothing relaxing about getting on a 10-hour flight with an 11-month old. Nope, nope, nope.
Instead, Ben took some time off work and we've done some fun family things around the city. We went to the zoo as a family, yesterday we went for a hike. Kai has had a lot of time with his Daddy, which is really nice.
And I've had some culinary therapy, in the form of these apple coffee cake muffins!
Reasons you'll ♡ these apple coffee cake muffins
- they are loaded with goodies: a cinnamon sugar swirl AND a delicious crumb topping
- they keep for 3-4 days
- your kitchen will smell amazing as these bake up
I have had a great time this long week-end with some uninterrupted kitchen time. Uninterrupted kitchen time = SO much more productive! Are you ready for a bunch of recipes?
First up are these muffins. Or should I call them cakes? I really think they should be cake-fins, a hybrid, because these have a lot of goodies you'll find in cakes...yet are still undeniably muffins in taste and texture. But there has to be a better name out there than that.
These apple coffee cake muffins were actually 'created' back on holidays at my parent's house where the apple trees were overflowing. They are so good that I made three batches of them! It seems that my Mom and I have a very similar addiction: coffee cake.
So. Cake-fins. Cake-ins? Muf-akes? Ugh. I give up.
These muffins are packed with things that make me happy: apples. A cinnamon sugar swirl. And topped with a crumbly, buttery, brown sugar crumble.
They go down perfectly as breakfast...coffee break snack...dessert, you name it!
They are my way of ringing in the first 'unofficial' day of fall. The leaves are changing here, which means apples are totally acceptable!
What do you think?
Tips & equipment for apple coffee cake muffins
- for this recipe you'll need a muffin pan (I love this muffin pan!) and a pastry tool (a fork can work as well)
- swap the apples for pears, peaches, strawberries or blueberries
- looking for more muffin recipes? Check out theseHealthy Blueberry Muffins, these Healthy Strawberry Apple Crumble Muffins or theseCoconut Carrot High Protein Muffins
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Apple Coffee Cake Muffins
5 from 6 votesPrep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 22 minutes mins
Total Time: 42 minutes mins
Print Rate
These apple coffee cake muffins are bursting with fresh apples, swirled with cinnamon sugar, and topped with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping. All the flavors of coffee cake, in muffin form!
12
Ingredients
Apple Coffee Cake Muffins
- 2 cups all purpose flour (250g; spooned, fluffed & levelled)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar (165g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk (buttermilk recommended but any milk works)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups of apples (peeled and diced into 1 cm pieces)
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar {55g}
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Crumble Topping
- 2 tablespoons cold butter (cut into pieces; 28g)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar (55 g)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (32 g)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
Combine ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Crumble Topping
Combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut the butter in using a pastry tool. Mix until coarse and crumbly {see photos above}. Set aside.
Muffins
Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Line a standard-sized muffin pan with large muffin papers and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, beat egg, and add in the milk and vegetable oil. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry with a spoon, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix!
Fold in the apples.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of muffin batter into the bottom of each muffin paper. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture, then top with remaining batter until the well is completely full. Spread a heaping spoonful of the crumble topping on top.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 249kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 151mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Meet Denise Bustard
Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
Read more...
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Reader Interactions
Leave a Comment
Tisha B. says
Made these for brunch, I’m not a fan of sweets and these muffins were perfect. With no additional sweetness besides the brown sugar, cinnamon and apples, these were a light, airy, and delicious! Definitely putting this in the baking rotation.Reply
Denise Bustard says
Hi Tisha! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the muffins. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
Reply
Kammy says
Super delicious!!! I love the recipe!
How do I make the muffins avoid sticking to the paper cups?
Did I make a mistake in baking time or eating them while too hot?Reply
Denise says
Hi Kammy! Sorry to hear they stuck for you. I don't remember them sticking, but these days I have converted from regular paper liners to parchment liners- nothing sticks to them ever! Silicone liners are another great option. Thanks for reporting back that you loved the flavors!
Reply
Daniela says
How many calories in 1 of these delicious muffins?
🙂Reply
Denise says
Eek! I'm not sure I want to know...looks like they are 249 calories, actually that's a lot better than I was thinking 😉
Reply
Debra Johnson says
Just put these in the oven.
Reply
Denise says
How did they go for you Debra? I hope you enjoyed them...I need to make another batch soon 😉
Reply
L.C. Ishida says
Just wondering how well these keep.
Reply
Denise says
Hi L.C., I am SO sorry I'm responding to you this late! These muffins keep for 3-4 days in a sealed container. They are definitely best on the first day or two, though. Hope you like them!
Reply
Denise says
Hi Amanda, wow, I am so glad you liked the recipe, and what a compliment...one of the best cakes of your life! I might have to try it in a 9x13 dish now 🙂
Reply
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