Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are great choices)
Crumble Topping
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Instructions
1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Mix Dry Muffin Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if using). Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
4. Add Egg and Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg until well combined. Then mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
5. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Don’t overmix.
6. Fold in Apples: Gently fold in the diced apples.
7. Make the Crumble: In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and cold butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
8. Fill Muffin Cups: Divide the muffin batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.
9. Add Crumble Topping: Sprinkle the crumble topping generously over each muffin.
10. Bake: Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
11. Cool and Enjoy: Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips
Toss Apples: For even distribution, toss the diced apples with a tablespoon of the flour mixture before folding them into the batter.
Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the batter will lead to tough muffins. Mix until the ingredients are just combined.
Adaptable: Add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to your crumble topping for extra crunch.
