These are soft and tender muffins studded with soft, cinnamon spiked apples, and covered with a generous layer of brown sugar streusel.
The base for this recipe is a homemade muffin mix, which is something I try to keep on hand at all times. These tasty little apple cinnamon muffins are just one of the hundreds of ways you can use the mix to bake up any kind of muffins you like lickity-split!
For this recipe I cooked the apples briefly in brown sugar and cinnamon to soften them slightly then folded them into muffin batter flavored with vanilla, almond, cinnamon, and cloves. Topped with a generous amount of brown sugar streusel, they are a delicious way to start any day.
If you use tulip paper liners, like the muffins pictured here, this recipe will make 12 large muffins. If you use regular paper liners, this recipe will make 18 - 20 smaller muffins.
How to make homemade muffin mix
This recipe for homemade muffin mix is adapted from a recipe in Bravetart by Stella Parks. She uses virgin coconut oil in her muffin mix, a genius trick because it’s nonperishable so you can stock your pantry with a bag of this muffin mix where it will keep for many months.
As opposed to refined coconut oil which is liquid at room temperature, virgin coconut oil is solid at room temperature. To measure it, pack it into a measuring cup with the back of a spoon.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar: white granulated sugar, brown sugar, or a combination of the two
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, or cloves (this is optional; use as much or as little as you like)
3/4 cup virgin coconut oil
Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for a couple of minutes until the coconut oil completely disappears into the dry ingredients. Store in a zip-top bag or other air tight container at room temperature (do not refrigerate). The mix will keep up until the sell-by date on your container of coconut oil.
This mix makes enough to bake 12 muffins.
How to use this mix to make muffins:
Add one recipe muffin mix to a mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup milk (any kind, including buttermilk and any non-dairy milk), 2 large eggs, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract). Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir until blended.
Divide the batter among 12 paper lined baking cups and bake at 350 degrees for 18 - 22 minutes.
Add ins: Gently fold in about 2 cups of fresh or frozen berries or peeled and diced apples, peaches, or pears. To make chocolate chip muffins, add about 1 cup regular size or mini chocolate chips. You can also add a handful of nuts or shredded coconut. To make zucchini muffins, press as much water as you can from 3 cups shredded zucchini (I usually twist it in a clean kitchen towel) and fold that into the batter.
If you like crumb topped or streusel topped muffins:
Top muffins with the oatmeal streusel in this recipe for Blackberry Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel
Top muffins with the butter crumb topping in this recipe for Raspberry Muffins
For the love of streusel
Honestly, put streusel on anything and I’m probably going to like it. You too? I knew it. That’s why we’re friends. 🙂
Blackberry muffins with oatmeal streusel: These blackberry muffins are the kind of thing you make when you want a rich, bakery-style muffin that's too good to be anything but homemade.
Sour cream streusel blueberry muffins: These muffins are light and tender, can be made with either fresh or frozen blueberries, laced with the flavors of vanilla, almond, and a touch of lemon, and topped with handfuls of buttery, crispy, brown sugar streusel.
Mixed berry muffins with streusel: These delicious mixed berry muffins are packed with fresh or frozen berries and topped with loads of buttery brown sugar streusel.
Apple streusel cake: This is the kind of simple, satisfying cake that you can make anytime for anything and it will be exactly the right thing.
Chocolate chip buttermilk scones with streusel: Buttery, flaky, and filled with the flavors of chocolate and cinnamon, these chocolate chip buttermilk scones with cinnamon streusel are unapologetically indulgent.
Buttermilk coffee cake: This incredibly soft, tender, and fluffy buttermilk coffee cake is baked up with a swirl of cinnamon and sugar and a chewy, nutty streusel crust. The cake is an irresistible combination of textures - soft cake, chewy streusel, crispy almonds - and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack.
Yum!