Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins

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Last Updated on May 19, 2026 by Kiersten James

These apple cinnamon crumb muffins are soft, loaded with apples, and topped with a thick crumb topping that won’t fall off.

There’s a certain point every September where the apples start piling up on the counter faster than everyone can eat them.

I’ve already canned apple butter for the season. Our stock of homemade apple sauce is full…that’s usually when I start making these muffins.

They’re soft, full of cinnamon apples, and topped with a thick crumb topping that gives them a beautiful bakery-style look without the difficulty.

We rotate these apple crumb muffins with morning glory muffins when seasons are busy because they’re highly portable.

For this recipe, I generally use 3 large red apples left over from apple picking, but almost any apple will work here.

Why You’ll Love These Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins

• Easy recipe for beginner bakers
• Soft texture that doesn’t dry out the next day
• Thick farmhouse crumble won’t fall off – the topping works for breads and cakes too
• Loaded with real apple chunks throughout
• Great freezer muffins for the coziest fall mornings

Ingredient Highlights:

Apples: Fresh apples give these muffins moisture and texture without using canned filling or artificial flavors. I used large red apples, but use whatever you already have.

Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives the muffins a deeper flavor and keeps them soft longer than regular white sugar would alone.

Honey: The honey adds moisture and helps with texture.

Butter and Oil: Using both gives you a flavor boost from the butter and softness from the oil. Muffins made with only butter will dry out much faster.

Cinnamon + Nutmeg: These are what give the muffins that classic fall flavor without tasting overpowering. The whole house smells amazing while they bake.

Oats in the Crumb Topping: Old-fashioned rolled oats help create a thicker farmhouse-style crumb topping instead of a thin sugary layer that disappears while baking.

Tips for the Best Results

• I use a mini food processor to pulse the apples into small pieces. If you don’t have one, you can cut the apples into smaller chunks by hand so they bake evenly.
• Don’t overmix the batter once the flour goes in.
• Let the crumb topping sit for a few minutes while you put the batter together so larger crumbs form.
• Fill the muffin liners high for taller muffin tops.
• Press some of the crumb topping gently into the batter with the back of a spoon so it sticks while baking.
• Let the muffins cool slightly, then gently twist them to release before removing them from the pan. Because of the crumb topping, you can’t invert the pan to roll the muffins out like other recipes – it will make a mess.

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:

For the Muffins:

• 1 3/4 cups flour, leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large red apples, chopped small
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (1/2 stick)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

For the Crumb Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, leveled
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces (1 stick)

Make The Crumb Topping:

This recipe makes enough crumble for 18 standard muffins, 12 jumbo bakery-style muffins, one 9×13″ coffee cake, or one 10″ round cake.

In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together except for the butter. Using a biscuit cutter or fork, cut in the butter until pea-sized pieces remain.

Let the crumb sit for 20 minutes or so before using, to allow larger chunks to form. Refrigerate any leftovers for another day.

If I have a lot of baking to do for gatherings or holidays, I will triple the crumb recipe and keep the bulk mixture in a large tub in the refrigerator to pull from, as needed.

Scoop some into a bowl and let it sit on the counter to warm before baking.

For the Muffins:

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Peel and core the apples. If you have a food processor, quarter them and then pulse a few times until they are small in size – about 1/4″ pieces. If you don’t have one, that’s okay. Dice by hand into small chunks.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs and brown sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the color lightens.

Turn off the machine, then add the honey, vanilla extract, melted butter, and oil. Mix on medium speed again until the butter and oil are well combined.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Fold in the apples by hand with a stiff rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, also by hand, just until combined.

Fill the muffin liners generously, almost to the top. A large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop or spring-loaded ice cream scoop makes this easy if you have one.

Top heavily with crumb topping – about 2 heaping tablespoons each.

I use a 3″ biscuit cutter (or round cookie cutter of the same size) to place around each muffin as a border to keep the crumb from spilling everywhere. Gently press the crumb into the batter with the back of the spoon.

Bake jumbo muffins for 25 to 28 minutes until golden brown and set in the center. Rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even browning. For standard-sized muffins, they usually take between 22 and 25 minutes.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

To remove them from the pan: gently twist each muffin until they release, then tilt the pan to lift it out.

Don’t invert the pan to dump the muffins out onto a cooling rack like with other recipes, or you will make a huge mess…(ask me how I know lol).

Storage & Freezing:

Wrap completely cooled muffins in plastic wrap and store in a basket on the counter at room temperature for 3 days.

To freeze, place wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe storage bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw on the counter and warm briefly, as desired.

More Cozy Fall Baking Recipes:

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze (9×13)

Morning Glory Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Soft Applesauce Cookies

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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