Cinnamon Apple Crumble Muffins

If you haven’t guessed already, I’m a little obsessed with apple cinnamon foods. Or maybe it’s my boyfriend’s influence. These cinnamon apple crumble muffins are one of his very favorite things to have for breakfast and with good reason. They’re light and airy, filled with juicy apples and topped with a crumbly crunchy cinnamon topping.

I also love creating traditions, so I whip a dozen of these up every year for breakfast on my boyfriend’s birthday. They pair wonderfully with a side of thick-sliced bacon, because everyone knows apples and bacon are basically meant to be together.

To make the original blueberry version, which is amazing, simply omit from this recipe the apples, cinnamon and nutmeg. I also use white and brown sugar for the crumble topping, where the original calls for all white sugar.

Cinnamon Apple Crumble Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

A dash of salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

A pinch of nutmeg (optional)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 apple, skinned and chopped

For the Crumble Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed and just barely softened

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400° and grease muffin tin or line with muffin liners.

Toss the apple pieces with a dash of cinnamon, put them in a cup of cold water and let sit for about 5 minutes, then drain. This helps the apples retain their moisture when they go into the oven.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Then, in a liquid measuring cup, add the vegetable oil, egg and enough milk to bring it to 1 cup (you’ll end up needing about 1/2 cup of milk). Stir the liquid ingredients together until just combined, then fold it into your dry mixture just until the flour clumps are gone. Add in the apples.

To make the topping, mix all of the ingredients together with a fork so the mixture stays crumbly. Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full and sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top. Bake for 20-22 minutes or about 18 minutes if using a dark, non-stick pan. Test with a toothpick to see if they’re done. Enjoy!