Apple Pecan Muffins With Cinnamon Crumble Recipe

Muffins are always in season. No matter the occasion or the time of year, a well baked muffin will always go down a treat. These apple pecan muffins with cinnamon crumble, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, may sound like a fall flavor-fest, but their fruity and nutty flavors will leave you deeply satisfied no matter when you enjoy them.

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These apple pecan muffins are well balanced and make for a great sidekick to accompany you through the day, whether you enjoy them for breakfast, brunch, or as an afternoon snack. A combination of butter, oil, buttermilk, and grated apple ensure that the muffins stay really moist and tender. The crumb is wonderfully soft and light, and dotted with chunks of pecan for added flavor and texture. Before baking, the muffins are finished off with a simple cinnamon crumble which forms a deliciously sweet, crunchy topping, giving you a simple yet satisfying muffin that can be prepared and baked in just over half an hour. 

Gather the ingredients for this apple pecan muffins with cinnamon crumble recipe

To begin this apple pecan muffins with cinnamon crumble recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. For the muffins you will want both granulated and light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt, butter, vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk, milk, vanilla extract, grated apple, and pecans. For the crumble topping you will want additional all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, ground cinnamon, and chopped pecans.

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Step 1: Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Step 2: Prepare a muffin tin

Prepare a muffin tin with liners.

Step 3: Begin the cinnamon crumble

To make the crumble topping, add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, melted butter, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and chopped pecans to a bowl.

Step 4: Mix well

Mix with a spoon until a crumbly, wet sand-like texture forms. Set aside.

Step 5: Begin the muffins

To begin the muffins, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt to a bowl. Whisk well to mix the dry ingredients.

Step 6: Add wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, add the melted butter, oil, eggs, buttermilk, milk, and vanilla extract.

Step 7: Whisk well

Whisk well to combine the wet ingredients.

Step 8: Combine half the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and mix until mostly combined.

Step 9: Add the apple and pecans

Stir in the grated apple and the chopped pecans.

Step 10: Fold in the remaining flour

Fold the remaining dry ingredients into the muffin batter, folding until just combined. Do not overmix.

Step 11: Fill the muffin cases

Divide out the mixture evenly between the muffin cases, filling them ¾ full.

Step 12: Top with cinnamon crumble

Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of the crumble mixture on top of each muffin.

Step 13: Bake

Transfer to the oven and bake the muffins for 20 minutes.

Step 14: Cool then serve

Remove the muffins from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Apple Pecan Muffins With Cinnamon Crumble Recipe

5 (7 ratings)

Loaded with grated apple, pecans, and plenty of cinnamon, these crumble-topped muffins are equally as tasty for breakfast as they are for a snack.

Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
20
minutes
servings
12
muffins
cinnamon crumble apple pecan muffins
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the crumble topping
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
  • For the muffins
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup grated apple
  • ½ cup chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  2. Prepare a muffin tin with liners.
  3. To make the crumble topping, add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, melted butter, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and chopped pecans to a bowl.
  4. Mix with a spoon until a crumbly, wet sand-like texture forms. Set aside.
  5. To begin the muffins, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt to a bowl. Whisk well to mix the dry ingredients.
  6. In a separate bowl, add the melted butter, oil, eggs, buttermilk, milk, and vanilla extract.
  7. Whisk well to combine the wet ingredients.
  8. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and mix until mostly combined.
  9. Stir in the grated apple and the chopped pecans.
  10. Fold the remaining dry ingredients into the muffin batter, folding until just combined. Do not overmix.
  11. Divide out the mixture evenly between the muffin cases, filling them ¾ full.
  12. Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of the crumble mixture on top of each muffin.
  13. Transfer to the oven and bake the muffins for 20 minutes.
  14. Remove the muffins from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 360
Total Fat 17.8 g
Saturated Fat 5.9 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 52.3 mg
Total Carbohydrates 46.9 g
Dietary Fiber 1.8 g
Total Sugars 25.4 g
Sodium 217.0 mg
Protein 4.8 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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What are some tips for baking perfect muffins?

When it comes to baking muffins, a good recipe will take you a long way. However, there are a few important tips you'll want to stick to, to make sure your muffins are always tip top. Firstly, to make great muffins, you should try to stick with a mixture of both butter and oil in your batter instead of choosing one or the other. Butter adds a lot of flavor as well as helping to keep the crumb tender, whilst oil adds a little density and plenty of moisture, to give you light yet moist muffins. Secondly, one of the biggest rules of muffin making is that you must not over-mix the muffin batter. Over-mixing will beat the air bubbles out of the batter, as well as activating the gluten in the flour, leaving you with a deflated and dense muffin instead of a fluffy, well-risen specimen.

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Finally, you should never allow your muffins to cool in the muffin tin. The quest for muffin perfection doesn't finish once the muffins go in the oven, you must remain vigilant until the muffins have been removed from the tray. As the tin holds onto residual heat from the oven, the muffins can easily overcook if left, and, as they cool, any moisture will collect in the tin and give the muffins soggy bottoms. For the absolute best muffins, it is far better to remove them from the tin after 5 minutes or so and set them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

How can I switch up this apple pecan muffin recipe?

With a flavor combination as good as apple, pecan, and cinnamon, you really can't go wrong. However, if you are looking for some different ways to add variety to this muffin recipe, there are plenty of options to help you keep things new and exciting. While pecans pair wonderfully with both apple and cinnamon, chopped almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts also work really well as ingredient swaps and will take your muffins to the next level.

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In a similar vein, the cinnamon in this recipe can be exchanged for cardamom which will result in a different, yet equally delicious, more floral and citrus-spiced finish. Alternatively, if you are a serious Fall lover, why not really lean into the flavor and add some pumpkin pie spice? And, if you want a change from the apple, blueberries make an excellent substitution, adding their own burst of fruity flavor and moisture to the muffins.

As well as these ingredient swaps, it is worth noting that this apple pecan muffin recipe works just as well with gluten-free flour as it does with ordinary all-purpose flour, making it an easy breakfast or snack option for those who follow a gluten-free diet.

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