Nothing screams fall like these fluffy, moist apple crumble muffins. Tangy apple bites with a Crispy oat crumble – the perfect back to school recipe. And they are also gluten-free and dairy-free.

I’m one of those people who already started thinking about apple picking, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin spice lattes in August.

Without a doubt, I love fall for all the apple and cinnamon-inspired desserts.

Late July through early November is when apples are fresh, ripe, and taste the most delicious.

Nothing makes me feel nice and cozy like these muffins and a cup of tea, cuddled up on the couch with Biscuit.

Not to mention, these muffins are made with wholesome ingredients and lots of protein to keep you fuller for longer. Evidently, if you want to start the day with lots of energy, this recipe is for you.

If you like apple-inspired recipes, you should try my Apple Crumble Pie Recipe, Caramel Apple Crisp with sea salt !

What are the best apples to use in muffins?

Overall, I love granny smith or/and honey crisp! Particularly, the sweet and tart kind is the best to balance the overall nutty flavors in the muffins.

In addition, the most important factor is that the apples are crisp – this allows them to keep their composure in the oven when baking.

Any fresh apples you get from apple picking would taste amazing!

Other popular options are Jonagold, Braeburn, Mutsu, and Winesap.

How do you make muffins moist? Why are my muffins dry?

The biggest complaint in muffin baking might be the dry texture. Generally, this can be prevented by keeping the following in mind:

Separate wet and dry ingredients – evidently, when you combine everything in one bowl, you are more than likely to overwork your batter. As a result, it makes the glutens in your flour tough and dense.

Paper liners – particularly, paper liners are a great way to preserve muffin moisture and keep them fresher for longer.

Transfer to a cooling rack – Lastly, after cooking, it is usually a good idea to let them cool down in the pan for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Unfortunately, leaving them in the muffin pan for too long can make them soggy.

With this in mind, your Apple Crumble Muffins are more likely to be soft, moist, and delicious!

Ingredients for Apple Crumble Muffins

Without a doubt, these Apple Crumble Muffins are filled with lots of wholesome ingredients:

Muffin Base:

Eggs

Apple sauce, unsweetened

Almond butter, smooth

Maple syrup or honey

Apple cider vinegar

Almond flour, packed

Oat flour

Baking soda

Apple pie spice

Salt

Apple, chopped small

oat crumble topping:

Rolled oats, gluten free

Oat flour **

Coconut oil

Maple syrup/honey

Apple pie spice

Apples, chopped

The crumble is not too sweet and provides the perfect texture to the apple muffins. 

Yum!

How to make Apple Crumble Muffins

Firstly, begin by preheating the oven to 350F.

Then, wash, core and chop the apple into small pieces – it should be roughly one heaping cup.

Make the apple crumble topping first:

In a small bowl, mix the oats, oat flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, apple pie spice, and apples.
Combine well.

Place it in the fridge to chill while making the apple muffins.

Mix the almond flour, oat flour, baking soda, and apple pie spice in a mixing bowl until there are no clumps left.
Whisk together the eggs, apple sauce, butter, maple syrup or honey, and apple cider vinegar in a separate bowl.
Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients, not to overmix.
Fold in 3/4 of the chopped Apples
Scoop the batter in a lined or greased muffin pan.

Add the oat crumble on top.
Bake at 350F for 16 – 18 minutes on or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserting in the middle.

Enjoy!

Tips When Making Apple Crumble Muffins

How do I make the muffins fluffy?

In general, one of my biggest tips is making sure the oven is at the right temperature. I like to use an oven thermometer and have noticed that it typically does not reach the set temperature until 10 minutes after the “beep.”

Should I peel the apples?

Certainly, you can peel the apples if you so desire. However, the skin gets soft enough on its own.

Should I dry the apples?

Conversely, you can save some time squeezing the apples in a cheese cloth – it keeps the muffins moist and soft.

Where can I get apple pie spice?

Currently, most stores sell an apple pie or pumpkin pie spice variation. However, you can make your own apple pie spice. Undoubtedly, I’m obsessed with customizing the spices – it’s a fall favorite essential.

How to keep apple crumble from getting soggy?

The coconut oil in the apple crumble is what encourages the crumble to be nice and crispy. Also, it is important not to overmix the crumble – you want to have some chunky pieces.

How to Serve Apple Crumble Muffins

Evidently, these Apple Crumble Muffins taste amazing as is!

In the event that you’re feeling extra pumpkin spice and everything nice, you can pair them with my Apple Crisp Macchiato – it’s my Starbucks copycat version, but much cheaper and healthier for you.

Also, it would taste great with jam, butter, or even my instant pot apple butter.

Regardless of the pairing, these muffins are sure to leave you and any of your guests wanting more.

How to Store Apple Crumble Muffins

In general, these Apple Crumble Muffins store very well covered on the kitchen counter for 2 days. Though, they usually don’t last that long before Olly and Tom devour them.

However, if you need to, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days

Certainly, you can also freeze them!

In truth, they make the perfect meal prep and on-the-go recipe. Especially, if you are looking for new snacks for the back-to-school season.

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

What’s your favorite type of muffin? Leave a comment below.

An Apple Crumb Muffin cut in half and you can see the fluffy texture and apples inside

Get the recipe:Apple Crumble Muffins

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Nothing screams fall like these fluffy, moist apple crumble muffins. Tangy apple bites with an oat crumble – the perfect healthy breakfast recipe.
5 stars (3 reviews)
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Ingredients

Apple Muffin Batter:

  • 2 egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
  • 1/3 cup almond butter, smooth
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cup almond flour, packed, 180g
  • 1/2 cup oat flour*
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp apple pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large apple chopped small, divided, ¾ of it for the muffin

Oat Crumble Topping:

Instructions 

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • 2. Wash, core, and chop the apple into small pieces.
  • 3. In a small bowl mix your crumble ingredients. Leave the crumble in the fridge while making the apple muffins.
  • 4. In a separate bowl, mix the apple muffin dry ingredients till there are no clumps.
  • 5. In another bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.
  • 6. Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients. Don’t overmix!
  • 7. Fold in 3/4 of the apple pieces into the batter.
  • 8. Scoop the batter in a lined or greased muffin pan and add the oat crumble on top. Fill the batter close to the top.
  • 9. Bake on 350F for 16 – 18 minutes on or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserting in the middle.
  • 10. Let them cool and enjoy!

Notes

* you can simply blend up your oats to make oat flour
Serving: 1g, Calories: 258kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 169mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 17g

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American