apple crumble muffins

These apple crumble muffins are chock full of apple and piled high with crunchy crumble topping.  Simple to make and super tasty, they make the perfect fall baking treat!

This apple crumble muffin recipe achieves Holy Grail status with their crunchy topping and light and fluffy, not overly sweet crumb.

Each bite is textured, wholesome and hearty.  Heady with spice.  And begs for a generous smear of butter and drizzle of honey.  They’re simply delicious.

Why these muffins work

Brown butter:

• Brown butter adds a layer of unmistakable nuttiness and fragrance to these muffins.  Yes, you CAN skip this step and simply melt the butter (or use a lightly flavoured olive oil).  But, if you have the time pop your butter into a small saucepan, place over low heat and watch it melt, foam and turn gorgeously golden.  The nutty fragrance alone is reward enough.

Toasted wheat bran:

• Why oh why?  Because here’s another clever chance to add notes of deep delicious caramel to the muffins.  Toasting the bran is a simple as placing it on an oven tray and baking (stirring occasionally) until golden, approx. 20 minutes.  You’re left with amazingly fragrant bran that’s going to take your muffins to dizzying heights of deliciousness.

Cinnamon:

• Simply non negotiable.  Show stopper spice.  An absolute must to create the perfect apple crumble muffin.

Texture:

• Muffin perfection can not be achieved with just flour and a baking agent alone.  Nope.  The dry ingredients of the perfect muffin batter must have something more.  Why?  Because that’s where we play with texture and flavour unseen in the store bought variety.  The amazing array of seeds/oats/meal in this recipe bring their best selves to create moments of surprise and interest.  They create the most moorish texture.  Oh and they’ll have everyone coming back for more.

Sweetness:

• This recipe brings together the best of two sweet worlds, brown sugar and honey.  The brown sugar provides delicate notes of caramel and toffee whilst the honey adds it’s unmistakable fragrance and colour.  Yum.

Apple (two ways):

• Grated apple brings its natural sweetness and ability to create a moist and tender crumb to these muffins.  Whilst the apple slices nestled on top are not only pretty but make the perfect canvas to lay your crumble topping on.

Crumble topping:

• A crunchy golden and perfectly spiced crumble topping is your direct pathway to muffin nirvana.  And this crumble topping will get you there fast.  It’s chock full of oats, seeds and held together with just the right about of spice, honey sweetness and butter.  It creates crunch, texture and looks absolutely beautiful too.

Tips for perfect muffins

• The dry ingredients and wet ingredients should be mixed separately.  Then stirred together until just combined.  The greatest tragedy to bestow muffins is an over worked batter.  Do not over mix.  Do not over mix.  Do not over mix.
• Muffins papers are optional, a well greased and buttered pan will do.
• Use an ice-cream scoop to transfer your muffin batter to the pan without making a mess.
• Fill each muffin hole 3/4 of the way full (leave room for that crumble topping lovely).
• Allow your muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before placing on a wire rack to cool.
• Muffins are best eaten on the day they’re baked.  BUT can be stored in an air tight container (in the fridge) for up to 3 days.
• Muffins can be frozen.  Just be sure to wrap individual portions lovely and tight and pop into a freezer safe bag or container.  They take no time to defrost and can be popped into lunch boxes frozen, they’ll be defrosted and ready to devour by little lunch.

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apple crumble muffins

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• Author: my lovely little lunch box
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 12 1x

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Description

These apple crumble muffins are chock full of apple and piled high with crunchy crumble topping.  They make the perfect fall baking treat!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

crumble topping:

• 1/2 cup (45 grams) rolled (traditional) oats
• 1/4 cup (40 grams) plain wholemeal (wholewheat) flour
• 3 tablespoons (60 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds (linseeds) OPTIONAL
• 1 tablespoon (white or black) chia seeds
• pinch of salt

muffins:

• 1 1/4 cup (190 grams) plain wholemeal (wholewheat) flour
• 1/2 cup (25 grams) wheat bran, toasted
• 2 tablespoons almond meal (ground almonds)
• 1 tablespoon rolled (traditional) oats
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon (white or black) chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon, ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk (or natural yoghurt)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) brown butter, slightly cooled
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 2 apples, grated (approx. 1 cup)
• 1 apple thinly sliced, to decorate

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a 12-hole muffin tray with papers. Set aside.

To make the crumble topping:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and using your fingertips squeeze and press until the mixture is combined and resembles wet sand. Set aside in the fridge.

To make the muffins:

1. Place the flour, bran, almond meal, oats, poppy seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarb powder, salt and brown sugar into a large bowl.
2. Whisk to combine creating a well in the centre.
3. Into a separate bowl; place the honey, buttermilk, brown butter, eggs, vanilla and grated apple and whisk thoroughly to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry and using a wooden spoon gently mix to combine. Do not over mix.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tray.
6. Top each muffin with 3 thin slices of apple.
7. Evenly divide the crumble mixture to cover the top of each muffin.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the muffins bounce back when pressed.  Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy x

Notes

To make the brown butter: Place butter into a small saucepan over low/medium heat. Allow the butter to melt completely. Continue to cook until the butter is brown, foaming and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

To toast the bran: Preheat oven to 180 C and line an oven tray with baking paper. Place bran on tray in a single layer and cook for 20 minutes (checking every 5 minutes and giving a stir to achieve even browning). Allow to cool completely.

If your muffins are browning too quickly before being cook through, simply cover the muffin tray with a sheet of aluminium foil and pop back into the oven until cooked through.

• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Muffins
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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