Spiced Apple Sour Cream Muffins with Crumb Topping

Spiced Apple Sour Cream Muffins are a tasty fall treat made even better with a sweet and buttery crumb topping.

These Apple Sour Cream Muffins will not disappoint. They are perfectly spiced with a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Plus, they’re topped with a delicious crumb topping that makes them irresistible.

Ingredient Notes

Apples: I suggest choosing a firm apple with a little tartness to it such as a honeycrisp, granny smith or pink lady.

Sour cream: You can substitute with whole fat, plain Greek yogurt.

Spices: Instead of using individual spices, feel free to substitute with a pumpkin pie spice blend.

Muffin Ingredients including apples, flour, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, eggs, sour cream and spices.

Recipe Steps

First, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking soda and baking powder (1). In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars (2). Incorporate the eggs one at a time. Add in vanilla and sour cream (3).

Next, combine the wet and dry ingredients. For fluffier muffin tops, cover and refrigerate the batter overnight. Then, fold in chopped apples (4). Mix together the ingredients for the topping (5). Fill prepared muffin tin with batter and top with crumbs (6).

Bake at 425F for the first 5-8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350F and continue to bake until fully cooked through. Cool completely before serving.

Steps to make muffins including mixing dry ingredients, mixing wet ingredients, combining all ingredients, folding in chopped apples, topping with crumbs and baking.

Crumble Muffins on parchment on a wire rack with more muffins, milk and apples in the background.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

For fluffier, more domed muffins allow the batter to rest overnight in the fridge or for at least 2 hours before baking.
Starting with a hot oven temperature of 425F also helps create domed muffin tops. Reduce the oven temperature after 5-8 minutes when muffins rise about a ¼ inch above the tops of the pan.
For larger crumbs, press and form them into large chunks on top of the muffins before baking.

Which apples are best for baking?

Some examples of apples that are good for baking include honeycrisp, granny smith, pink lady, jonagold and braeburn.

Why are my apple muffins dry?

If your apple muffins are dry, you likely overbaked them. Every oven is different, so check your muffins 2 minutes earlier than the recipe says to avoid overbaking.

Can you freeze apple muffins?

Apple muffins freeze well. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in a zipper freezer bag for the best results. They will last around 3 months.

Close up of a cut open apple crumb muffins with more muffins in the background.

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Spiced Apple Sour Cream Muffins with Crumb Topping

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Author: Sabrina Russo
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins 1x

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Description

Spiced Apple Sour Cream Muffins are a tasty fall treat made even better with a sweet and buttery crumb topping.

Ingredients

Scale

Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves
¾ teaspoon kosher salt (½ tsp fine salt)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces whole milk or milk of choice (¼ cup plus 2 tbsp), at room temperature
1 to 2 medium apples (honeycrisp, granny smith, pink lady or apple of choice)
1 lemon

Topping:

¾ cup flour
⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
¼ teaspoon kosher salt (⅛ tsp fine salt)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Powdered sugar for topping (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat oven and prep pan. If you’re planning to bake the muffins the day you make the batter, heat oven to 425F. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 liners.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground spices.
Mix wet ingredients: Using a standing mixer or large bowl and beaters, cream together butter and sugars on medium to medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Incorporate eggs, one at time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla.
Combine wet and dry: Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients in 2-3 additions, alternating with the milk. Mix over low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Refrigerate batter (optional): For extra fluffy domed muffins, cover and refrigerate batter overnight or for at least two hours. Preheat oven to 425F and line muffin tin with paper liners when you’re ready to bake.
Add apples: Peel and core apples. Chop into ½ inch pieces. Squeeze over lemon, as needed, to prevent browning. Stir into batter.
Make topping: In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, spices and salt. Stir in melted butter and create crumbs.
Bake: Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle crumb topping over muffins. Bake on center rack of oven for about 5-8 minutes or until muffins rise about ¼ inch above the tops of the pans. Reduce temperature to 350F (do not open door!). Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack and cool completely. Top with powdered sugar, if desired. Enjoy.

Notes

Feel free to substitute pumpkin spice seasoning for the individual spices. Use 1 ½ teaspoons for the muffins and ½ teaspoon for the topping.
You can substitute whole fat, plain Greek yogurt for sour cream.
Store at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the fridge for 3-5 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
To freeze, I find they keep best wrapped in plastic and stored in a freezer bag.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American