Once you bite into one of these applesauce crumb muffins, you'll be hooked on the moist, tender texture and buttery, spiced apple flavor. They taste like straight-up fall, y'all!
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my applesauce bread with brown sugar streusel, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Simple to Make - You only need a handful of everyday ingredients for this applesauce streusel muffin recipe and no kitchen appliances besides the oven. It's a quick and easy recipe with a short bake time so you won't have to wait long to treat yourself!
A Joy to Eat - These apple muffins come out soft, moist, and buttery with a tender crumb. You'll taste delicately sweet, fruity apple flavor with subtle notes of molasses, maple, and warming spices. And the contrast of the soft muffin and crunchy brown sugar crumb topping gives them a bakery quality at home!
If Fall is your favorite baking season, try my salted caramel sweet potato bars, pumpkin cake donuts, fresh pear cobbler, and pumpkin apple cake with maple frosting next!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Unsweetened Applesauce gives these muffins their apple flavor with a touch of natural sweetness. And adding applesauce to muffins makes them extra moist.
Brown Sugar and Maple Syrup add rich, woodsy sweetness. You can use either light or dark brown sugar.
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger add warmth and depth to the apple flavor, making the muffins nice and cozy.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Size - This recipe makes 12 standard-size muffins, six jumbo apple streusel muffins, or 24 mini muffins.
Vegan - Use dairy-free butter and plant-based egg options to make the muffins vegan.
How to Make Applesauce Muffins from Scratch
- Step One: Whisk together the flour, rising agents, salt, and spices. (Photo One)
- Step Two: Mix the sugar, butter, eggs, maple syrup, and applesauce, then combine with the dry mixture. (Photos Two and Three)
- Step Three: Combine the crumble ingredients in another bowl. (Photo Four)
Pro Tip #1
Mix the batter ingredients until just combined with no dry pockets remaining. Don't over mix it, as this can result in stodgy muffins.
- Step Four: Divide the batter evenly between the wells of your muffin tin, then do the same with the crumb streusel mixture, pressing it gently into the muffin batter. (Photos Five and Six)
- Step Five: Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until golden brown. (Photo Seven)
Frequently Asked Questions
Store at room temperature in a bread box or loosely wrap each muffin in a couple layers of paper towels, then store in an airtight container. They will keep for up to four days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for the best texture if you want to enjoy them warm.
Cool the muffins to room temperature, then wrap each one in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place into an airtight, freezer-safe container. Once frozen, they'll keep for up to three months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature or in the oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Serve
These moist apple crumble muffins are amazing served warm, but also taste great at room temperature. And they're nice and buttery, so there's no need to add a swipe of butter or anything. They stand on their own!
Enjoy your applesauce crumb cake muffins with a balanced breakfast or as a sweet treat with coffee or tea--like my apple butter chai or sweet potato latte. And, of course, they make a fab fall dessert.
More Favorite Apple Dessert Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy these easy applesauce muffins with crumb topping soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Moist Applesauce Crumb Muffins
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 silicone spatula or kitchen spoon
- 1 wire cooling rack optional
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 2 ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg plus one egg yolk
- 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Crumb Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-count cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
- Make the Muffin Batter: Add applesauce, butter, brown sugar, egg and egg yolk, and maple syrup to a mixing bowl and stir until combined.2 ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce, ⅔ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add flour mixture to applesauce mixture and stir until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Do not over mix the batter.
- Make the Crumb Topping: In another bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, and salt until a crumbly topping forms.½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Assemble and Bake: Divide the muffin batter evenly between the lined cupcake wells, then sprinkle the crumb topping mixture over top, and gently press it into the batter.
- Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center-most muffins comes out clean. Cool in pan until comfortable to handle (about 20 minutes), then transfer to a wire cooling rack or serve warm.
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