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Apple Walnut Streusel Muffins, apple dessert recipes for fall
Brittany Stage

Apple Walnut Streusel Muffins

Tall, bakery-style muffins packed with fresh apple chunks and walnuts, topped with a thick cinnamon streusel that bakes into a crunchy, golden crust. No mixer needed and ready in about 35 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly, 1 stick
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk shaken
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1/3-inch cubes, about 2 medium apples
  • 3/4 cup walnuts roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for streusel
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar for streusel
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon for streusel
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt for streusel
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter cold and cut into small cubes, for streusel

Equipment

  • standard 12-cup muffin tin
  • paper muffin liners
  • large mixing bowl
  • medium mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • rubber spatula
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • fork for the streusel

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
  2. Make the streusel first so it can chill a bit while you mix the batter. In a medium bowl, combine the streusel flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingertips or a fork to work the butter into the dry mixture until it forms coarse, pea-size clumps. You want chunky pieces, not a fine sand. Place the bowl in the freezer while you make the batter.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and granulated sugar.
  4. In a separate smaller bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla until combined.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir just until the flour is mostly incorporated. A few small streaks of flour are okay at this point. Add the chopped apples and walnuts and fold them in with 3 to 4 more strokes. Stop as soon as everything is combined. Overmixing is the number one reason muffin tops turn out flat and the crumb turns tough.
  6. Divide the batter among the 12 lined cups. Fill each cup nearly to the top, leaving about 1/4 inch of space. This is what creates that bakery-style domed top. A generous fill gives you more surface area for the streusel too.
  7. Take the streusel out of the freezer. Press a generous pinch of streusel onto the top of each muffin cup, pressing it down very lightly so it sticks. Do not be shy here. A thick layer of streusel is the whole point of these muffins.
  8. Bake on the center rack for 20 to 22 minutes. The muffins are done when the streusel is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a middle muffin comes out clean with no wet batter. The tops should feel firm when you press them gently.
  9. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. They are good warm, but the streusel crisps up more as they cool. Wait at least 10 minutes before eating so you do not burn your mouth on a hot apple chunk inside.

Notes

Fill the muffin cups nearly to the top for tall, domed bakery-style results. A half-full cup gives you flat tops with less streusel coverage. Cold butter in the streusel is important for getting those chunky, crunchy clumps.