Recipes > Apple Streusel Muffins
This apple muffin recipe is easy to make and the muffins stay moist for a few days...not that they will last that long!
Evelyn Jane Girard
- Serves: 1 dozen
- Active Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Views: 45,090
- Success Rating: 99% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Measuring the Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream
Method
First preheat your oven to 400° F (205° C). Lightly grease a muffin tin and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Whisk in the sour cream and oil until smooth. Set aside.
Step 2: Measuring the Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Method
Sift all of the ingredients into a large bowl.
Step 3: Gathering the Streusel Ingredients
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cold, unsalted butter
Method
Gather the ingredients and set aside.
Step 4: Mixing the Streusel Topping
Method
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry knife or fork. Once the mixture forms coarse crumbs, set aside.
Step 5: Preparing the Fruit
- 1 cup chopped apple (or pear)
Method
Wash and peel the apples. Cut into roughly 1/2" -inch cubes and set aside.
If using pears, it is best to use ones that are still a bit firm and are not fully ripened.
Step 6: Mixing the Batter
Method
To make the batter, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir until nearly combined. It is ok if you see a bit of dry ingredients as the batter will be mixed a bit more when you incorporate the fruit. Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough.
Fold in the apples until just incorporated.
Step 7: Filling the Muffin Tin
Method
Divide the batter evenly in the muffin tin and then sprinkle with the streusel topping. Place directly into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
Step 8: Checking the Muffins for Doneness
Method
To check if the muffins are done, insert a wooden skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, remove from the oven.
Step 9: Serving the Muffins
Method
Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for about 10 minutes. Remove and serve.
Chef's Notes
- by Evelyn Jane Girard
- •
- August 23, 2009
These muffins are particularly delicious with apples or pears but other types of fruit, such as berries, can be substituted.
23 Comments
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Remarkable - that's what my husband said when he tasted these. I was worried that my pear was too hard but it softened very nicely when baked. I was also concerned that they were going to bake over the pan as it seemed like there was a lot of batter for 12 muffins. But they turned out beautifully. I reduced the amount of cinnamon a bit to suit our tastes. Will definitely make these again. -
Could you substitute the sour cream for Mascarpone? They seem to be the same thickness, so I gather the measurements would be the same? Or does the high fat content of Mascarpone call for an adjustment to the amount of oil too? -
Rouxbe Staff
My guess is that mascarpone would just make the muffins a bit richer. I think it would be fine - just give it a try and see if you like the results - you might discover a real winner. Mascarpone can be quite expensive though. It's up to you but you may not notice a big difference in flavor, so they might turn out to be expensive muffins when they don't need to be. If you decide to go for it, let us know how they turn out. Happy baking! -
The hardest part of this recipe is waiting the 10 minutes for the muffins to cool down before gobbling them up! I used light sour cream (5% M.F.) and they still taste great. If my math is correct, they are about 220 calories each which is far better than similar store bought muffins. I will definitely be using this recipe again! -
It looks like I can't win them all :) Last night I started to make these muffins and in the middle of mixing I realized the sour cream I wanted to use had expired and tasted funny, so I had to substitute it with what I could find in the fridge, and that was whipping cream. Another change that I had to make is using just backing powder, since there was no more baking soda in the kitchen (It on the grocery list now!). I'm not fan of changing recipe when trying them out for the first time, but I had no choice. The end result were soft muffins which were somewhat hard to get out of the tin in one piece (I mostly managed, breaking two of them). Muffins have decent taste, however, I do miss fullness (richness) of the taste. I guess it's the whipping cream that's responsible for that? I think I had some cooking cream, not sure if that would have been better replacement? I haven't make muffins for very long time, so I made another mistake to put too much batter into muffin tin, but that was just presentation problem since it had risen to much while in the oven and resulting muffins where not as good looking as the could have been. I guess when you're not a pro there is some part of luck involved :)
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Good for you for trying to improvise; however changing ingredients such as baking powder for baking soda and adding a more liquidy ingredient instead will definitely impact the final result, especially when it comes to baking. I would say try them again with the correct ingredients and see how you like them then. Cheers! -
Thank you adding the suggestion of using other fruit at the bottom of this recipe. I had Rainier cherries, so decided to make cherry streusel muffins. I added some sliced almonds to the streusel topping and also dripped on some lemon flavored icing. So good!
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I have a couple question regarding muffins. In this case, why is oil called instead of butter? Wouldn't butter give a better taste? The other question was, why do many muffins recipes call for melted butter instead of butter that has been creamed with a mixer? Are the results different? Thanks for you help. -
Rouxbe Staff
Muffins often call for oil because it makes them moist and provides a denser texture. Yes, butter tastes better, but it's just the way some recipes are. With oil, you don't have to take that extra step of melting or creaming it. When it comes to melting or creaming butter, again, this has to do with texture. Creamed butter and sugar provides more air in the batter and can make the muffins lighter in texture. This will be covered in more detail in a lesson on basic mixing methods. Cheers!
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Thanks so much for your input...in the meantime, while the next lesson is ready, is there any favorite muffin's recipe book you would recommend? I am trying to reproduce a heavenly muffin that I had in New York from the Petrossian pastry shop that was light and absolutely delicious. Best pastries I have ever had in the United States.
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This particular muffin book seems to have some pretty solid reviews. Cheers!
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Hi guys, I'd like to double this wonderful recipe for my rather large family, but I only have half the needed amount of sour cream. Could I substitute cream cheese? I usually use Greek yogurt but am short at the moment. I use whole wheat flour and half the amount of sugar and they come out lovely! -
Rouxbe Staff
Cream cheese is rather thick, so you may need to mix the softened cream cheese with some of your Greek yogurt (or buttermilk) to obtain a similar consistency to the sour cream, but I think it should be fine. Keep in mind though that there is always a risk when making substitutions to baking formulas. Cheers!
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I started Rouxbe a couple years ago around the same time I discovered Michael Ruhlman's book Ratio. Learning to cook (especially bake) by weight instead of volume and using ratios instead of recipes has been tremendously liberating and empowering. Now, whenever I'm tempted to try a recipe, like these muffins, I always cross check it with the suggested ratio to see how it compares and figure out why and what made it turn out the way it did. According to the book, the suggested base ratio for muffins is 2 parts flour : 2 parts liquid : 1 part egg : 1 part butter and the suggested baking time is 30 minutes at 350F degrees. I figured for this apple streusel muffin recipe the sour cream (I actually used yogurt) would be the "liquid" (apples add to the liquid too I assume), and the oil would be the "butter". Once I weighed everything out, this recipe ended up having a little larger proportion of flour and half the butter (oil) compared to the base ratio. I'm wondering since sour cream has more fat than a liquid like milk, is that why it calls for only half the butter? I'm also wondering why it called for higher baking temp and shorter bake time? I'm guessing it may have something to do with setting the streusel tops? My tops came out deliciously crispy compared to the moist inside. I'm curious what Rouxbe's take on this is, and using ratios in general. It would be great if Rouxbe would give weight equivalents for their baking recipes in the future. These muffins turned out great. Thanks! -
Rouxbe Staff
You hit the nail on the head when you said "suggested ratios". Most definitely there is a starting point with any baking formula, but until each ingredient and its functions are clearly understood can one start to make tweaks (additions/deletions/substitutions) to certain formulas. Each ingredient (yes, the sour cream adds more fat to the formula) impacts the other and will work in harmony if the formula is a good one. So, in baking, once you find a good formula, it is best to stick with it. The baking temperature is leaning a bit towards the high side but some muffin formulas even call for higher temperatures (up to 425F). It just depends on the formula. If it has rich ingredients, it may need that good blast of heat in the oven to help it rise and also cook quickly. And you're right, it helps to crisp up the topping. Quick Breads is on our lesson radar and we'll be able to cover that subject in more detail at that time. Yes, I agree that baking formulas should also display their weight counterparts because it is so much easier to prepare your mise en place. Cups and spoons are provided primarily for the beginner baker because many don't own a scale. However, as we move more towards pastry, you will see more and more measurements by weight. In the meantime, Happy baking! Cheers!
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Hi..My oven has both bake and convection bake settings...I usually like to use tge convectiion bake setting...would it be ok for this recipie? Thx much. -
Can I use any type of apple?
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Golden delicious, Granny Smith, Crispin, Cortland, and Winesap apples will work. Cheers!
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I used convection bake and followed recipie..Love this recipe...muffins were great!!!..was wondering if u have a recipie for a moist pound cake? (ENTENMMANS STYLE)
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Unfortunately, we do not have a pound cake recipe. Perhaps someone else out there may be able to help you out. Alternatively, you may want to do an online search? You may want to search the "images" tab online as well, as this will allow you to hopefully look to see if there is one that matches the type and look of what you are looking for. If you have a pinterest account, you can go here to see many recipes with pictures http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=pound+cake Good luck. Please let us know if you find one that you love. Cheers!
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I have done searches...but cant seem to find the moist pound cake that entenmanns sells...if someone reads this and has one...eould be so greatly appreciated...Thx
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Can I serve these muffins with cream -
Rouxbe Staff
Sure, Angela - you can serve them any way you'd like to. ~Ken
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