Apple Crumble Muffins
These vegan apple crumble muffins are soft, spiced, and topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. The perfect cozy bake for breakfast!
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There’s something magical about pulling a tray of vegan apple crumble muffins out of the oven. The cinnamon-scented air, the golden crumbly topping, and that first bite where tender apple meets buttery streusel—it’s pure fall coziness in muffin form. I’ve created numerous muffin recipes over the years, but this one stands out as exceptional. It’s simple, reliable, and consistently earns rave reviews. Whether you’re baking for a lazy Saturday morning or packing a lunchbox treat, these muffins strike the perfect balance of wholesome comfort and sweet indulgence.
My Favorite Fall Breakfast
Sure, these muffins are a fall favorite, but I crave them year-round. Of course, saving them for the season makes them feel extra special, like a little autumn ritual.
They’re everything I want in a breakfast bake: soft, fluffy centers, warm spice in every bite, and a buttery crumble topping that feels straight out of a bakery case.
Plus, it comes together in about 30 minutes. That means I can satisfy a muffin craving without committing my whole day to the kitchen.
Watch How to Make These Muffins
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Apples – Go for a crisp, tart variety like Granny Smith, or a sweeter option like Honeycrisp. Dice them small so they bake evenly.
- All-Purpose Flour – The base of both muffins and topping. You can swap half with whole wheat pastry flour for extra heartiness.
- Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness and a touch of molasses depth. Both light or dark brown sugar work.
- Vegetable Oil – Neutral in flavor and keeps muffins tender. You can substitute melted coconut oil.
- Plant-Based Milk – Any unsweetened nondairy milk works—soy, almond, oat, or cashew.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Reacts with baking soda for lift. Lemon juice is a great substitute.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg – Classic warm spices. Don’t skip these because the muffins depend on them for cozy flavor.
- Vegan Butter – For the crumble topping. Coconut oil can also be used, but butter gives the best buttery flavor.
How to Make Apple Crumble Muffins
I love making muffins for breakfast when we have guests in town, for special occasions, on weekends, or just for random Tuesday fun. Obviously, I just love making muffins. Lol!
That’s why I prefer recipes that are manageable daily. It’s so easy to make these Apple Crumb Muffins!
Step One: Make the Crumble
I like to make the crumble first because once that muffin batter comes together, I want to top it with the crumble topping and get it in the oven. That way, the baking soda can do its thing to make the muffins rise.
This crumble is so easy. To give the crispy, caramelized topping we crave, I’m using a higher sugar-to-butter ratio.
So, to make it, simply combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in softened vegan butter with a fork until it forms coarse crumbs. Now, set that aside and let’s move on to the muffin magic.
Step Two: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, oil, plant-based milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. I like to get it a good stir and then set it aside.
Step Three: Mix Dry Ingredients
In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Give it a good stir to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Step Five: Combine & Fold
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined (a few lumps are fine because you don’t want to overmix the batter).
Here’s my favorite part: Reserve some of those diced apples and then fold the rest into the batter. In the next step, we’ll make sure each muffin is infused with apple bites.
Step Six: Fill & Top
Divide batter evenly into muffin cups (about ¾ full). Add 1 or 2 reserved apple chunks to each muffin tin – this ensures that each muffin has delicious apple bites. Sprinkle each muffin generously with the crumble topping.
Step Seven: Bake, Cool, & Ice
Bake the muffins and then let them sit in the pan for around 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
To add icing drizzles, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar with a teaspoon of vanilla-flavored plant-based milk and stir to combine. Drizzle this over muffins immediately before serving for extra bits of sweetness in every bite.
Tips & Hacks
- For bakery-style tall muffins, start baking at 400°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F for the remainder of the time.
- Don’t overmix the batter—this keeps muffins light and fluffy.
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch, or drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze for extra indulgence.
Storage Tips
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Keeps for 7 days in a sealed container.
Freezer: Freeze up to 2 months. Wrap individually for easy grab-and-go breakfasts.
Recipe Test Kitchen
During testing, I identified several key adjustments that made a significant difference. Some muffins didn’t get as many apple bits as others. Reserving a few apple bits to distribute on top of each muffin before adding the crumble solved that problem. I also tested with white sugar, but brown sugar won out. Brown sugar adds warmth and moisture that the others lacked. Finally, I experimented with topping ratios and found that a slight extra crumble (about 1 tablespoon per muffin) was the sweet spot for achieving that bakery-style finish.
Vegan Apple Crumble Muffins
Ingredients
For the crumble topping:
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter , softened
For the muffins:
- ½ cup plant-based milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (substitute lemon juice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a muffin tin with 12 liners or lightly grease.
Crumble Topping
- Make crumble topping: In a small bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in vegan butter with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
Muffins
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, oil, milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Combine: Add dry mixture into wet, stirring gently until just combined (do not overmix). Fold in diced apples.
- Fill muffin tin: Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about ¾ full). Sprinkle each muffin generously with crumble topping.
- Bake: Bake 20–24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool & serve: Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Recommended Equipment
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Video
Notes
Optional add-ins:
- A handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
- Swap half the flour for whole wheat pastry flour for a heartier muffin.
- Add a drizzle of maple glaze for extra indulgence.
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Frequently-Asked Questions
Do I need to peel the apples?
I prefer peeling apples because the peels can be chewy in the muffins. That said, peeling is optional. You can leave the skins on for added fiber and a rustic look.
Can I double the recipe?
Absolutely. Just use two muffin pans or bake in batches.
Why are my muffins dense?
Overmixing the batter can make muffins dense. Stir gently until just combined.
More Apple Recipes
If you love this apple crumble muffin recipe, be sure to check out more of my favorite apple recipes!
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
4 Responses to Apple Crumble Muffins
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These are unbelievable. The challenge for me is having only one, they are so good!
Divine! I love that you listed the brand for each ingredient used in this recipe. Love spectrums apple cider 🙂
These scream Fall, my favorite kind of recipe right now. They look delicious! 🙂
Thanks Heather!I definitely hear them screaming – they’re saying “eat me”! I think I might hear them chattering about the beautiful fall weather too. 😉