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My husband used to stop at the bakery on the way to work for one apple crumb muffin, and the morning I set a whole pan of mine in front of him, he never stopped there again. These are the big bakery kind: a tall golden top that hangs over the paper, a tender inside full of soft little pieces of fresh apple, and a brown sugar crumb so thick it is half the muffin. They keep soft for days because of the sour cream, and they are the first thing gone from any breakfast table.
Most homemade muffins come out flat and small, and it has nothing to do with the recipe being wrong. It comes down to three things bakeries do and home cooks are told not to: a thick batter, cups filled right to the brim, and a very hot oven for the first few minutes. Here is exactly how to do all three, with the oven trick that gives the tall bakery tops.
Why this apple crumb muffins works
- A thick batter. Less liquid than an ordinary muffin batter, so it climbs up instead of spreading out.
- Full cups. Filling every cup to the brim gives each muffin enough batter to rise above the tin and form a dome.
- A hot start. Five minutes at 425 degrees sets the outside fast and pushes the tops up; the rest of the bake at 350 cooks the middle through without burning the crumb.
- Sour cream. It makes the crumb tender and keeps the muffins moist for three days.
- Raw apple, chopped small. Small pieces soften in the bake and spread the apple through every bite without making the batter wet.
- A thick crumb pressed on. Cold butter pinched into brown sugar and flour stays in clumps, and pressing it lightly keeps it from sliding off as the tops rise.
Ingredients
Makes 12 large muffins in a standard 12-cup muffin tin. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the crumb topping
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (95g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes (85g)
For the muffins
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (280g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (113g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream (180g)
- 1/4 cup milk (60ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped in 1/4 inch pieces (about 2 cups, 250g)
Use a firm, tart-sweet apple that holds its shape, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn. Soft apples turn to sauce and make the muffins wet.
How to make apple crumb muffins
Crumb topping
- In a bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cold butter and pinch it in with your fingertips until it forms clumps the size of peas and small marbles. Put the bowl in the refrigerator.
Muffins
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees (220°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease it well, including the top of the tin around each cup.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, milk and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in the chopped apple until no dry flour is left. The batter will be very thick; do not thin it.
- Let the batter rest in the bowl for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
- Divide the batter among the 12 cups. Each cup will be full to the brim and slightly mounded, which is what you want.
- Pile the crumb topping on the muffins, a big handful on each, and press it down very lightly with your palm so it sticks.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Without opening the door, turn the oven down to 350 degrees (175°C) and bake 15 to 18 minutes more, until the tops are golden and a toothpick in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift the muffins out onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips that make the difference
- Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much and makes the muffins dry.
- Do not overmix after the flour goes in. A few lumps are fine; overmixing makes tough, tunneled muffins.
- Keep the topping cold until the last moment so the butter stays in clumps and bakes crisp.
- Grease the top of the tin as well as the cups: the big tops spread over the rim and can stick.
- Every oven runs differently. Start checking at 15 minutes after the temperature drop.
Variations
- Pecan crumb. Add 1/3 cup chopped pecans to the crumb topping.
- Glazed. Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk and drizzle over the cooled muffins.
- Pear. Use two firm ripe pears in place of the apples.
- Apple cinnamon loaf. Bake the batter and crumb in a buttered 9x5 inch loaf pan at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the muffins in a container lined with a paper towel at room temperature for up to 3 days. The paper towel keeps the tops from going sticky.
Freeze the cooled muffins, wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm for 10 seconds in the microwave.
Frequently asked questions
How do bakeries get tall muffin tops?
A thick batter, cups filled to the brim and a very hot oven for the first few minutes. The heat sets the outside fast and forces the batter up instead of out.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes. Use full-fat plain Greek yogurt in the same amount. The muffins will be very slightly tangier.
Why did my crumb topping melt into the muffins?
The butter was too soft or the topping sat in a warm kitchen. Keep it in the refrigerator until the batter is in the cups.
Do I have to peel the apples?
No, but peeled apple pieces soften better and the muffins look like the bakery kind. Leave the skin on if you like the color.
Can I make them smaller?
Yes. Fill the cups three quarters full to make 16 muffins and bake about 3 minutes less after the temperature drop.
Set the pan on the table while they are still warm and see how long the bakery stop lasts at your house.
Apple Crumb Muffins (Tall Bakery Tops, Fresh Apple, Thick Cinnamon Crumb)
Bakery-style apple crumb muffins with tall domed tops, fresh diced apple and sour cream in a thick batter, and a thick brown sugar cinnamon crumb, started at 425 degrees and finished at 350.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped in 1/4 inch pieces
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cold butter and pinch it in with your fingertips until it forms clumps the size of peas and small marbles. Put the bowl in the refrigerator.
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees (220°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease it well, including the top of the tin around each cup.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, milk and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in the chopped apple until no dry flour is left. The batter will be very thick; do not thin it.
- Let the batter rest in the bowl for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
- Divide the batter among the 12 cups. Each cup will be full to the brim and slightly mounded, which is what you want.
- Pile the crumb topping on the muffins, a big handful on each, and press it down very lightly with your palm so it sticks.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Without opening the door, turn the oven down to 350 degrees (175°C) and bake 15 to 18 minutes more, until the tops are golden and a toothpick in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift the muffins out onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
