Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

Cake on the go or not. I love coffee cake but it can be pretty messy. I decided I wanted coffee cake muffins. I mean really, who doesn’t love muffins? I didn’t even care if the final product turned out fragile and messy as regular coffee cake sometimes can be. And of course, I had plenty of apples to throw in the mix and apples in anything breakfast related is almost always a bonus. My mission was to find a recipe or a few to create amazing coffee cake muffins, with apples. Success!

The final product is so delicious. I ate one and went back for another. And had another as an after dinner snack. Don’t laugh, you’d do it too! When something is that good it’s hard to resist. They’re not fluffy and flakey like I am use to but oh I so do not care. Unlike some muffins, these are super moist and I think both the yogurt and apples play a big role in that. The topping is slightly crumbly but not so much that you go to bite and it goes everywhere. I’m serious, this is now a contender for my favorite muffin. It would absolutely work with bunches of other fruit too. There seem to be so many possibilities!

Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 12

Ingredients

Muffins:

  • 1/2 C unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 C all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 C plain yogurt
  • 2 C apples

Crumb topping:

  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 1/2 C all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 Tb unsalted butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F°. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Scrape down sides of your bowl and add in eggs. Beat well. Add in baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and half of your flour. Mix for 30 seconds or so. It doesn't have to be fully combined just yet. Add in half of your yogurt. Mix in. Add in remaining flour and yogurt, mix well. Remember to scrape down your bowl several times.
  • Peel and cut apples into cubes. When adding apples into an items such as this, I like the apple pieces to be a nice size. Too small and you won't get that nice apple piece when you bite in. Stir 2 cups of apples into your batter. Spray a regular 12 cup muffin pan with Pam for baking. Ahh the yummy smell. Divide batter evenly between cups but do not fill more than 3/4 full. I filled maybe that  much and mine still spilled out a bit. So 2/3 or even half full might be a better option. If you have a large muffin tin you could try that as well. I had leftover batter after filling my muffin pan and used the rest for a mini springform pan. Just remember to spray whatever pan you use. It will make removal of your muffins very easy.
  • In a medium bowl, mix ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Pea size is good. Top off muffins by using a spoon. You may have to use your finger to help the crumbs off of the spoon. Start off with one spoonful per muffin. Then go back and use any remaining topping to fill in spots you  may have missed. Do use all of the topping.
  • Bake time will vary depending on the size of your muffins. My regular muffins were done at 20 minutes. Anything larger should be cooked for 30-40 minutes. You want to start testing smaller items, like regular muffins, at the 15 minute mark and 25 minutes for larger items. Use a toothpick or cake tester, insert it into the muffin. When it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, they are done.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes on the counter. I then popped my pans directly in the fridge for a faster cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

An original recipe from Baked by Rachel
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34 Responses to “Apple Coffee Cake Muffins”

  1. #
    1
    Diana — April 28, 2010 at 6:49 pm

    I’m definitely not laughing – you are talking to the girl who would regularly eat 3 muffins for breakfast growing up. I think I could easily do the same with these coffee cake apple ones. Yum!

  2. #
    2
    Gali — December 1, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    That sounds like such a lovely autumn treat. Nothing beats toffee and warm apples when it’s cold outside.

  3. #
    3
    Gali — December 1, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    Bah. Coffee, not toffee. Sometimes I should reread myself more carefully.

    (although toffee and apples go together too)

  4. #
    4
    Ani — December 6, 2010 at 12:32 pm

    These muffins completely fell apart.

    • #
      4.1
      Rachel — December 6, 2010 at 12:47 pm

      I’m sorry you had issues with these. I’ve made them many times without a single problem. They’ve always been super moist and have never had one fall apart on me. Prior to baking the mixture should be very wet but thick even before the addition of apples. Perhaps your oven temp was too high or they were cooked too long? I always begin checking my baked goods several minutes earlier than I think they should be done, especially if it’s a new recipe. Each muffin, cupcake and bread cooks very different from the next. Let me know if I can be of any help.

  5. #
    5
    Sharon — January 30, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    Moist and delicious! Thanks for sharing! I was looking for something easy to serve to a bunch of guys as a thank you for clearing the snow from my driveway. I used half cup yogurt and half cup sour cream just because I ran out of yogurt and they were still super yummy. I was also able to make 24 standard muffins with the amount of batter from this recipe (I filled them only about half full with batter because I usually have overflow). They didn’t overflow this time and I ended up doubling the crumb topping because I used all of it on the first 12! Second time around though I tried the crumb topping with only 3 Tbsp of butter instead of 4 to see the difference and the batch with 3Tbsp was a little “crumbier” when you bit into it but I thought it had a nicer presentation, but both were delicious – just a matter of personal preference.

    Thanks again – will definitely make this again!

  6. #
    6
    Angela — April 26, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    Turned out awesome…but…I changed things up a tad.

    I used whole wheat flour instead of white and 1 1/2 c along with 1 c quick oats…I also used Fat-Free sour cream instead of plain yogurt…I also used 1/4 c clear benefiber for an extra fiber boost good for the whole family!

    • #
      6.1
      Rachel — April 26, 2011 at 2:04 pm

      Sounds like some great healthy alternatives :) I’m glad you liked them even with the changes you made. They’re probably one of my all time favorite muffins. They never last long around here. Thanks for coming back to share your results!

  7. #
    7
    Angela — April 26, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    Oh and I forgot I used Splenda Brown Sugar blend instead…you use half as much as regular brown sugars and 1/2 the calories.

  8. #
    8
    Jen — May 19, 2011 at 10:54 am

    These sounds fab! I need to make some muffins for my fiance to take to work tomorrow. About how many muffins does this recipe make?

    • #
      8.1
      Rachel — May 19, 2011 at 12:16 pm

      It seems to make a bit over a dozen. You could probably get 15 or so from one batch if making all regular sized muffins. Good luck! :)

  9. #
    9
    Gayle — November 15, 2011 at 11:23 am

    What a wonderful recipe! Our school’s food class made these muffins (11 batches) to serve to veterans and their families on Veterans Day. The recipe was easy for the students to follow, to still practice different techniques, and to reinforce cooking terms. The muffins were a hit!

    • #
      9.1
      Rachel — November 15, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      I’m so glad you came back to share this! It was such a nice gesture for the students to do that and I hope a fun experience in the kitchen as well!

  10. #
    10
    Andrea — January 24, 2012 at 12:04 pm

    These muffins are delicious! Every morning on the way to school, my son demands a fruit explosion muffin from Tim Hortens. Those days are over. These beat Tim’s any day. Thank you

    • #
      10.1
      Rachel — January 24, 2012 at 12:59 pm

      So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for letting me know. Now you have me craving these, must remember to pickup yogurt soon. ;)

  11. #
    11
    Lauren — March 31, 2012 at 8:04 pm

    These muffins were delicious! I have been looking for a good coffee cake recipe as my husband loves it, finally I’ve found one he can’t stop smiling while he eats! Thank you!

    • #
      11.1
      Rachel — March 31, 2012 at 9:12 pm

      So glad you both enjoyed them! Thanks for coming back to let me know. :)

  12. #
    12
    Lauren — March 31, 2012 at 8:06 pm

    oh yeah, I had to improvise as I only had 3/4 cup yogurt, so I added 1/4 cup almond milk and the muffins were successful

  13. #
    13
    Sarah — July 31, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    These were awesome!!! I doubled the topping also and used every last yummy crumb. It made a lot more muffins than expected.

  14. #
    14
    Donna — April 1, 2013 at 9:40 am

    Instead of yogurt can I substitute sour cream. My church will putting on a May breakfast and I thought these muffins would be great! Have you ever doubled the recipe!…thanks

    • #
      14.1
      Rachel — April 1, 2013 at 10:02 am

      I haven’t personally used sour cream for this recipe but typically you can interchange yogurt and sour cream without issue. I have not doubled this recipe but that shouldn’t be an issue. Just fill and bake as directed for a regular batch. Enjoy!

  15. #
    15
    Corinna Gardner — August 24, 2013 at 6:14 pm

    Sound lovely but why are they called Apple “COFFEE” cake muffins…?

    • #
      15.1
      Rachel — August 25, 2013 at 7:48 am

      Why is the common dish called coffee cake if there isn’t coffee in it? :) Same reason here… it’s an airy, moist breakfast cake enjoyed with coffee (should you choose).

  16. #
    16
    Natalia — October 29, 2014 at 7:43 pm

    Absolutely delicious recipe ! As soon as I saw these I knew I had to make them and had my already high expectations exceeded. I followed the recipe to a T, the only very minor thing I changed was adding walnuts to the crumb topping because I just love them and couldn’t resist. Otherwise, perfect recipe I will definitely be making them again this fall. :)

    • #
      16.1
      Rachel — October 30, 2014 at 7:31 am

      So glad you enjoyed them! These are a favorite of mine. Thanks for sharing! :)

  17. #
    17
    Leisa Kosanke — November 4, 2016 at 6:08 pm

    How long would you recommend cooking these for mini bite sized muffins?

    • #
      17.1
      Rachel — November 5, 2016 at 7:16 am

      Typically you should reduce the time in half for mini muffins, but I’d start checking a tad earlier than that just in case. I don’t have an exact time for you since I haven’t made them mini but good luck!

  18. #
    18
    Andy Kayil — June 12, 2018 at 10:02 am

    It looks so tasty man thankyou for this. Gonna try this now :)

    • #
      18.1
      Rachel — June 25, 2018 at 7:44 am

      Enjoy!

  19. #
    19
    Shannon — October 1, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    Yum!!!! I added pecans! Soooo good!

    • #
      19.1
      Rachel — October 9, 2020 at 5:42 am

      So glad you enjoyed them!

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