Apple Streusel Muffins. Delicious brunch treats feature brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste, and fresh grated apple. Jumbo muffins topped with a brown sugar cinnamon pecan streusel, before being baked until golden. Crunchy topping drizzled with vanilla bean glaze before serving.


Tis the season. Fall holiday treats. These jumbo, bakery-style brown sugar cinnamon apple muffins with a crunchy pecan streusel are perfect comfort food. For good measure they are drizzled with a vanilla bean glaze to add even more flavor.
I chose Honeycrisp apples for these muffins as its well documented how much I love to eat and bake with them. The apple is a bit heavy on apple juice when grated, so be sure to give the apple a good squeeze between some paper towels to remove some moisture.
This recipe is versatile. Mini, regular, or jumbo muffins; cupcakes, mini cakes, and layer cakes can be created from the same formula. Adjustments to the amount of time in the oven are all that’s needed to bake up a variety of different treats.

Why You Should Make These Muffins
- the pecan streusel can be prepared several days in advance.
- perfect everyday breakfast or brunch treat.
- the cinnamon apple muffin pairs perfectly with the brown sugar pecan streusel.
- batter works for muffins, cupcakes, or mini cakes.
- muffins store well in airtight container for several days.


How To Make These Apple Streusel Muffins
Chopped pecans, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour and melted butter are added to a small mixing bowl. The mix is stirred to combine. Cold butter is cut into the pecan mixture with the back of a fork or a pastry cutter. The streusel can be refrigerated for several days.
The oven is preheated to 350 degrees F. A 6-cup jumbo muffin pan is lightly coated with cooking spray.
All-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and fine sea salt are added to a small mixing bowl, whisked to combine, and set aside.
Two eggs, light brown sugar and granulated sugar are added to a stand mixer. The mix is beaten on low speed, using a paddle attachment, until smooth and creamy.
Vanilla bean paste and vegetable oil are added to the sugar mixture and beaten on low speed until smooth and incorporated.
The bowl is removed from the stand mixer and half the flour mixture is folded in using a large spatula. The remaining flour is folded in. The grated apple is folded in. Over mixing is avoided.
The muffin batter is divided evenly between the prepared muffin cups using an ice cream scoop or large spoon. Muffin batter is topped liberally with pecan streusel.
Muffins are baked in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins cooled to room temperature.
Powdered sugar, whole milk, and vanilla bean paste are whisked together in small bowl and drizzled over muffins.


Other Muffin Recipes You Might Enjoy
Some of our most popular muffin recipes include peach blueberry muffins, pumpkin banana chocolate muffins, raspberry blueberry muffins, and banana pecan muffins.
Find Tartistry on: Pinterest Instagram and Facebook. Please feel free to leave comments and questions below. I would love to hear from you.

Apple Streusel Muffins
Equipment
- 1 (6-cavity) muffin pan
Ingredients
Streusel:
- 60 grams finely chopped pecans (1/2 cup)
- 100 grams packed light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 3 grams ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 95 grams all-purpose flour (3/4 cup)
- 28 grams unsalted butter, melted (2 tablespoons)
- 56 grams unsalted butter, cold + cubed (4 tablespoons)
Apple Muffins:
- 187 grams all-purpose flour (1-1/2 cups)
- 10 grams baking powder (2 teaspoons)
- 1 grams ground cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon)
- 3 grams fine sea salt (1/2 teaspoon)
- 100 grams eggs (2 large), room temperature
- 100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 100 grams light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 5 grams vanilla bean paste or extract (1 teaspoon)
- 120 grams vegetable oil (1/2 cup)
- 1 cup peeled grated apple, squeezed in paper towels
Vanilla Bean Glaze:
- 45 grams powdered sugar (1/3 cup)
- 45 grams whole milk or heavy cream (3 tablespoons)
- 3 grams vanilla bean paste or extract (1/2 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 6-cavity jumbo muffin-pan with paper liners or coat cups with nonstick cooking spray.
Pecan Streusel:
- Add finely chopped pecans, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and melted butter are added to a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Cut in cold, cubed unsalted butter with the back of a fork or a pastry cutter. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Apple Muffins:
- Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and fine sea salt to small mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Add eggs, light brown sugar and granulated sugar to stand mixer. Beat on low with paddle attachment until smooth.
- Add vanilla bean paste and vegetables oil. Beat on low until smooth.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Fold in half the flour mixture with a large spatula. Fold in the remaining flour mixture and grated apples with a large spatula.
- Divide the muffin batter between the prepared muffin cups. Top liberally with streusel.
- Bake 25-30 minutes in preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove muffin pan from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Cool muffins completely before glazing.
Vanilla Bean Glaze:
- Add powdered sugar, whole milk, and vanilla bean paste to small bowl. Stir to combine. Drizzle over muffins before serving.