These apple cinnamon streusel muffins are sweet and crunchy thanks to a streusel topping, and packed with nutritious carrots and zucchini. Make a double batch and enjoy one now, and save one for breakfast or snacks the next day!
The air is crisp and the winds are strong. The boots and sweaters are out. It's definitely fall here in the Pacific Northwest, and for me that means apples and baked goods!
We love cooking with apples and baking with them! They enhance fall dishes like Pork Tenderloin with Hard Cider, Apples, and Sage or Roasted Brussels Sprouts. And they are perfect for tasty treats like Apple Pie Bars, Skillet Apple Crisp, Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts, and Apple Fritters.
We had so many apples from the recent trip with Travel Oregon to Kiyowaka Family Orchards. So We decided to make healthy apple cinnamon muffins.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
We cannot emphasize enough how much the family has LOVED these cinnamon streusel muffins for almost two decades.
The son once declared these muffins to be the best We have ever made. Both kids when they were toddlers said they could not even tell there were vegetables in the muffins.
These muffins are:
- Fun and simple to make
- Light and fluffy
- Topped with a crunchy, sweet, absolutely tasty streusel topping
🍏 Ingredients
These delectable muffins are packed with healthy fruits and vegetables.
There are two secret ingredients that make these healthy apple cinnamon muffins so soft and tender. It's thanks to the added moisture from the grated carrots and zucchini.
We use finely grated – not shredded veggies – because that helps bring out the liquids in the veggies and helps them blend in more in the muffins.
The full ingredient measurements are in the printable recipe card below. To start, you'll need:
- green apples
- carrots
- zucchini
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- baking soda
- baking powder
- vanilla extract
- large eggs
- almond milk
- ground cinnamon
- butter
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375° degrees. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin/cupcake liners. Set aside.
Make the streusel topping
- In a medium or large bowl, sift together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and green apple until well blended.
- Using your hands or two forks, add the cubes of butter and knead them into the dry mixture until you get a nice crumble. Set aside.
Make the muffins
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer over a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars until well blended, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and the almond milk.
- With the mixer on slow speed, gently add the green apples, carrots, and zucchini. Mix for 1-2 minutes until well blended.
- While the wet ingredients are mixing, in a separate, large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well blended.
- Using a medium cookie scooper or spoon, fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way.
- Top each muffin cup with enough streusel to cover the top of the muffin batter.
- Bake at 375° degrees for 22-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick placed in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
👩🏻🍳 Baking and muffin FAQs
Store baked muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. You can also freeze them in freezer-safe containers for up to two months.
How can We make these muffins even healthier?You can do a few things to make these tasty muffins even healthier. You can omit the streusel topping, and replace the sugar with an all-natural sweetener.
More muffin recipes
Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins with Lemon- Double Berry Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Best Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 12 muffins
These cinnamon streusel muffins have fruits and veggies and are great for breakfast or as a snack!
Equipment
- 12-cup Muffin Pan
Ingredients
Muffins
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond milk
- ½ cup peeled and diced green apples
- ¼ cup finely grated carrots
- ¼ cup finely grated zucchini
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup finely diced and peeled green apple
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375° degrees. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin/cupcake liners. Set aside.
Make the streusel topping
- In a medium or large bowl, sift together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and green apple until well blended.
- Using your hands or two forks, add the cubes of butter and knead them into the dry mixture until you get a nice crumble. Set aside.
Make the muffins
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer over a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars until well blended, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and the almond milk.
- With the mixer on slow speed, gently add the green apples, carrots, and zucchini. Mix for 1-2 minutes until well blended.
- While the wet ingredients are mixing, in a separate, large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well blended.
- Using a medium cookie scooper or spoon, fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way.
- Top each muffin cup with enough streusel to cover the top of the muffin batter.
- Bake at 375° degrees for 22-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick placed in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Notes
You can also make these muffins without the streusel topping for a healthier version, but the streusel topping truly adds a nice buttery crunch to these muffins.Nutrition
Calories: 286 kcal, Carbohydrates: 49 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 47 mg, Sodium: 283 mg, Potassium: 99 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 27 g, Vitamin A: 737 IU, Vitamin C: 2 mg, Calcium: 60 mg, Iron: 2 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.