Apple Cider Streusel Muffins

Cozy up this fall with a batch of Apple Cider Streusel Muffins – with fresh apple pieces, lots of cinnamon, and a crisp streusel topping, these are irresistible! Not to mention if you drizzle a bit of apple cider icing on top.

We’re officially deep into apple season. And what’s not to love about juicy, tart, slightly sweet apples?

They make excellent pies, crisps, cupcakes, and of course, muffins.

Apple Cider Streusel Muffins aren’t just any muffins either. The beauties are bites of perfection. Bites that you won’t be able to get enough of. Bites that bring a twinge of nostalgia and overwhelming joy.

Yes, I said overwhelming joy. It’s real, my friends.

Growing up as this 90s-child, there were a lot of boxed foods in my life.

Especially muffin mixes.

And I loved them. Especially the ones with the little cans of fruit.

Now, I rarely eat from a box (I won’t mention the stress-eating-mac-and-cheese nights). But that doesn’t mean I don’t still crave warm, cinnamon filled apple muffins with little bits of apple spread throughout.

Solution: Homemade Apple Cider Struesel Muffins.

If you love fruit in muffins, you’re going to love these. They came to be kind of “accidentally” when I was making these Apple Cider Cupcakes (ahem, with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting).

One bite of the frosting-less cupcake though and I was immediately 8 years old again, watching Saturday morning cartoons with a plate of warm apple muffins. And I KNEW I had to also turn the recipe into muffins. It was fate, it had to happen.

I’ve only made them about 82 times since I first tested them three weeks ago.

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins

As any simple muffin recipe, it’s a matter of mixing wet ingredients and dry just until combined. That. Easy.

1. Make that streusel! You want to do this first so it has a little bit of time to “dry” and form some nice sugary crumbles. Stir together the flour, brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon – then set aside. I like to mix it up with a fork to encourage more clumping.
2. Mix up those dry ingredients – then set aside.
3. Whisk together the wet ingredients.
4. Wet ingredients are mixed into dry ingredients – and ONLY UNTIL MIXED!
5. Gently fold in the apple pieces.
6. Fill up your muffin tins, top with streusel, bake.
7. Gobble up. Trust me, you won’t be able to stop.

Oh, and as an extra bonus, top the cinnamon apple muffins with not only the streusel but an apple cider icing. A quick mix of powdered sugar and cider results in a luxurious icing that is perfect for drizzling on top of the muffins!

What makes this recipe work?

Let me count the ways!

• For starters, the ultra-moist muffins themselves.
• They are SUPER easy to make!
• Loaded with cinnamon – oh, hello warm cinnamon.
• An intense apple flavor coming from the apple cider.
• Apple pieces! Hello, texture and flavor!
• STREUSEL! DRIZZLE! All the toppings you could ever want!

Not into streusel or drizzle? I’m happy to say the muffins themselves are a delectable breakfast treat!

This recipe was originally published in November 2018; the photos and text were updated for clarity in October 2019.

The post Apple Cider Streusel Muffins appeared first on Fork in the Kitchen.