If you’re looking for a perfect cozy fall treat, these Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins are sure to deliver! They have a soft, tender crumb, sweet apples, and a buttery streusel top. They come together quickly using some pretty basic pantry ingredients, including a boxed cake mix. These make a fantastic addition to breakfast, an after school snack, or an evening treat.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Muffins
- Boxed cake mix – Yellow or white cake; I recommend Duncan Hines.
- Canola oil – Or other neutral oil.
- Pumpkin spice – You could also just use cinnamon.
- Eggs
- Sour cream – Full fat is best for a moist, tender crumb. You could also use plain Greek yogurt here.
- Vanilla extract
- Granny Smith apples – Really any apple will work, but tart baking apples are ideal.
- Lemon juice
- All-purpose flour
Streusel Topping
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Butter – Real butter please!
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins
- Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Peel and chop the apples and then toss them in about a tablespoon of lemon juice. Then sprinkle the apples with 2 tablespoons of flour and toss them well to combine. Set the apples aside.
- In a large bowl, combine a cake mix, oil, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in the apple mixture and then divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin tins.
- In a small bowl, whisk together a little cinnamon, all-purpose flour, and granulated sugar. Add a little softened butter and cut it in with two knives or a pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the cupcake batter.
- Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown on top and a pick inserted into the center of one of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans. Makes 24 muffins.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 5-6 days for best results.
- Wrap individual muffins in plastic before storing for an easy grab-and-go snack or lunch box treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! These muffins are perhaps even better after a day! Bake ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can wrap muffins individually and use throughout the week as needed as well.
Can I freeze these muffins?
Yep. Freeze muffins on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container for freezer storage for 2-3 months. For optimal freshness, you could wrap the muffins individually in plastic before the initial freeze as well. Use within 2-3 months.
Can I add nuts?
Sure! Chopped walnuts or pecans would be a great addition to the streusel topping.
Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins
A tender blend of cake mix, sour cream, and tart apples, topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel—perfect for breakfast or brunch bites.
Servings muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 yellow cake mix I recommend Duncan Hines
- ½ cup avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream I recommend full fat
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 oz peeled and finely chopped Granny Smith apples 2-3 apples, buy 1lb to be safe
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons butter cut into small squares
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lin 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
Streusel
- Whisk together sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the butter and use clean hands to gently toss and then smash the butter pieces into the mixture, crumbling until the mixture looks like sand. It's okay to have some larger bits of butter as well. Set aside.
Muffins
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat on low for 30 seconds to incorporate the ingredients and then beat on high for 3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, toss the chopped apples in the lemon juice and then add the flour and toss to coat evenly. Fold the apples into the cake batter and then Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full. It should make 24 muffins, with possibly just a bit leftover for a solo muffin depending on the size of your tins.
- Sprinkle streusel on top of muffins (about 2 teaspoons each.)
- Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. This really depends on your oven and the moisture content of your apples so use a skewer to check for doneness. Mine take about 18-20 minutes!
- Let cool slightly before enjoying, or serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 5-6 days for best results.
- Wrap individual muffins in plastic before storing for an easy grab-and-go snack or lunch box treat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 196kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 179mg, Potassium: 58mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 146IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 196kcal
Cost: $7
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Questions & Reviews
Made these this afternoon for a Sunday School treat and they are tasty! Thanks for another yummy treat! I’m going to throw the extras in the freezer for a quick breakfast on the way to work!
Made these last night, sooo yummy!
I wonder if using streusel on the bottom of the muffins also would give them a crust similiar to costco apple muffins? or do you think they add something else for the crust? either way, i am making these this weekend! 🙂
Made these for breakfast – they were yummy. I think next time I will make them for dessert and eat them with vanilla ice cream.
I have found that warm muffins often stick to the paper liners (and I make muffins in batches of 48). If you use a table knife to help separate it if you are trying to get a warm muffin out, it works a lot better.
Have you tried making this in either a Bundt pan or 9″ x 13″? (not a muffin girl)
We are dairy free here, can we UAE almond milk or something else instead of sour cream?
We made these muffins using a spice cake mix (omitting the spices called for in the recipe), substituting unsweetened applesauce for the sour cream, and adding some fresh rhubarb to the apples — amazing! 🙂
I only use Duncan Hines now and I only partly know why – because you said so!
What a fabulous recipe! I made these last night to share with my teaching colleagues and everyone LOVED them! I used jumbo muffin liners and pans to get 12 luscious treats. I subbed “apple pie spice” instead of the pumpkin type. I delivered them wrapped in a plastic bag and tied with a ribbon attached to a note saying “Happy May Day”. Thanks for sharing this and making several teachers happy today!