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These Apple Pie Muffins taste like everything I love about a slice of apple pie, warm cinnamon, a tender crumb, and real chunks of tart apple in every bite, tucked into a muffin you can grab on the way out the door. What they aren’t is a sugar bomb. And that’s exactly why they land in my kids’ lunchboxes on repeat every fall!
A Muffin That Started as a Pie
If you’ve spent any time on Weelicious, you know I have a soft spot for muffins. They’re perfect for little hands, an easy grab and go snack on the way out the door, and there are endless ways to make them, which is exactly why so many muffin recipes live on this site.
Apple pie is one of my family’s all-time favorite desserts, so getting that cozy flavor into a portable muffin was a no-brainer. And I’ll admit, once apples start showing up at the farmers market, I have a hard time controlling myself.
The pumpkin seed and oat crumble on top is my little way of making these feel special. I bake a batch just about every week all fall!
And, just like my Baked Apples with Cinnamon and Raisins, they aren’t too sweet, so they make a perfect special breakfast too!
The Key Ingredients
- Granny Smith apples: I reach for tart Granny Smiths on purpose. They hold their shape in the oven, so you get real bites of apple instead of mush, and their tartness means the muffins don’t need much sugar to taste like apple pie. I peel them and chop them into 1/4-inch cubes so there’s apple in every bite.
- Brown sugar: There’s just half a cup in the whole dozen, so the apples and cinnamon do the talking, not the sugar. Brown sugar over white also adds a little molasses warmth that plays right into that apple pie flavor.
- Buttermilk: My secret to a tender crumb. It adds a subtle tang that keeps these from tasting flat or overly sweet. No buttermilk? You can use regular milk! If you like the tang of the buttermilk though, you can make some by mixing 1 cup of any milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
- Pumpkin seeds: The twist in the crumble topping. Pulsed with oats, brown sugar, and cold butter, they add a nutty crunch you won’t find on a standard apple muffin. Not a pumpkin seed fan? One reader swapped in sunflower seeds and loved it.
How to Make Apple Pie Muffins
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Stir the wet and dry together until just combined, fold in the chopped apples then fill the muffin cups.
- Pulse the crumble topping in a food processor until the pumpkin seeds are chopped.
- Top each muffin with the pumpkin seed crumble.
- Bake until golden and a pick comes out clean.
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Recipe Tip
Two things that make a difference here. Chop the apples fairly small, around 1/4-inch cubes (I use my veggie chopper for uniform cubes!). This way they cook through evenly and stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking. Also, stir the batter until it’s just combined; a few lumps are fine. Overmixing is what makes muffins turn out dense and tough instead of tender.
Storing and Freezing Apple Pie Muffins
- On the counter: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Because there’s fresh apple and buttermilk in the batter, I move them to the fridge after that, where they keep for a few more days.
- In the freezer: These freeze really well, which is why I almost always make a batch to stash away. Once they’re completely cool, freeze them in a labeled zip-top bag or airtight container. Just know some of the crumble topping may fall off once they’re frozen so be careful when transferring.
- To serve from frozen: Thaw in the fridge overnight. If you’d like, reheat in the oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes at 350°F.
More Apple Recipes
These Apple Pie Muffins have all the cozy flavor of apple pie in a grab-and-go form the whole family loves, and they’ll fill your kitchen with the smell of cinnamon and baked apples every time you make a batch. If you try them, leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing how they turn out for your family!
Apple Pie Muffins (Not Too Sweet!)
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 large granny smith apples, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch cubes, about 2 cups
For the crumble topping:
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and chopped
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Then, fold in the apples bring sure to not overmix.
- In a food processor, combine the oats, brown sugar, chilled butter, and pumpkin seeds. Pulse to combine and chop the pumpkin seeds.
- Pour muffin batter into greased or lined muffin cups. Top each with 2 teaspoons of the pumpkin seed oat mixture, and bake 20-22 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
They are so delicious. The crumble on top is a nice twist. I used sunflower seeds since I’m not a big pumpkin seed fan and added a little cinnamon too, yummie.
Happy to hear you liked these! Great substitution for the pumpkin seeds, too.
Simply delicious and easy to make. I just substituted with almond flour and coconut oil.
Nice! Way to make it your own. Glad you loved!
Suggestion for making these egg free?
My muffins fell apart. 🙁 The only thing I can think of is I put too many apples (used 4 apples, I doubled the recipe, but didn’t measure them). I also used almond flour so maybe that was it. I’m so bummed because they tasted amazing.
Fuji apples are sweeter, so they have a different flavor, but they would work just fine!
Has anyone tried using Fuji apples? Or do they have too much juice to them they won’t work as well as granny smith?
I made them without pumpkin seeds since I wasn’t sure if daycare would approve the seeds. They’re pretty good. As an adult I would prefer to have the ‘crunchier’ topping. But still pretty good.
One of my favorite recipes! I use pecans instead of the pumpkin seeds for the topping and they turn out just as good. Love all of your recipes!
Yep! Some of the crumb topping might fall off when they’re frozen. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and if desired, reheat in the oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes on 350F!
Can these be frozen and if so with the crumb topping ?
These were a huge hit with my family! My toddler loved them as is, my husband and I toasted them and put a little butter on them-delicious!
So good! I especially love the pumpkin seeds—one of my favs!
Would you keep these in the fridge or on the counter? They turned out great – w/pears instead of apples!
Holy smokes! I just made these and they are awesome! I can’t wait to share them with the kiddies in the morning… if there are any left 🙂
If you don’t have buttermilk you can use regular milk! If you like the tangy flavor of the buttermilk, you can make some by mixing 1 cup of any milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar!
Looks delicious but I never have buttermilk in the pantry. Can I substitute natural yogurt?