Bakery-Style Apple Muffins with Maple Glaze (and Streusel!)

As the weather in Austin finally starts to hint at autumn, my kitchen officially goes into full-on baking mode. This is the time of year I crave those cozy, warm spices. These Apple Muffins with Maple Glaze are my absolute favorite way to welcome the season. They are not just simple muffins; they're a three-part experience: an incredibly moist, spiced-oat muffin packed with apple chunks, a crunchy, buttery streusel topping, and a sweet, aromatic maple glaze that drips down the sides. They are pure, unadulterated comfort and the perfect partner for a hot cup of coffee on a crisp October morning.

Jump to:

• The Ultimate Fall Muffin Experience
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• How to Make Apple Muffins with Maple Glaze
• Tips and Tricks for Success
• Variations
• How to Serve
• Make Ahead and Storage
• Recipe Notes / What I Learned
• Nutrition Snapshot
• Apple Muffins w/ Maple Glaze
• FAQs

The Ultimate Fall Muffin Experience

This recipe is a true celebration of fall textures and flavours. The muffin batter itself uses quick-cooking oats and sour cream, which creates an unbelievably tender, moist crumb. The streusel uses rolled oats for a fantastic, chewy-crisp crunch. But the real star is the maple glaze, which gets its intense flavour from maple extract. It's an impressive, "bakery-style" muffin that is surprisingly simple to make right at home.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Three Textures in One: You get a moist cake from the sour cream, a crunchy streusel from the oats, and a smooth glaze.
• Incredible Fall Flavour: Packed with apples and a warm, fragrant blend of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.
• Bakery-Style Muffin Top: This recipe uses a two-temperature baking method-starting high at 400°F-which gives the muffins that coveted, high-domed, bakery-style top.
• No Mixer Needed: The muffin batter comes together in minutes with just a couple of bowls and a whisk.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need for these cozy muffins. For the full list with precise measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post!

For the Streusel Topping

• All-Purpose Flour
• Brown Sugar: Packed light brown sugar for that molasses flavour.
• Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats) for the best crunchy texture.
• Spices: A pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Butter: Unsalted butter, at room temperature (softened).

For the Muffins

• Flour: All-purpose flour, spooned and leveled.
• Oats: Quick-cooking oats (not rolled oats) for the batter.
• Sugars: A mix of packed brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Leavening: Baking powder.
• Spices: A full, fragrant blend of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, ground nutmeg, and salt.
• Eggs: 2 large eggs, at room temperature.
• Dairy: Full-fat sour cream and whole or 2% milk, both at room temperature.
• Fat & Flavour: Vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil) and pure vanilla extract.
• Apple: 1 large baking apple. I highly recommend a firm, tart apple like a Granny Smith or a crisp, sweet-tart Honeycrisp.

For the Maple Glaze

• Powdered Sugar: Sifted to ensure a smooth, lump-free glaze.
• Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup.
• Maple Extract: This is the secret! It provides an intense, clear maple flavour.
• Hot Water: Just a tablespoon to get the perfect drizzling consistency.

How to Make Apple Muffins with Maple Glaze

This recipe is simple, but the key is the two-temperature bake for that perfect muffin-top.

Step 1: Preheat and Prep

First, I preheat my oven to 400°F (205°C). This initial high heat is crucial. I heavily grease a 12-cup standard muffin pan with nonstick spray or butter (this recipe works better without liners, as the streusel sticks to them!).

Step 2: Make the Streusel Topping

In a medium bowl, I mix the flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, and pinches of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I add the room temperature butter. Using my clean fingers, I rub and squeeze the butter into the dry ingredients until large, buttery clumps form. I set this aside.

Step 3: Mix the Muffin Batter

In a medium bowl, I whisk together the all-purpose flour, quick-cooking oats, sugars, baking powder, and all the spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, salt).

In a separate large bowl, I whisk together the room-temperature eggs, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.

I pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold them together just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix! A few lumps are perfectly fine and are the secret to a tender muffin. Finally, I gently fold in the small apple chunks.

Step 4: Bake the Muffins (The Two-Temp Method)

I fill the greased muffin cups all the way to the top with batter; this is also key for a high-domed muffin. I sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each one.

I bake at 400°F for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, I reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for an additional 13-15 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I let them cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Step 5: Make the Glaze

While the muffins are cooling, I make the glaze. In a small bowl, I whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple extract, and hot water. If the glaze is too thick, I add another teaspoon of water at a time.

I drizzle the glaze over the warm or cooled muffins and let it set.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overmixing the Batter: This is the #1 mistake. As soon as the flour is combined, stop. Overmixing will result in tough, dense, and gummy muffins instead of light, fluffy ones.
2. Using the Wrong Oats: The recipe uses quick oats in the batter (for moisture and tenderness) and rolled oats in the streusel (for crunch). Don't mix them up!
3. Opening the Oven Door: When you reduce the temperature after 5 minutes, do not open the oven door. That initial blast of high heat is creating the "oven spring" for the muffin top; opening the door lets the heat out and will make them deflate.

Variations

This recipe is a wonderful base for customization!

• Add Nuts: Add ½ cup of chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts to the streusel topping for extra crunch.
• Make it Dairy-Free: Use a plant-based sour cream (like Kite Hill), a plant-based milk (like oat milk), and a plant-based butter in the streusel.
• Different Spices: If you don't have all the individual spices, you can use 2 teaspoons of a pre-made apple pie spice blend.
• No Glaze: These muffins are still incredibly delicious with just the streusel topping!

How to Serve

These Apple Streusel Muffins are the ultimate fall breakfast or snack.

• They are fantastic served warm with a generous pat of salted butter.
• They are the perfect centerpiece for a Thanksgiving breakfast or a fall brunch.
• I love to serve them with a hot cup of coffee or a spiced apple cider.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make Ahead: The streusel topping can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Storage: Store the completely cooled muffins in an airtight container (with a paper towel on the bottom to absorb moisture) at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezing: These muffins freeze beautifully! Once completely cool (and before glazing), place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.

Nutrition Snapshot

Estimated Nutrition Per Muffin: ~340 calories · 5g protein · 52g carbs · 13g fat (This is an approximation and can vary based on the exact size of your apples and other ingredients.)

FAQs