I love these apple sour cream coffee cake muffins with cinnamon streusel topping (say that 10 times fast!) because they have everything going for them. They have the classic sour cream coffee cake base, notes of warm cinnamon, grated Granny Smith apple, a crumbly brown sugar oat streusel topping and a drizzle of vanilla glaze on top. They are the true definition of perfection. Pretty much everything you want (need?) and more in a muffin.

Sour cream coffee cake is a childhood favorite of mine. And now these apple sour cream coffee cake muffins are my new favorite. They're portable and great to take to-go in the morning or to serve a crowd for your upcoming holiday brunch. The sour cream in the coffee cake base makes the muffin extremely tender and adds a subtle tang that plays well with the tart Granny Smith apple. And the streusel topping is a must-have requirement when it comes to coffee cake. No ifs, ands, or buts about it! The buttery, sweet streusel is the perfect topping and adds a nice crumbly texture to the apple muffin. I add a little bit of rolled oats, but you can also add finely chopped toasted nuts if want an extra crunch.

I should also mention as a disclaimer that the name coffee cake can be misleading for those who aren’t familiar. Although it is called “coffee” cake, there isn't any coffee in this cake. Legend has it that the name originated because the cake goes well with coffee… along with a dozen other baked treats that don’t have the word “coffee” embedded in them. C'est la vie. I mean. It’s sort of like American football. Why don’t we call soccer football like the rest of the world? Boggles my mind.

Regardless, these apple coffee cake muffins are simply divine. So I really hope you try this recipe because it’s a serious winner. You won’t be disappointed. Unless you stumbled upon this recipe looking for coffee. Again, sorry. Not my fault.

Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the cinnamon streusel topping

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the apple sour cream coffee cake muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups grated Granny Smith apple

For the cinnamon vanilla glaze

½ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners. Set aside.

For the cinnamon streusel topping

In a bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, sugars, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Melt the butter and pour over the flour-oat mixture. Stir to combine. Set aside.

For the apple sour cream coffee cake muffins

In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
Peel and grate the apple. Set aside.
In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl.
On low speed, add the eggs one at a time until each one is incorporated. Increase speed to medium until light and fluffy. Scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl.
Next, we will follow the muffin method alternating between: dry, wet, dry, wet, dry. On low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture until about 85% incorporated. Add ½ of the sour cream. Scrape down the bowl. Add another ⅓ of the flour mixture until 85% incorporated. Add last ½ of the sour cream. Scrape down the bowl. Add the final ⅓ addition of the flour mixture until 85% incorporated. Add the shredded apple and finish mixing by hand with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
Scoop the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling to the top. Pack the streusel topping on top of the muffin batter and gently press down so it sticks while baking.
Bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in muffin pan on top of a wire cooling rack.

For the glaze

While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze. In a bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla and a dash of ground cinnamon. Stir to combine. Drizzle over the top of the muffins.