


We have yet to go apple picking this year, and time has all but run out. Perhaps this will be the weekend? Although with a steady supply of delicious farmers market apples and two kids with short attention spans, perhaps not. No matter the source of your apples — from the farm, the farmers market or the supermarket — these Apple Rye Crumb Muffins are the ideal celebration of apple season. I love starting the week with muffins on hand for quick breakfasts, afternoon pick-me-ups or evening dessert (with ice cream!). These muffins are wholesome yet indulgent, with a whole grain base that remains light and moist, a sweet streusel topping and an optional but strongly encouraged glaze.
I used a bit of rye flour in these muffins, because I like how the deep, earthy flavor of rye complements the sweet-tart flavor of the apples. If you don’t have rye flour on hand, feel free to sub for the other flour you are using. These muffins also get a double-dose of apple from shredded apples and apple cider, set off by a fragrant trio of autumnal spices. The flavor is reminiscent of an apple cider donut, except more apple-forward, so I’d say better. There are a few components to these muffins, with the muffin base, streusel, and optional glaze, but they come together fairly quickly and are well-worth the effort.
Enjoy them warm with a cup of tea. xo Maggie





Apple Rye Crumb Muffins
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
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Cook Time: 30 minutes
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Total Time: 40 minutes
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Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups spelt flour (or whole wheat pastry or all-purpose)
- 1/2 cup rye flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 cup light brown or coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup apple cider
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup grated apples (from approx. 2 medium apples)
- Apple slices for topping
Streusel:
- 1/2 cup rye flour
- 3 tbsp light brown or coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a regular muffin tin with 12 muffin cups.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and soda, salt and spices. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, apple cider and vanilla extract until well-combined and smooth. Add eggs and whisk until combined. Stir in grated apples. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until just combined.
- Make the streusel: In a small mixing bowl (the one you used for the dry ingredients), mix together rye flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt until combined. Add coconut oil and using your fingers or a fork work the coconut oil into the flour mixture until crumbly.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, almost completely filling them. You should get 12 muffins from this batter. Sprinkle the streusel evenly atop the muffins. If desired, top each muffin with 2 thin apple slices, pressing them into the batter.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.
- While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze (optional). Whisk together powdered sugar and apple cider until you have a smooth and shiny glaze. Drizzle glaze atop each muffin. Enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t have rye flour on hand, feel free to sub for the other flour you are using (spelt, whole wheat pastry or all-purpose).
Hi Maggie! My mom just made these and omg they are amazing! Love the recipe. I’ve also made the coconut cream kale w/ sundried tomatoes + chickpeas… such a fan. Thank you! From, A daughter and mom from Hinsdale 🙂 oh! And we are eating the cherry tomato pomodoro right now! Love!
★★★★★
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment — it makes me so happy! I am glad you are enjoying the recipes. It’s great to hear from my hometown — I love Hinsdale and can’t wait to be back at Christmas! I hope you and your mom have a wonderful week. xo Maggie