1-Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Prepare muffin pans with nonstick spray or liners to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal.

2-Prepare crumb topping: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon for the crumb topping. Add melted butter and flour, mixing with a fork until large crumbs form. Set aside for later use, as this adds the signature crunch to your apple crumb muffins.

3-Mix dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.

4-Cream butter and sugars: Using an electric mixer, cream softened butter and sugars until smooth and creamy, which helps create a light base for the batter.

5-Add wet ingredients: Add eggs, yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla extract, beating until combined; curdling is normal and won’t affect the final product. This step incorporates moisture and flavor into your apple cinnamon crumb muffins recipe.

6-Combine dry and wet ingredients: Slowly add dry ingredients and milk alternately to the wet mixture on low speed until just blended, keeping the batter thick for those tall muffin tops.

7-Fold in apples: Fold in chopped apples gently to maintain the batter’s texture and distribute the fruit evenly.

8-Fill muffin cups and top: Fill muffin cups to the top with batter, then press the crumb topping evenly onto each muffin for that extra layer of taste.

9-Bake muffins: Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This technique helps achieve well-risen tops on your crumb muffins.

10-Cool muffins: Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, allowing flavors to set.

11-For optional vanilla icing: whisk confectioners’ sugar, cream or milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over warm or cooled muffins to add a sweet finish.