Vanilla Muffins with Crumble Topping
I make these muffins when I’m craving something simple but full of flavor. The vanilla bean paste gives them a bold, cozy vanilla taste, and the cinnamon crumb topping adds just the right crunch. They’re buttery, tender, and easy to pull together, no mixer needed.
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 466kcal
Equipment
- Tulip Muffin Liners
Ingredients
Crumble Topping
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup (125 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Vanilla Muffin Batter
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups (250 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/4 teaspoons Diamond kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons (28 grams) vanilla bean paste
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (240 grams) full-fat sour cream room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place tulip muffin liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.
Make the Crumble Topping
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat and cool until it is barely warm (about 85-95°F).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add the warm melted butter and stir together the ingredients with a fork, until all the flour is mixed and the mixture forms a crumble. Set the mixture aside and let it cool to room temperature, about 15-20 minutes.
Make the Muffin Batter
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat and cool until it is barely warm. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl for 30 seconds to thoroughly combined.
- In a large bowl, place the sugar, vanilla bean paste, and eggs and whisk the ingredients together for about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the cooled melted butter, then whisk in the sour cream. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. This resting time allows the flour to fully hydrate and results in a more tender crumb.
- Add half of the flour mixture and fold it in with a silicone spatula until incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and fold it in until no streaks of flour remain.
Bake the Muffins
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups, about 70 grams of batter per cup. Divide the crumble evenly between the 12 muffins, about 1-1/2 tablespoons per muffin. As you add the crumble, break up large pieces between your fingers.
- Bake the muffins at 400°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 13-15 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 200°F with an instant read thermometer or a skewer inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. The very top center may appear slightly shiny but should not look wet or raw.
- NOTE: The baking time will be shorter by about 2-3 minutes if you use regular muffins because the muffins will come into contact with the surface off the muffin pan.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then move the muffins to a wire cooling rack.
Store the Muffins
- The muffins can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Why Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature eggs and sour cream emulsify more easily with the melted butter, creating a smoother batter with better structure. Cold ingredients can cause the butter to solidify into small clumps, resulting in a less tender crumb and uneven texture.
Vanilla Paste: I use Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste, which is single-fold (standard concentration). Double-fold vanilla bean paste contains twice the vanilla bean extractives per volume, so you'll need less, about 2 teaspoons instead of 1-1/2 tablespoons. The visual vanilla bean specks will be the same either way, but the flavor intensity will match.
Tulip Muffin Liners: I recommend tulip-style liners because their design creates a taller muffing during baking and creates an attractive, professional presentation. Standard liners work fine but the muffins will be shorter and the bake time will be about 4 minutes less. If using standard liners, fill only 2/3 full instead of 3/4 full.
Freezing the Muffins: To freeze the muffins, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap. Store the wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container. Label and date the bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw the muffins overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for about an hour. Warm the muffins in the microwave or in the oven for 5 minutes at 350°F.
Half Batch (6 muffins): Halve all ingredients. When baking only 6 muffins in a 12-cup pan, fill every other cup in a checkerboard or alternating pattern rather than filling 6 consecutive cups. This ensures each muffin has empty space on at least two sides for even air circulation, heat distribution, and the muffins will rise higher.
Nutrition
Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 556IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 3mg