I know that when we go to coffee shops or bakeries, we always look at those nice muffins with crumb topping and you might think that they are hard to bake, but no, you just have to nail the crumb layer and, in this recipe, I’m giving you the tips of how to achieve the best crumb topping that you can use for muffins, coffee cakes or pies!

These muffins have the right amount of pumpkin and spices, they are sweetened with the right mix of granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Also, this recipe is just for 6 regular size muffins because I KNOW that making a big batch is a little too much sometimes, so why wasting a lot of ingredients if we just want to eat a couple. You can also double the ingredients for a bigger batch.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to watch how I made lovely treats, visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

Yield 6 regular size muffins

or you can double the ingredients for a full dozen

Ingredients

For the crumb topping

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup white granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the muffin batter

1/2 cup + 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 large egg at room temperature

2 tablespoons orange juice or milk

1/2 chopped nuts. I used walnuts (optional)

Directions

For the crumb topping

In a bowl mix flour, cinnamon, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt. Add in melted butter and mix until it resembles crumbs. Place this bowl into the fridge until ready to use.

For the muffin batter

1.- Preheat oven to 425. Line your baking pans with paper liners. For the “bakery” look I used tulip paper liners. You can find them on Amazon or at any store that carries baking supplies. Here is a link for Amazon.

2.- In a bowl sift all your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Set aside.

3.- In another bowl mix the egg, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, pumpkin puree and milk/orange juice. Mix well until smooth.

4.- Add dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. You will notice small lumps and that’s ok. Do not overmix. Mix in nuts and give it a stir

5.- Pour your batter into your prepared baking pan and you have to fill each cupcake all the way to the top. Doing this, will help you achieve a nice dome.

6.-Now, take out the crumb topping from the fridge. It will be a bit hard so grab a spoon and mix until the lumps forms again, then sprinkle a good amount of crumb on top of each muffin.

7.- Place your cupcake pan into the oven and bake with 425 F for about 5 minutes. Then, turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and your crumb has a light golden color.

8.- Take them out from the oven and let them cool completely.

Enjoy!