Name: Apple Crumble Muffins (Lactation-Friendly)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats; 2 tbsp ground flaxseed; 1 to 2 tbsp brewer's yeast (optional); 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 large eggs; 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt; 1/3 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or avocado oil; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups peeled and finely diced apple (about 2 medium); 1/3 cup rolled oats; 1/4 cup flour; 1/4 cup chopped pecans; 2 tbsp coconut sugar; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 2 tbsp melted butter

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these apple crumble muffins are soft, cinnamon-y, loaded with little pockets of apple and finished with a buttery oat pecan streusel that makes them taste like apple crisp in muffin form. they’re made with oats, ground flaxseed and optional brewer’s yeast, so they’re lactation-friendly, but everybody in your house is going to eat them. two bowls, 15 minutes of actual work, and they freeze like a dream.

Apple crumble muffins with oat pecan streusel

i made these with a newborn attached to me and two other kids asking for a snack every four minutes, so trust me when i say this recipe is not fussy. you whisk the dry stuff, whisk the wet stuff, fold in the apples, sprinkle the crumble on top and bake. that’s it. no mixer, no chilling, no softened butter you forgot to take out.

if you’re in the thick of postpartum (hi, same), make a double batch and put half in the freezer. future you, standing in the kitchen at 2am starving after a feed, will be so grateful.

why you’ll love these apple crumble muffins

freezer friendly. bake once, eat for weeks.
the crumble is the whole point. oats, pecans, coconut sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. it bakes up crunchy on top of a soft muffin and it’s the reason people call these apple crisp muffins.
they’re made with real food. white whole wheat flour, rolled oats, greek yogurt, maple syrup and fresh apple. no refined sugar in the muffin itself.
lactation-friendly, not lactation-only. oats, flaxseed and brewer’s yeast are in here for the nursing moms, but the brewer’s yeast is optional and your kids and partner will eat these too.
one-handed snack. if you’re holding a baby, you need food you can eat with the other hand. this is that food.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Nothing weird, promise. The only one you might not have is brewer’s yeast, and you can skip it.

White whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour: white whole wheat keeps them soft with a little extra fiber. All-purpose works exactly the same.
Old-fashioned rolled oats: for texture and that cozy oatmeal thing. These go in the batter and the crumble.
Ground flaxseed: adds fiber and healthy fats, and you can’t taste it.
Brewer’s yeast (optional): the classic lactation cookie ingredient. It has a slightly bitter, nutty taste, so start with 1 tablespoon and look for a debittered one if you can.
Cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt: the basics.
Eggs: two, room temperature if you remember.
Plain Greek yogurt: keeps the muffins moist and sneaks in a little protein.
Maple syrup: the only sweetener in the batter.
Melted coconut oil or avocado oil: either one. Avocado oil is easier because it doesn’t firm back up when it hits cold ingredients.
Vanilla: rounds everything out.
Apple: peeled and finely diced. You need 1 1/2 cups, which is about 2 medium apples. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, or Granny Smith all work.

For the oat streusel

Rolled oats and flour: the base of the crumble.
Chopped pecans: for crunch.
Coconut sugar: gives it that caramel-y brown sugar flavor.
Cinnamon: because apple.
Melted butter: brings it all together into clumps.

do lactation muffins actually work?

Nobody can promise you that a muffin will increase your milk supply, and I’m not going to. Oats, flaxseed, and brewer’s yeast are the ingredients moms have passed around for years, and plenty of women feel like they help. But there are no solid human studies showing that brewer’s yeast increases milk supply. The NIH’s LactMed database says so directly.

Here’s what I can tell you. Breastfeeding makes you hungrier than you’ve ever been in your life, and it’s really easy to go half the day without eating when you’re taking care of a newborn. A muffin with oats, flax, eggs, Greek yogurt, and fruit that you can grab with one hand is real food you’ll actually eat. Eating enough and drinking enough is the part that matters, and that’s what these are for.

A few things worth knowing:

Brewer’s yeast is optional. The muffins are great without it.
Some moms get an upset stomach from brewer’s yeast, so start with 1 tablespoon and see how you feel.
If you’re worried about your supply, talk to a lactation consultant or your doctor. A muffin is a snack, not a fix.

This post is not medical advice.

swaps for apple crumble muffins

No brewer’s yeast? Skip it. Nothing else changes.
No pecans? Chopped walnuts work great. For a nut-free crumble, leave the nuts out and add 2 more tablespoons of oats.
No coconut sugar? Brown sugar swaps in evenly.
No maple syrup? Honey swaps in evenly. Skip the honey if a baby under one is going to share your muffin.
No Greek yogurt? Blended cottage cheese is a one-to-one swap and adds a little more protein. Just blend it completely smooth first. Sour cream works too.
Dairy free? Use a dairy-free yogurt in the batter and melted coconut oil in the crumble instead of butter.
Mini muffins. Use a mini muffin tin and start checking at 12 minutes. Perfect for toddlers and lunchboxes.

how to make apple crumble muffins

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, ground flaxseed, brewer’s yeast (if you’re using it), cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 3: Whisk the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet into the dry and mix just until combined, then fold in the diced apples. The batter will be thick. That’s what you want.

Step 4: Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. In a small bowl, stir together the oats, flour, pecans, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until it looks like wet, clumpy sand. Sprinkle the streusel over each muffin and press it down lightly so it sticks.

Step 5: Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 6: Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move the muffins to a wire rack. Cool completely before freezing.

recipe tips for the best apple crumble muffins

Start checking at 18 minutes. Ovens vary, and these dry out if they go too long.
Dice the apples small. About 1/4-inch pieces. Big chunks leave wet pockets and make the muffins fall apart. Small pieces soften in the 20 minutes these bake and you get apple in every bite.
Don’t overmix the batter. Once the wet hits the dry, stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing is the number one reason muffins come out dense and tough.
Use room temperature eggs and yogurt if you’re using coconut oil. Cold ingredients make melted coconut oil firm back up into little clumps. If that happens, the muffins still bake fine. Avocado oil skips the problem completely.
Press the streusel on. A light press keeps the crumble on the muffin and off the bottom of your oven.
Go easy on the brewer’s yeast the first time. One tablespoon is plenty to start. You can work up to two if you like the taste.

how to store apple crumble muffins

Room temperature: keep them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Fridge: they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days. Warm slightly before eating to bring back the soft texture.
Freezer: once completely cool, freeze the muffins individually on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag and press out as much air as you can. Freezing them separately first means they don’t stick together, so you can pull out one at a time. They keep for up to 3 months.
To reheat: microwave a frozen muffin for 30 to 60 seconds. If you want the crumble crunchy again, give it a few minutes in a 300°F oven or the air fryer instead.

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Apple Crumble Muffins