Cinnamon Plum Streusel Muffins
Our Story
This one is AJ's. He picked up five small, sweet plums and turned them into something a little different: soft, buttery vanilla muffins filled with juicy pieces of fresh plum and finished with a golden cinnamon brown sugar crumble. The plums bring natural sweetness and a little tartness, the streusel gives every bite that slightly crunchy, bakery-style top, and there is no fancy equipment anywhere in the recipe. If his baked blueberry orange donuts or the brown butter peanut butter bites are in your rotation, these belong right next to them.
Quick Stats
Makes: 12 muffins
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20-25 min
Total: 55 min
Difficulty: 1 / 5
Cost: $
Ingredients
For the plum muffins
5 small fresh plums (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups diced)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, optional
For the cinnamon streusel
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Prep the plums: wash 5 small plums, cut around the pits, and dice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces, about 1 to 1 1/4 cups. No need to peel; the skins soften in the oven and add pops of reddish-purple color. Keep the pieces small so the fruit spreads evenly.
Get set up: preheat the oven to 375F with the rack in the middle, and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease the cups.
Make the streusel: mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter with a fork until it forms small buttery crumbs, like coarse damp sand with some larger chunks. Do not work it into a paste. Set aside.
Dry mix: in a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon for 20 to 30 seconds until evenly combined.
Wet mix: in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, cooled melted butter, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. The sour cream is the secret to a soft, moist crumb.
Make the batter: pour the wet into the dry and gently fold until the flour is almost incorporated. Add the diced plums and fold until distributed and no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy; stop there.
Fill and top: divide the batter among the 12 cups, about 3/4 full. Sprinkle all of the streusel evenly over the tops and gently press the larger crumbs into the batter so they stay put.
Bake: 20 to 25 minutes at 375F, checking at 20. You want golden tops, lightly crisp streusel, and a toothpick that comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Avoid testing through a piece of plum; the fruit stays juicy. Wet batter means 2 to 3 more minutes.
Cool: rest in the pan 5 to 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Best slightly warm, as they are or with a little salted butter.
AJ's tip: keep the plum pieces small, about a quarter to half inch. Big chunks release too much juice in one spot and leave wet pockets in the crumb.
Brands We Used and Love
Frontier Co-Op organic Ceylon cinnamon
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla
Caraway nonstick muffin pan and the USA Pan 12-cup as the budget pick
If You Care unbleached baking cups and a Microplane zester for the lemon
Browse everything in our cooking shop: https://shopmy.us/ajdillon/cooking
The Dillon Scorecard
AJ: / 5
Gab: / 5
Trey: / 5
What We'd Change Next Time
Keep the plum skins on; they soften and give the muffins great color. Hold the fruit to about 1 to 1 1/4 cups diced, since more makes the muffins wet. Sour cream beats Greek yogurt for tenderness, a slightly lumpy batter is exactly right, and do not skip the streusel. Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days, in the fridge up to 5 days (warm slightly before serving), or wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave or in a 300F oven.
FAQ
Do I need to peel the plums?
No. The skins soften completely during baking and add color and a little tartness. Just wash the plums and dice them small.
Can I use other stone fruit?
Yes. Peaches, nectarines, or apricots all work in the same 1 to 1 1/4 cup amount, diced small. Frozen fruit should go in frozen, with a couple extra minutes of bake time.
Estimated Nutrition
Per muffin (1 of 12): roughly 320 calories, 5g protein, 42g carbohydrate, 15g fat. Honest estimates, not lab numbers, and they will shift with your plums and how generous the streusel gets.
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