Crumb Cake Muffin Tops

I have a confession: I’ve never been much of a scone person. Most are just too bland, too dry, and way too crumbly for my liking. So naturally, I decided to make a scone that I would actually want to eat, and these crumb cake muffin tops were born. They use a scone-like technique, but with extra cream for an incredibly tender, moist texture that spreads into a wide, craggy muffin top as it bakes. Then we pile them high with buttery crumble and finish each one with a puddle of sweet cream cheese filling. They’re everything I wish a scone could be: soft, rich, loaded with flavor, and absolutely not dry.

Why You’ll Love These Crumb Cake Muffin Tops

They’re incredibly tender. Unlike traditional scones, which can quickly become dry or crumbly, these use extra cream to create a soft, moist texture.

They have crispy, craggy edges. The dough spreads as it bakes, creating those classic muffin-top edges with a tender center.

There’s a LOT of crumb topping. If you’re here for the crumble, you’re in the right place. Every muffin top is generously covered.

The cream cheese filling makes them extra special. A spoonful of sweetened cream cheese melts into a little puddle on top, adding richness and tanginess to balance the sweet crumb.

They’re made without a muffin pan. Just portion the dough onto a baking sheet and let them spread naturally into muffin-top shapes.

What Makes These Different From Scones?

The technique may look familiar, but the end result is completely different.

Traditional scones rely on cold butter and a relatively low amount of liquid to create a dough that holds its shape. That’s great when you want a tall, flaky scone, but it can also result in a drier texture.

For these crumb cake muffin tops, I intentionally use more cream. The dough is soft and tender enough to spread in the oven instead of baking up tall and dense.

That extra moisture is what gives these their almost muffin-like texture while still keeping some of the buttery, delicate quality you expect from a scone.

So if you normally skip the scone case at the bakery because everything looks a little too dry, start here.

Tips for the Best Crumb Cake Muffin Tops

If you’ve ever made a scone, the technique is nearly the same. But here’s what you need to know in order to create these moist, tender muffin tops:

1. Measure (Or Weigh) Your Flour – I always suggest weighing your ingredients as it’s the more precise way of baking. Otherwise, spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup to prevent over-packing. And if there’s too much flour in the dough, you’ll end up with dry muffin tops.
2. Cold, Cold, Cold – Every refrigerated ingredient for the dough (minus the cream cheese and crumble toppings) should be fresh from the refrigerator. Don’t let anything sit out while you work.
3. Working the Dough – Once all of the ingredients for the dough are brought together, try not to work it together too much. Use your hands to pat and bring it all into one mass that’s packed tightly enough to where you can shape and slice it.
4. Freeze – Don’t skip this step, otherwise you’ll end up with pancakes. The scones must freeze for at least 30 minutes but the longer the better. This helps them hold shape when baked.
5. High Temperature – Make sure to bake these at 375F (as I accidentally baked them at 350F once and they spread way too much). So learn from my mistakes!

Crumb Cake Muffin Tops FAQs:

For more sweet breakfast recipes:

• Buttery Coffee Cake
• BEST Blueberry Muffins
• Banana Scones
• BEST Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram if you make these Crumb Cake Muffin Tops. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!

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