Name: Crunchy Sugar Muffin Topping
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 cup sanding sugar, or turbinado sugar or crystal sugar

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What do you call the sugar topping that you see on muffins? And, where do you get it?

two lemon poppyseed muffins on white plate with blue napkin and orange juice — You can create a crunchy topping on your muffins just like bakeries by using coarse sugar or turbinado sugar.

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How Do I Make a Crunchy Muffin Topping?
Do you put sugar on muffins before or after baking?
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A very smart woman asked me this recently–a woman who I thought knew everything.

So it occurred to me that if she didn’t know, perhaps you, dear reader, are also wondering the name of the crunchy sugar topping on baked goods.

How Do I Make a Crunchy Muffin Topping?

There are two kinds of sugar to put on top of muffins or scones:

Turbinado sugar
Coarse Sugar (or smaller grains, called sanding sugar)

Turbinado Sugar (also known as Raw Sugar)

Turbinado sugar is a coarse, golden sugar made from the first pressing of sugar cane. If you’ve ever used Sugar in the Raw, that’s turbinado.

Texture: Large, crunchy crystals that don’t melt into batter the way brown or granulated sugar do.
Flavor: A subtle molasses taste, lighter than brown sugar, but more depth than plain white.
Best uses in baking: Sprinkle on muffins, scones, or cookies for a bakery-style crunch. It also works as a swap for sanding sugar if you want a more natural look.
Where to find it: Turbinado sugar is usually found in grocery stores next to the other bags of sugar, like granulated and confectioners'.
Other uses: Stir into coffee or tea, or even rub onto meats (like ribs) in place of brown sugar for a little caramelization.
Good to know: Vegans often prefer turbinado because it isn’t processed with bone char like some refined white sugars.

Bonus: You can heat turbinado sugar without it getting sticky, which is why it can be great for rubs. See my favorite rib rub.

Sugar manufacturers minimally process raw sugar; thus, the name raw.

bag of turbinado sugar. — Turbinado sugar or coarse sugar is one way to give your muffins a crunchy topping.

muffins with sugar toping in a pan. — Learn the secret to bakery-style muffins with this simple, crunchy sugar topping. It’s the perfect finishing touch for your homemade treats!

Sanding Sugar (also known as Coarse Sugar)

Sanding sugar is a type of coarse sugar with medium-sized crystals, larger than granulated but smaller than turbinado. Because it doesn’t melt easily in the oven, it keeps its shape and adds sparkle and crunch to baked goods.

Texture: Smaller crystals than turbinado but still crunchy and resistant to melting.
Appearance: Runs in size between granulated sugar and coarse sugar and is often sold in fun colors, especially around the holidays.
Best uses: Sprinkle on muffins, scones, cookies, or even pie crusts before baking. Not just for muffin tops — sanding sugar makes gingersnaps and scones sparkle like they’re auditioning for a bakery catalog.
Where to find it: Most grocery store baking aisles carry white sanding sugar; for colors, check craft stores or online baking shops.
Tip: If you only have sanding sugar, it works fine as a substitute for turbinado. You’ll just get a lighter crunch with more sparkle.

coarse white sanding sugar crystals container. — white sanding sugar

Think of sanding sugar as the go-to option when you want a little extra crunch and a lot of sparkle. It’s especially handy for holiday baking when you want vibrant cookie trays without adding frosting.

raspberry and white chocolate muffins in tin and on a tin with pink cloth — Raspberry and white chocolate muffins.

I always use sanding sugar, and sometimes the larger, coarse variety, on Gingersnaps (Just Like Grandma's!)

Are you old enough to remember Elaine's little muffin top adventure on Seinfeld?

lemon poppyseed muffins on a white plate with crunch topping — These lemon poppyseed muffins owe their sparkly, crunchy top to sanding sugar. But you could also use raw or turbinado sugar.

Do you put sugar on muffins before or after baking?

Put your sugar topping or streusel topping on your muffins before baking them.

That way, the topping crystallizes a bit, becomes crunchy, and adheres to the muffin tops.

You can brush the tops of muffins with melted butter if you like, before sprinkling the tops with sanding sugar or turbinado sugar.

But you can also just sprinkle sanding sugar on top without butter.

Can I substitute sanding sugar for turbinado sugar?
Yes! Sanding sugar has a smaller crystal size, but it works well as a topping if you don’t have turbinado on hand. The crunch will be slightly lighter but you’ll still get sparkle and texture.

Can I substitute turbinado sugar for sanding sugar?
Yes, though the crystals are larger and more rustic looking. Turbinado will give muffins and cookies a bakery-style crunch, but not the same colorful shine that sanding sugar can provide.

Does sanding sugar melt in the oven?
No. That’s the beauty of sanding sugar. The crystals hold their shape during baking, so they add crunch and sparkle to your finished muffins, cookies, or pie crusts.

More Breakfast Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Scones (Food Processor Recipe).

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Salted or unsalted butter for cookies?

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Four golden-brown muffins in a vintage muffin tin topped with sparkling crunchy sugar topping, showing the textured, crispy surface that makes bakery-style muffins

Transform ordinary muffins into bakery-style treats with this simple, crunchy sugar topping! Made with just 3 ingredients, this sweet, crispy topping adds the perfect texture contrast to any muffin recipe. Great for blueberry, chocolate chip, banana, or any homemade muffins. Easy baking hack that takes your muffins from good to amazing!

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Recipe

Yield: 12 toppings

Crunchy Sugar Muffin Topping

You just need one ingredient to mkae a crunch sugar topping on your muffins! Find out what it is.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup sanding sugar, or turbinado sugar or crystal sugar

Instructions

Prepare muffins for baking
Sprinkle a teaspoon of sanding sugar or turbinado sugar over the top of each muffin before baking them.
Bake according to muffin recipe instructions.

Notes

Be sure to use sanding sugar or turbinado sugar or a sugar with a larger crystal size. Granulated sugar will not work if you want a crunchy topping.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 19Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 0mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 0gSugar 5gProtein 0g

Nutrition information is just an estimate because I am not a registered dietician.