Sugar Topping for Muffins

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.

A very smart woman asked me this recently–a woman who I thought knew everything.

So it occurred to me 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 is also frequently called raw sugar.

Turbinado sugar is similar to brown sugar but it doesn’t contain molasses. You can heat turbinado sugar without it getting sticky.

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

Coarse sugar consists of larger sugar crystals.

Sanding sugar is another name for coarse sugar that has smaller grains.

Sanding sugar runs in size between granulated sugar and coarse sugar. You’ll often find sanding sugar in fancy colors.

For topping a baked good like a muffin or scone or cake, use turbinado or coarse sugar crystals.

But, if you’re in a pinch and only have sanding sugar, that will work too.

Not just for muffin tops, sugar crystals give scones that sparkly texture.

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

More Breakfasty Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Scones (Food Processor Recipe).

Homemade Donuts

You can give your cookies a sparkly finish with a roll in sanding sugar before baking them.

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

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

white sanding sugar — White sanding sugar is another way to give your muffins a crunchy topping.

Sanding sugar provides a little extra crunch and sparkle.

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 crystalizes a bit, becomes crunchy and adheres to the muffin tops.
Brush the tops of muffins with melted butter and sprinkle with sanding sugar or turbinado sugar.
Or just sprinkle sanding sugar on top without butter.