Apple cinnamon muffins are moist & tender. With chunks of apples and a cinnamon sugar topping, they’re perfect for breakfast or a snack.
Nothing beats a warm cinnamon and sugar topped apple muffin! They’re great for after school snacks a weekend treat or even for breakfast.
easy apple Muffins
There’s something oh so delicious about apples and cinnamon (just like in our Apple Cake and Apple Crisp)! So I decided to combine these 2 delicious flavors for the perfect easy muffin recipe – Apple Cinnamon Muffins. They’re fluffy and moist on the inside, with beautifully golden muffin tops. The muffin has a delicious buttery flavor, hint of cinnamon, and sweet apples. Then they’re sprinkled with cinnamon sugar for the most delicious muffin recipe.
If you’re looking for a less sweet muffin recipe you could skip the cinnamon sugar topping – but I think it makes them just a little extra special.
You end up with muffins that are tender on the inside, filled with delicious cinnamon and apples, and perfectly golden on top. I love these for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack, and they’re a delicious muffin recipe that your whole family will love.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Muffin
PREP. Preheat your oven first, then line a muffin pan with papers. Lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray if you prefer.
WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. I like to use a little brown sugar because it adds more flavor. Then mix in the eggs 1 at a time, and then the vanilla extract.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining cinnamon & salt together. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture a little at a time, alternating with a little milk until it’s evenly mixed.
APPLES. Chop & peel the apples, then lightly toss them with cinnamon. Then stir in the chopped apples. I like to use green apples when baking because they sweeten and soften as they bake.
BAKE. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, then sprinkle the top of each with cinnamon sugar. The muffins will bake for about 17-20 minutes, or until the tops look golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Tips + Storing Info
Room temperature ingredients: When making muffins its really important that all the ingredients are at room temperature before getting started because it ensures that everything mixes together evenly without having to over mix the batter. Over-mixing causes the muffins to get tough, which we don’t want.
Best apples for muffins: As we mentioned above, we prefer to use Granny Smith apples for these muffins, but most apples work great. It often depends on how sweet or tart you like your flavors, but these are some of the most popular apples to use in muffins:
- Honeycrisp
- Granny Smith.
- Braeburn
- Fuji
- Pink Lady
Add a Streusel Topping: Use the ingredients listed below. In a separate bowl whisk the sugar, flour, and cinnamon until combined. Stir in the nuts. Drizzle melted butter over the mix and stir with a spoon until your mixture is like lumpy wet sand, be sure to leave clumps. Then, sprinkle the streusel over the top of each muffin before baking.
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup walnuts (optional)
STORE freshly baked muffins for about 1 week in the fridge. To make sure they last this long, store in a plastic bag, seal and place in the fridge. They can also be kept in a bag on the counter for about 3 days.
To FREEZE, let them cool completely and then wrap in foil or plastic wrap and place in freezer safe Ziploc bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Magnificent muffins:
- Zucchini Muffins
- French Toast Muffins
- Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
- Glazed Donut Muffins
- Biscoff Streusel Pumpkin Muffins
Apple Cinnamon Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cups milk
- 1 large apple, pealed & chopped about 1 ½ cups chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and line a muffin pan with papers.
- In a large bowl beat the butter, white sugar & brown sugar until fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs 1 at a time, then the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
- With the mixer on low speed beat about ⅓ of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with about ⅓ of the milk. Repeat the process until everything is combined.
- In a separate bowl toss the chopped apple with the ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Gently fold the chopped apple into the muffin batter using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan - you'll get about 12 muffins total.
- In a small bowl stir the sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar topping together. Then sprinkle it on top of each muffin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
These apple cinnamon muffins look amazing!
These were a hit at my house! You can’t go wrong with apples and cinnamon, and the sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top makes them extra yummy!
These muffins are perfect! I make them all the time, and they are a family favorite!
I love the combination of apples & cinnamon! I also love how there are chunks of apples in these! Very delicious!
I am loving that these muffins have the chucks of Apple in them. Delish!!!
Love that cinnamon sugar topping! My family would love these!
these muffins are delicious! how can you not love them when they are topped with sugar and cinnamon
I like Having muffins On hand for a quick breakfast, to toss in a luNch bOx, or for an easy afterschool snack. Im always on the lookout for different kinds of muffins to change things up. I love this recipe and will br adding it to the muffin mix.
A great muffin to grab in the morning if you dont have time for breakfast. Satisfying and very healThy!
Kristyn, woo hoo! another fabulous recipe from you that is an instant keeper. these were absolutely delicious. so simple to make and the texture is spot on. the chopped apple in the recipe really sets these apart. i diced mine very small and they were nice and soft, yet you still got the “chew” of the apple, if that makes any sense. thanks for sharing. vicki
I am so glad to share!! Thank you for trying them & sharing that. I am so glad it’s a keeper!
I liked these muffins. Definitely use granny smith or pippin apples for the more tart taste. Easy to make too.
Glad you liked them! Thank you for letting me know that!
Delicious! I love the taste of apples with whole Wheat and oatmeal, so i subStituted 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour and .5 cups Old fashioned oats for the 2 cups all purpOse flour. It turned out great! Thanks for the delicious recipe.
That is a great option! Thank you for sharing what you did. Glad you liked them!
I made them for my host family and they loved them. They are delicious ??
I made half the recipe just in case, of course i regretted it after because they were super Good
LOL..well, now you know for next time! Thank you for trying them. I am glad everyone liked them!
Hi fiona, I’m a food critic. This is the second time i’ve made these and they are so yummy! The only thing I did differently was to use 1/4 less sugar, 2 apples instead of 1, which was one large and 1 medium. i used 2/3 gluten free flour and 1/2 cup regular flour. they were still the bomb, best muffins ever, thank you.
I love hearing this!! Thanks for sharing!
This is my go-to fall recipe, or just year round! My whole family lOves them. My friends love them just as much as they do!
Glad it’s your go-to! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
amazing and fantastic i loved the recipe.
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!