Cinnamon Apple Muffins are so scrumptious and full of warm cinnamon and crisp apple bits and finished with a cinnamon sugar topping. Favorite bakery style muffins recipe with amazing flavor and aroma, perfect to enjoy anytime.
And believe me, when autumn rolls around, these babies are in high demand.
In reality, they are perfect as a year-round breakfast treat, but for some reason, I immediately associate them with cool autumn mornings with all that cinnamon and apple deliciousness they have in their favor.
And luckily, these babies definitely have lots going on in their favor!
These cinnamon apple muffins use just one apple to make a dozen muffins, but if you prefer more apple bits in your muffins, by all means, I’d increase it to two. Dice them small so that the pieces of apple aren’t overwhelming when you take a bite of muffin. You want every single bite to be well-balanced in flavor and texture.
What Apples to Use for Cinnamon Apple Muffins?
You can use whichever baking apple you prefer. I like to use Braeburn, Rome, Jon Gold, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, and SweeTango apples in these muffins. I also like that when I bite into the apple pieces, I still know that it is apple and not make me think it is applesauce or apple butter included. Don’t you?
Along with apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, you’ll just need some butter, milk, baking powder, salt, and eggs. The classic ingredients for a cinnamon apple muffin, I think. Nothing weird here.
Once the muffins are in the oven baking, I like to brown a little bit of butter and mix together a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Then, once the muffins have cooled slightly, I dip the tops of the muffins into the slightly warm brown butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Talk about perfection!
Amazingly enough though, folks don’t just eat the tops of the muffins and then forget about the sweet little base. They gobble the whole thing up it’s so well balanced in flavors.
But, just in case you were wondering, you can skip that indulgent little coating on the top, but I seriously recommend you don’t.
These muffins are so easy to make ahead so you can have this delicious muffin when ever you want.
Freeze instructions: You can make these muffins ahead and store them in an airtight container for a couple of days or freeze them to keep them longer up to 3 months. Just cool the muffins completely, wrap them in 2 layers of freezer wrap so they are airtight and place them in the freezer. You can also freeze them after you add the topping.
To Reheat: You can either let them thaw at room temperature or heat them frozen, unwrapped in the microwave, or wrapped in foil in the oven. If you want, you can wait and add the topping after you reheat them.
Other Favorite Muffin Recipes
More Muffin Recipes
Here’s my Cinnamon Apple Muffins. Make them soon.
Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, + 2 teaspoons for coating apples
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, + 1/2 teaspoon for coating apples
- 2 cups diced apples
- ½ cup unsalted butter, , room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray muffin tins with bakers spray or coat well with shortening or butter and flour, making sure to discard any excess flour from the tins after coating.
- Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix 2 teaspoons flour with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss diced apples with the flour/cinnamon mixture to coat apples in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar until lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add an egg, one at a time, taking care to fully incorporate before adding the other. Mix in vanilla.
- Gently fold in flour mixture, alternating with milk. Stir until just combined. Fold in diced apples and scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
- Prepare topping for muffins while the muffins are baking by melting the butter and allowing to cool slightly. Pour butter into a separate bowl sized easy for dipping tops of muffins. Mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Once muffins have baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the muffin tin. Then, remove each muffin and brush the butter on with a pastry brush (or dip into the melted butter) and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place onto a plate to finish cooling.
Notes
The original recipe called for a 1 to 1 mixture of sugar and cinnamon. If you prefer a less cinnamon flavor in your topping, reduce the mixture to 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Hi, I made these tonight and they taste great. I had a large tin of pie apple in fridge and wanted to use it up. I replaced the 2 cups of diced apples with 2 cups of the pie apples and still mixed the 2 tsp of flour through it and put it in the oven with ‘oh I hope this works’. I halved the topping ingredients but it was still a little too much. I used a brush for the melted butter and large sprinkle of the cinnamon sugar. Delicious. Maybe the sloppy pie apple filling makes it a bit more moist. Thanks for the recipe
Hi Robyn,
I’m so glad you liked the muffins – my family adores these! I’m sure the apple pie filling did add more moisture than the apples in the recipe, but I’m happy they turned out delicious for you! Thanks so much! xo
I just made these today & they turned out great! However, as I was measuring the cinnamon, I became quite concerned whether or not it was a typo. I ended up using half the cinnamon amount & added more sugar. They are delicious & will make again. After reading other posts, I assume the cinnamon amount was posted correctly; but, don’t think it hurt to cut the cinnamon. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Connie –
I’m glad you liked the muffins! It’s not a typo, but you can certainly lessen the amount of cinnamon if you wish. Thanks so much!
I just added an extra teaspoon of cinnamon and used turbinado sugar instead of white sugar- they were amazing. i also used 2 tbsp white flour and the balance in teff flour, whole wheat pastry flour (1 cup) and almond flour.
Sifted and carefully folded the batter and they were just as fluffy as white flour muffins. For the topping I used ground walnuts gently toasted tossed with 2 tbsp melted butter and 1/4 c light brown sugar.
Really like to no-oil aspect of this recipie. They are moist and delicious.
I have no doubt that the dunked in butter and rolled in cinnamon method adds a crispy sweetness. I took a little-less-sugar route, and saved a few steps and sprinkled a cinnamon and sugar mixture on the muffins before I put them in the oven.
I baked them for 30 minutes and the bottoms were burnt. Maybe it depends on your oven but you should check them after 20-25 minutes.
These muffins were flavorful and moist. I grated the apples so 2 cups of grated equals more apple than chopped apples. The cinnamon batter is a good basic batter so you can add raisins, blueberries or nuts. I would make this again as my favorite apple muffin with or without dipping the muffins into the butter and cinnamon sugar or just sprinkling the cinnamon sugar onto the batter before baking. Either works.
My muffins didn’t rise very well either but enough that I could easily put the topping on. I brushed the butter on instead of dipping. However,, is the ratio of sugar to cinnamon correct, 1/4 cup each? The first one was way to dark so I aded a lot more sugar. They tasted great!
These are one of the best smelling things I’ve ever pulled out of an oven! My only comment on the recipe is on the amount of cinnamon in the sugar topping. One quarter of a cup seems extravagant to a frugal baker, so I went with about one third of that and it was delicious. Thanks Robyn!
Followed this recipe to the letter & they were horrible! Very dry & unappealing to the eye; had to throw them out. This recipe requires more moisture & far less flour than indicated.
I’m so sorry you didn’t like them Ashley. I’ve never had a problem with them being dry and I make them all the time, so can’t be sure what happened. Thanks!
If not eaten right away, does the topping make them soggy?
Absolutely…the best muffin recipe in the world. They were gone before I could get the topping on them. Thank you so much. 😉
Oh thanks, Diane! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed them! xo
It just turned out perfectly as depicted in the picture… and no words to say how much we all liked it… thanks thanks a bunch for this amazing recipe!
Actually I am a great lover of apple + cinnamon combination, and this was my first try for the same… and it’s a super HIT!!!
Oh I’m happy you tried it and it was a hit! Thank you so much! Happy Holidays!