Robyn Stone
Cinnamon Apple Muffins just kick my mornings off to the perfect start. Full of warm, spicy cinnamon, delicious crisp apple bits, and so, so scrumptious they are hard not to start anyone’s morning off in the right direction, honestly.
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!
Oh my yum!
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.
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. Skipping it is pretty close to a sin, I’m sure.
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 salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon for coating apples
- 2 cups diced apples
- ½ cup (1 stick ) 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.
Nutrition Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
These muffins are fantastic!! I made my first batch last week and loved them so much that I made 3 batches yesterday and shared them with family and friends…. everyone absolutely loved them! I use 2 1/2 cups apples as I love apples! Thank you for sharing this recipe Robyn!
Thanks, Janet. So nice of you to share. I’m glad everyone enjoyed them. xo
Wow I can’t wait to try these I bet they delicious 😋!! 🙂
Hope you enjoy the muffins, Mckayla.
Thank you Robyn!! I tried the no sugar version of the same and substituted some dates with the apples and it worked a charm!!! Love this and love you!
Thanks, Tanya. I’m glad you found substitutes that worked for your needs.
I have apple sauce to use up, how much do you think I should use since i won’t be using diced apples?
I’m sorry but I haven’t tried making these muffins with applesauce, Meagan.
These are amazing! I have tried a few apple cinnamon recipes and none of them have turned out this amazing. Even my kids loved them. Thank you for sharing this! Its going in the family recipe book.
Thanks, Rachel. I’m so glad these were a hit with your family!
The ingredients ask for milk but it’s not mentioned anywhere in the method?
I’m sorry you missed this in the instructions. Instruction 5 in the recipe, “Gently fold in flour mixture, alternating with milk.”
Best ever muffins
Thanks, Janine!
Do these freeze ok, has anyone kept some in the freezer – for a rainy day 😁
These muffins do freeze well, Christine. Just cool them completely, wrap securely so they are airtight, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can either let them thaw at room temperature or heat frozen, unwrapped in the microwave or wrapped in foil in the oven. Hope you enjoy!
Looking to make a new item for all my clients for breakfast
These are spectacular – I made them for my folks recently and wow! Do they freeze well? When I make them and it’s just for me, it would be great to store them in the freezer so I don’t eat them all in one go!
These muffins do freeze well, Julia. Just cool them completely, wrap securely so they are airtight, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can either let them thaw at room temperature or heat frozen, unwrapped in the microwave or wrapped in foil in the oven. Hope you enjoy!
Would it bake well in a cake tin too instead of as muffins?
I have not made this as a cake, Ruhi, but other people have commented that they have.
Easy and clear recipe! I was out of eggs when I was making this but I added apple sauce instead and they still came out amazing!!
Thanks, Maite.
These muffins exceeded my expectations! Followed the recipe exactly as stated and everyone LOVED them. Saving the recipe to make again 🙂
Thanks, Taylor!
Just FYI, I recently made these muffins for a neighbor and substituted gluten free flour for all-purpose flour. The muffins were a huge hit! They turned out perfectly, even with the substitution.
Thanks for information, Romi. There are many who may need to make these gluten free.
My kids love these muffins. I accidentally added one extra egg. Definitely a keeper. 🙂
Thanks, Belinda.
Delicious! The perfect balance of cinnamon, sugar, and apple. Definitely making this again! Thank you for sharing your talent!
Thanks, Ashley!
I substituted all-purpose gluten-free flour (xantham-free) and they turned out great. Will be adding this to the recipe book.
Thanks, Marie!
These are absolutely delicious. They freeze really well and are such a nice treat to bring out of the freezer! Thanks so much – they are my new “go to” muffins!
Thanks, PJ. I love having these made ahead and in the freezer, too, so I can just warm them up as I need them.
Great recipe! My kids loved them and they held up well overnight.
Thanks, Veronica! I’m so glad they loved them.
These were delicious! I added roasted walnuts & peacans to mine as well and I think it really took them over the top. They are very sweet though (think more cakey), so this is definitely too rich as a breakfast muffin for me. Perfect for coffee/tea or dessert however!
They sound delicious with the pecans and walnuts, Katrina. Thanks!
These muffins came out great. I’m not an experienced muffin maker, but the instructions were easy to follow. I experimented by using paper muffin cups for half of the recipe, they came out of the tin so much easier. The cooking time was spot on, 30 minutes as stated. But the prep time is way more than 8 minutes. It took me over 30 minute, between greasing the tins, dicing the apple and everything else. Next time I will try it without the topping. It came out great with it, but I wonder if the texture of the muffin top would have been even better without it.
Patty, prep time in a recipe considers that the chopping, measuring, etc. have been done and the ingredients are at the level described in the recipe ingredient list and just figures the time it takes to follow the steps in the recipe instructions. Some have left off the topping and said the muffins were still delicious.
Did 1 1/2 tbsp and 1/2 tbsp of baking soda, and gluten-free flour. They turned out AMAZING. Everyone said they were the best muffins they’ve ever tasted. YUM
I’m so glad everyone loved these muffins, Abby!
Delicious
Thanks, Christine!
I’m assuming we’re supposed to peel the apples?
It’s really a personal preference, Carrie. Most of the time I peel mine.
I have made these for at least 3 years now at every apple harvest time. They are always a huge hit with everyone that eats them. From my little daisy’s in my girl scout troop to my coworkers. Not one person has been able to eat just one. It has become a staple for this time of the year and something my kids cannot wait for.
Oh, thanks for letting me know how much everyone loves these muffins, Tosha.
Can I use salted butter
Mary, I always salted butter. I hope you enjoy!
I never use salt or salted butter and it’s totally fine!
These are absolutely amazing! My first time making muffins from scratch and I’m so impressed! I’m going to be making these often! My only question is should I change my pan, I used a lighter muffin tin and they came out just a little overdone, at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes? I really love this recipe and the directions are so spot on!
Eleni, one cause of muffins being overcooked is leaving them in the pan too long to cool. I would let them cool 2-3 minutes in the muffin tin and then remove the muffins. The muffins will continue to cook if left in the muffin tin. Also, sometimes muffins in lighter tins do bake faster. I hope this helps.
Made these for the holiday. Tripled the cinnamon at every turn except for the topping, where I think I might actually back off next time. Added about a cup of chopped pecans, cut the sugar to 2/3 of a cup, and omitted all salt (who needs that stuff!?) and wow!! What a lovely way to bring in the new year. My only question: what kind of apples are you using, that 1 apple = 2 cups diced? I used 3 and got 2.5 diced (one mac, one galla, and one granny).
Thanks!
This recipe is gold! Wow, the muffins are so tasty and everything a muffin should be.
Tip: You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for some hours for baking later. I mixed my dough and left it overnight in the fridge to bake in the morning.
Thank you.
These are great – I made them and they had rave reviews with my whole family.
However – 5 minutes prep time?? LOL not accurate.
I’m so glad your family loved the muffins, Beth. Prep time in a recipe considers that the chopping, measuring, etc. have been done and the ingredients are at the level described in the recipe ingredient list and just figures the time it takes to follow the steps in the recipe instructions.
Living in the north of England and with an abundance of apples I was looking for a new recipe and found this one. Thank yo for sharing this – it is amazing and at moment I am baking fore self and for neighbours and they all love these muffins .
June, I’m glad all of you love these muffins. How sweet of you to bake for your neighbors, too!
They are delicious!!
Would they be ok to keep in a airtight container for a couple of days? Or have to freeze them?
Thank you
Daniela, you can store these in an airtight container a couple of days or freeze to keep longer. xo
Can I put the batter in a muffin case to bake them please.
You can if you prefer, Elizabeth.
I cant say enough about how good these muffins are! My first time using parchment and i can see myself making these over and over! So moist and delicious! Now im wondering if i leave them in the parchment or tale them out to store them! Next time I will know!
I’m so glad you loved the muffins, Shirley! Thanks.