Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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
First time making these muffins. I think I went a little heavy on the cinnamon. But they taste great. Next time I will double the recipe. 12 muffin just don’t last that long.
So glad you like them LuAnn! Thanks so much! xo
Great recipe. Very easy to follow. My muffins tasted good. I would definTely make these again.
Thanks so much Christina! xo
The ingredients call for some cinnamon to coat the apples but I don’t see that step in the instructions. Do you coat the apples with it or not?
Hi Priscilla,
Yes, the cinnamon that goes into the apple mixture is incorporated in Step #2 of the recipe. I hope you enjoy these! They are delicious! Thanks!
These tasted great and we enjoyed them but they didn’t rise very much. Is that normal?
Hi Karen!
These muffins generally rise very well for me. Were there any differences in the ingredients that were used?
Mine didn’t rise very well either unfortunately! But they still tasted delicious, just a bit flatter and smaller than I had anticipated.
I’m not sure why they didn’t rise well, Melissa, but I am glad that you enjoyed them. Thanks!
Great recipe! Five stars!
Thanks so much, Derry! I’m so glad you liked them!
Love all of your recipes… This one is my kids’ favourite muffin recipe, so thank you for sharing 🙂
I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoy them, Daniela! Thanks!
30 mins was too long in my oven, but I checked them at 25 mins so no loss!
These are amazing! I used sugar in the raw for the topping …mmmm so good!!
I’m so glad you liked them Katie! We love them too in my family! Thanks! xo
After a successful apple pick, we have so many apples I can’t wait to make these. Is there any chance I can use applesauce as a replacement for butter or sugar or something? We made so much applesauce too!
Hi Samantha,
I’ve not tried this recipe with applesauce. I hope you enjoy these muffins! They are delicious! Thanks!
I just tried them with unsweetened applesauce instead of butter in the batter (still used butter for the topping) using a 1:1 substitution, and they’re delicious. I used the full sugar; if you have sugar in your applesauce you may want to cut that down a bit. I will check them after 25 minutes instead of 30 next time.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Mindy! So glad you enjoyed them! xo
GREAT MUFFINS! AFTER MY MUFFINS COOLED I TOOK A TURKEY BASTER AND ADDED SOME CARAMEL FILLING TO THE CENTER OR INSTEAD OF YOUR YUMMY TOPPING ADD CARAMEL TO THE TOP.( BRING TO A BOIL 2TBSP BUTTER, HALF CUP HUNNY AND 2 TBSP SUGAR.)
1/4 cup cinnamon in the topping? Is that correct?
Hi Judy,
Yes, it is correct. I hope you enjoy them!