Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe
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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 (240 +.02 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, for coating apples
- 1½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (5 + 1 g) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for coating apples
- 2 cups (240 g) diced apples
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large (100 g) eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (9 g) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113.5 g) milk
For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (31 g) 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 flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix flour with ground cinnamon used to coat the apples. 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
I’m a very novice baker (quarantine helped me discover this new hobby)- and these were so easy to make! They tasted amazing! I used honeycrisp apples, and used chopped candied walnuts in place of the suggested topping.
Mine turned out slightly dry and it may just be an error in how I prepared them- although I have a convection oven…..so I wonder if I maybe should have reduced the heat or bake time to keep them more moist?
Thanks for sharing this great recipe- I will definitely have to explore your site to try others!
When baking in a convection oven, Michelle, you usually reduce the temperature about 25ºF and the baking time will usually be reduced. I would think that may be the reason your muffins were a little dry. I hope this helps and I hope you find many more recipes on my site that you love.
Great recipe ! Came across this recipe searching to see how I could use up left over apples – rather than throw food away. Recipe followed exactly although I used cup cake cases as I didn’t have a muffin tin – only needed 5 minutes less cooking time – will definitely be making them again (if we can find flour and eggs !!)
Thanks, Maxine. I hope you find many more recipes on my site that you love. xo
What are cup cake cases ?? Never heard of them before.
Joanne, cupcake cases are the same as cupcake liners. This is a term used in some other countries.
Great recipe! Love the toppings. Used half Splenda as substitute for half the sugar. Do you happen to know what the calorie and carb count is for your recipe? Thanks!
The nutritional information has been added to the recipe, Sara. Hope this helps.
Thanks
Do you need to peel the apples before dicing them?
You can do this however you want. The muffins are great either way. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for this lovely recipe. I didn’t have little patty cases, so I made it in a loaf tin. Like a banana bread. My children loved it – and so did I!
I’ll have to try making this in a loaf pan sometime. I’m so glad you and your children loved this recipe, Mary Anne. Thank you.
It’s difficult to find regular flour at the stores but I do have self-rising. Would this work?
I haven’t tried making this with self-rising flour, Nicole. If you do try, I would omit the baking powder and salt and use the same amount of flour as the recipe.
These sound absolutely delicious & will definitely be making them. My only question is would applesauce be able to be used in place of the butter?
I haven’t made these with applesauce as a substitute for the butter, Joanna. The texture may be a little different and the muffins may be more dense.
So yummy!!! I don’t think they will last overnight. They will get eaten up!!!!
Alissa, it sounds like you may have to make another batch. Thanks xo
AH-MAZ-ING! These were some of the easiest, most delicious muffins I’ve made to date! THANK YOU for sharing!!! I would have to agree, too, that if you don’t make them with the topping you’re committing either a sin or a crime. 😉
Thank you, Sandra. I agree that the topping on these is amazing. xo
Hello roybin these apple muffins look delish! I’m going to try them I was wondering if I can use butter milk in place of milk?
Brandy, I haven’t made these with buttermilk but it should work. The flavor may be a little more tart. Hope you enjoy.