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
These are fantastic! My husband thought I bought them at a bakery……and is already asking when I can make more. Definitely a winner!
I’m so glad you and your husband loved these muffins, Shannon. Thanks!
My husband said that’s the best muffins he has ever tasted and he is very critical! He has never said this to me in the whole 26 1/2 years we have been married! Thank you thank you thank you thank you for this recipe I will be making many more times! You have may have saved my marriage LOL LOL LOL
I’m so happy you and your husband loved these muffins. Thanks!
Just made these this morning and they are fabulous. I used regular sized muffin pans and paper liners and placed a level ice scoop of batter for each. It made 17 muffins. They are moist and delicious, just bursting with cinnamon and apples. The recipe made my favorites list!
Thanks, Terri. I’m so glad you loved these muffins. xo
I just wanted to know if it’s a good idea to make them beforehand or not? Like a day before, since it has apples it it. Will they hold the same texture and taste the same even the next day? I have tried it with other muffins and cake, but apple muffins will be first time.
These should hold their flavor and texture just fine the next day. Mine always do the next day. Hope you enjoy!
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.
Can I put the batter in a muffin case to bake them please.
You can if you prefer, Elizabeth.
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
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!
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.
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.
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!