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 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Delicious! Everyone loved them 😍
Helga, thank you. So glad everyone loved these muffins!
Easy to follow recipe and makes the most delicious apple muffins ever!
Making the apple muffins recipe calls for 1/4 cup of cinnamon for topping I think they mean 1/4 teaspoon.
Carol, the original recipe calls for a 1 to 1 mixture of sugar and cinnamon. If you prefer a less cinnamon flavor in your topping, reduce the mixture to ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. For future reference, this is included in the Notes section of the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
I talked my husband into trying them cuz he doesn’t normally eat anything with fruit in it and he asked me if I could make some more tomorrow they were delicious
Hi Robin
In your first ingredient for flour you have ” + 2 teaspoons for coating apples” but I think it’s supposed to be + 2 teaspoons for coating pans
Also, the dipping butter amount could be cut in half
They are quite delicious! Thank you!
Kim, thanks. I’m so glad you liked these muffins. I’m sorry you missed Step 3 that tells to mix 2 teaspoons flour with ½ teaspoon cinnamon and then toss diced apples with the flour/cinnamon mixture to coat apples in a separate bowl. I always coat the apples in flour and cinnamon so they will distribute well throughout the batter. Some people like more butter for the topping but you can always just make less if you don’t. I
Made these as a muffin and now trying a loaf pan. I think the sifting flours etc is a little much. Each time I’ve made them I just throw everything in at once after creaming the butter and sugar – it’s really very simple to make.
Love it so much and can’t wait to eat for breakfast or afternoon snack or dessert or whatever! 🙂 thank you for a great recipe.
Absolutely delicious thank you for sharing!
Oh wow. I had a couple of wrinkly organic Galas which were still good but not something you’d enjoy eating… So I was searching for an apple muffin reminiscent of the decadent cinnamon-y apple chunk type you get from the apple farm… not those lame alleged “healthy” apple muffins that are kind of just a moist bland applesaucey bite. I wanted a real treat, and I found it. These were INCREDIBLE, my entire family had rave reviews. My husband who isnt north american and had never tasted a muffin ADORED it and asked for more for his lunch. My dad, mom, and brother all said “Wow, those were goooood”. Needless to say I have printed this out and is my new go-to apple recipe. Thanks!!!!!
Thanks so much. I’m thrilled that everyone loved your mufffins.
Loved them! Easy recipe to follow, flavor, topping and texture were perfect. Next time for the topping I would do half amount of butter, cinnamon and sugar because I had a lot of extra/waste. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
These are good. Im not sure what apples i used (maybe red and golden delicious?), but i did tweak it a little bit. I used an extra 1/2 cup apples, 1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce in place of the 2 eggs, and 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon for the 1/4 cup of cinnamon for topping. My kids love them.