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
Added xtra cinnamon awesome recipe
Thanks, Lucy. So glad you loved these cinnamon apple muffins.
I made these tonight. I doubled the recipe but added 5 cups of diced apples. my muffins didn’t puff up and rise at all. Not sure what I did wrong.
Tara, an extra cup of diced apples changed the ratio of ingredients in the recipe and would cause the muffins not to rise.
Amazing!
Thanks, Christine. So glad you liked these muffins.
These were so easy to make and delicious! I made the recipe as is, but didn’t use all the melted butter in the topping. My 7 year old helped and we had a blast.
Casey, don’t you love cooking with your 7 year old? Those were always special times with my son. I’m so glad you have fun making these with your child.
I made this a loaf instead (dropped the temp to 350 and cooked for an hour and ten minutes) and it was phenomenal!
Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting us know how you made it as a loaf. Thanks, Megan!
Can I switch the all purpose flour to whole wheat flour? Would I need to adjust the recipe in anyway if I did? I’d like to switch at least one cup to WW, if not all the flour (2 cups).
Lynda, I haven’t made these with whole wheat flour but I would use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour. I’m not sure how the muffins would do with just whole wheat flour since the protein level is so much higher than all-purpose flour and would think the muffins would be much more dense.
Came out great. Will make them again. However beware. If you click on “Double or Triple” – Only the Ingredient amount change… The quantities in the Directions DO NOT.
Great Recipe
Thanks, David. You are correct; only the amount of ingredients changes when you double or triple the recipe. I’m so glad you enjoy these muffins and will make again.
these are super delicious!!!!
So glad you enjoy these muffins, Lori. Thanks!
Would it be possible to add a streusel crumble topping to these muffins instead of cinnamon and sugar? I’d love to try making these, I’m just not sure how to go about doing so.
Grace, you could add a streusel topping to these muffins if you wish. My recipe for Streusel Topping in my Apple Breakfast Cake Recipe might help you.
These are great muffins! Easy to mix up and bake quickly in 30 minutes.
Myles, I’m happy you found this recipe to be so easy and loved the muffins. Thanks!
Just made these and WOW! Delicious!! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Also, should leftover muffins be refrigerated, or just an airtight container on the counter?
Savanah, you can store these in an airtight container a couple of days or freeze to keep longer. You can freeze them after you add the topping. You can either let them thaw at room temperature or heat 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.
Just tried your recipe for the first time. The muffins are to die for. Love how you include multiple baking sizes.
Thanks, Cathy. I am so glad you loved the recipe and hoped the instructions made it easier for you to make.