These apple cinnamon muffins start with an easy muffin batter that’s flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar, and plenty of juicy apples. We use the same base recipe when making blueberry muffins because the simple batter produces moist, soft, and cakey muffins with tall muffin tops. They’re always a favorite! Enjoy the muffins plain or top them with crumb topping before baking and smooth vanilla icing before serving. If you love apple cinnamon bread, you’ll enjoy these apple muffins!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips.
These crumb-topped apple muffins have been a personal and reader favorite for many years. When you crave a big slice of apple pie for breakfast, these apple-studded muffins fill the gap ๐
Tell Me About These Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Flavor: These are buttery muffins where apple and cinnamon flavors take over. It’s always disappointing when you bite into a muffin and there’s hardly any “stuff” like blueberries, chocolate chips, etc. Today we’re using extra apples so you get the delicious fruit in nearly each bite. If you’re looking for a fall baking recipe where apples shine, this recipe fits the bill!
- Texture: The apple cinnamon muffins are moist because we add yogurt or sour cream to the batter. just like we do when making sour cream coffee cake. And because we start with creamed butter and sugars, the muffins are soft, light, and cakey like a cupcake. We don’t overload the batter with milk (use only 1/4 cup (60ml)), so you still have a slightly dense texture. I like to describe these muffins as having the perfect harmonious balance between soft and dense!
- Ease: I categorize this recipe as a beginner baking recipe because you use simple ingredients and easy mixing methods. An electric mixer is key for creaming the butter and sugars together and if you decide to add the icing, you just need a whisk. Some crumb toppings require cold butter and a pastry cutter to mix, but we’re using melted butter here so you just need a fork. Easy! All of the ingredients used are baking staples, so there’s nothing new or difficult. I love easygoing recipes that produce consistently delicious results and know you appreciate that too!
One reader, Katrina, commented: “This is the best apple cinnamon muffin recipe I’ve tried, and at 67-years-young, I have tried many. โ โ โ โ โ ”
One reader, Caroline, commented: “The perfect apple muffins! These are a hit every time. Don’t skip the crumb! โ โ โ โ โ ”
One reader, Kaley, commented: “This is my new favorite muffin recipe. It’s PERFECT! First apple treat I’ve found where I can taste the actual apples, not just cinnamon or sugar. It was SO easy, and now I’ve applied the baking trick to other muffins. I love them! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Why This Apple Cinnamon Muffin Recipe Works
Today’s muffin recipe uses my all-star muffin batter. This batter can be used to create endless muffin varieties and you’ll see it again in my blueberry muffins, peach muffins, lemon poppy seed muffins, cranberry orange muffins, and more. In fact, this “Master Muffin Batter” has become such a hit with readers that I created a separate page dedicated to all its possibilities: Best Muffin Recipe. It starts with basic dry ingredients like flour, baking powder + soda, and salt. More often than not, I add ground cinnamon and you’ll see its addition in today’s apple cinnamon version. The wet ingredients are just as straightforwardโcreamed butter with sugars, plus 2 eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream/plain yogurt, and milk. I use either plain Greek yogurt or sour cream based on what I have and the same goes for the milk. Use whole milk, 1%, almond milk, buttermilk, oat milk, etc. I’ve made these muffins what seems like 1,000x with various milks and trust me, they all work!
- By the way, if you’re a muffin aficionado, you might also love my bakery-style muffins, which are denser, jumbo in size, and have a distinctively tight crumb.
Overview: How to Make Apple Cinnamon Muffins
I like to make the crumb topping first so it’s ready as soon as the batter comes together. The crumb topping, while certainly optional, comes together with ingredients you use in the muffin batterโvery convenient. (It’s the same crumb topping we use on peach muffins.) After that, you can peel and chop the apples into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Pictured below is 1 cup plus several chunks on the side. You need 1 and 1/2 cups (about 180g), which is about 2 medium apples. Fold the apples into the batter.
How to Create the Perfect Tall Muffin Tops
Press crumb topping into the tops of each muffin before baking. For tall muffin tops, there are 3 directions to follow closely:
- Make sure your muffin batter is THICK. (This one is!)
- Fill your muffin tins/liners all the way to the top with batter.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at an initial high temperature, and then lower the temperature.
This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin top. Once the temperature is lowered, the centers of the muffins bake. I recommend this in nearly all of these muffin recipes.
By the way, if you want to skip the mixer, try these applesauce muffins, pumpkin muffins, & healthy apple muffins.
Best Apples to Use in Apple Muffins
Firmer apples are ideal for baking so avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. If youโre baking a recipe that calls for many apples such as apple crisp, apple cobbler, or apple crumble pie, use a mix of tart apples and sweet apples. These apple cinnamon muffins only need 1 or 2 apples (just like apple cupcakes), so itโs fine to use tart apples like Granny Smith or sweet apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Pink Lady.
For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties, and when to use each, you can visit my post The Best Apples for Baking.
More Apple Breakfast Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Scones with Salted Caramel
- Baked Apple Cider French Toast
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Crumb Cake
Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 14 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These apple cinnamon muffins start with an easy muffin batter that’s flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar, and plenty of juicy apples. Enjoy the muffins plain or top them with crumb topping before baking and smooth vanilla icing before serving.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup (84g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Muffins
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milkย (any kind), at room temperature
- 1ย and 1/2 cups (180g)ย peeledย & choppedย apples (1/2-inch chunks; you need about 2 medium apples)
Vanilla Icing (Optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream (or milk for a thinner consistency)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ยฐF (218ยฐC). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. You may need a 2nd pan as this recipe makes up to 14 muffins, though you can always bake in batches using 1 pan. Set aside. *See note about jumbo size & mini muffins.*
- Make the crumb topping: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter, and then gently mix in the flour using a fork. Keep the mixture as large crumbles and do not over-mix. If over-mixed, this will turn into a thick paste. Set topping aside.
- Make the muffins:ย Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed until the mixture is combined and mostly creamy. (It’s ok if it appears somewhat curdled.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the apples.
- Spoon the batter evenly into each cup or liner, filling each all the way to the top. Spoon crumb topping on each, gently pressing it down so it sticks.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425ยฐF, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Bake for an additional 15โ18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20โ23 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm or cooled muffins.
- Iced or plain muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions:ย Freeze baked & cooled muffins for up to 3 months. It’s best to freeze the muffins without the icing and add the icing after thawing and before serving. (Freezing them with the icing on is completely fine, but the muffins taste better with fresh icing.) Thaw muffins in the refrigerator or at room temperature before icing/serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):ย 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Peeler
- Yogurt or Sour Cream: You can use either regular or Greek plain yogurt in this recipe (any fat content) or sour cream. The same amount of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana may also be used if needed.
- Milk:ย You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- For a jumbo muffin pan: Bake at 425ยฐF for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350ยฐF for 22โ25 minutes, for a total of 27โ30 minutes. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: Bake at 350ยฐF for 12โ14 minutes. Makes about 36โ40.
- Quick Bread: Here is apple cinnamon bread, which is close to the same recipe and baked in a loaf pan.
- Why is everything at room temperature?ย Allย refrigerated items should beย at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly.ย Read here for moreย information.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These were so so good! I was trying to do a persimmon version so I simply swapped the apples for persimmons and the vanilla for almond extract and it was so so delicious! Also it only made me 11 cupcakes instead of 14 haha I donโt know how that happened! I also baked them in my air fryer toaster oven and they still turned out perfect!
I made these delicious muffins using a few different varieties of apples.
I had some packaged bran muffin mix left so decided to include it with the flour to equal the amount of flour called for in recipe. I used slightly more bran mix than flour. I plan to make them again with the same variation. But give fewer away this time. I added extra cinnamon. Sally’s recipes have not let me down yet.
I made these for my favorite orthopedic surgeon (he has quite a sweet tooth!) when I was going in for followup for shoulder surgery today. I used fresh Honeycrisp apples peeled and diced and the muffins turned out amazing! The only change I’d make next time is to maybe put a little extra cinnamon but they were yummy and he LOVED them! They were still warm so that made them even better!
Yum! Made for a messy kitchen, but they were worth it. Just enough apple for good flavor but didn’t make the muffin soggy. Will definitely make them again.
So so good!
Sally, you never disappoint! I added more cinnamon and chopped walnuts (Canadians like walnuts), and didnโt ice, but otherwise made as directed and they are delicious. I love your website and YouTube and I bought two of your new cook book, one for me and one for my sister. I still think your pie crust video is the best. Thank you.
Wow! So tasty. I used banana instead of yogurt . Baked well .Tastes great! I make 6 large muffins. Added a little cream cheese to the drizzle. more yum! Thank you for such a great recipe.
For those interested in nutritional info for these muffins without the icing, I used myfitnesspal website. They are 332 calories per muffin (using 14 muffins per recipe) 31 grams of sugar, 43 grams of carbs and 15 grams of fat.
Thank you!
I’ll start by saying that I liked these. They tasted great. However, they are sugar bombs. I do not recommend adding the icing. They are sweet enough without it. Next time I make them I will cut the amount of sugar.
I made these completely vegan by using plant based butter, applesauce in place of sour cream, and an egg replacer in place of the eggs. For the icing I used sweet cream oat milk creamer because it’s about as thick as heavy cream. Turned out wonderfully! These were a huge hit. Thank you!
I made these with my grandson, who requested apple muffins,so I found this recipe and they didnโt disappoint! Delicious!
I am a frequent of your quick and easy banana muffins so when I came across these I had to try. I am so glad I did- they are my new go to muffins. Iโm so obsessed! I made some simple swaps as Iโm dairy and egg free – I used coconut yogurt, coconut milk, coconut sugar + date sugar, plant based butter and applesauce (for the egg). I used confectioners sugar still for the glaze. I was worried how theyโd turn out with these swaps but they were AMAZING!!! I might need to bake more tonight because they are almost gone from yesterday! Thank you for this amazing recipe that will be a staple in my home!
Hi Sally (and team!)
I love these muffins and bake them every year with fresh picked apples in the fall.
Iโd like to adapt them for a friend who is lactating with oatmeal, ground flaxseed, and brewerโs yeast.
Do you think it would work to use those in place of some of the flour?
Hi Hunter! The muffin’s texture will change with those swaps, but you can certainly give them a try. The muffins will be more dry. We do love these breakfast cookies and include lactation cookie instructions in the blog post.
Wondering if youโve ever tried adding additional mix ins, like cinnamon chips and if so would you recommend?
Cinnamon chips or pecans/walnuts would be lovely here! We would add up to 1 cup of extra chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate/cinnamon chips.
Great recipe! Moist and not too sweet. Thanks. Would like nutritional information. I don’t seem to be able to find it anywhere.
Hi Carol, so glad you enjoyed it! We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
These are perfect. Made a double batch in large muffin tins, and they were gone in a flash. My adult kids still any extras to take home. Making more to freeze!
Could we use shredded apple instead of diced in this recipe? Iโve made these according to the recipe and also your apple spice ones. Overall, we like these best but weโre not fans of the apple chunks.
Hi Rebecca! Chopped apples are best here, because they act more like an add-in vs. shredded apple, which acts more like a wet ingredient. If youโd like to use shredded apples, we recommend these healthy apple muffins instead. You could even use the crumble and icing topping from these on that muffin recipe. Hope theyโre a hit!
Turned out AMAZING!! Must try for apple crumb and cinnamon lovers!!
So good! I love your recipes! Is it normal for the crumb topping to become kind of soggy the next day? Thanks!
Hi Tessa! The moisture from the apples can soften the topping over time.
Hi Sally! Im looking forward to making this recipe, however, I have a question. I used the last of my all-purpose flour yesterday making cowboy cookies for my husband. I have some bread flour and some self-rising flour. Could either be substituted for the AP flour? I really want to make these today. I have apples ready to be used.
Hi Karen, all-purpose flour really is best here! Using self-raising or bread flour would likely require additional tweaks to the recipe.
Very tasty and moist muffins. The sugar levels are just right for me, and usually I reduce the sugar recommended in Sally’s recipes (and all American recipes).
My only issue is, that I had too much crumb mixture left over. Maybe half would have been enough. And next time I might grease the tins instead, because the batter sticks in my muffin papers. But maybe it is just bad-quality lining on my part. ๐ But overall great recipe. I will make it again.
If you were to replace the eggs in this (for an allergy), would flax/chia eggs or a commercial egg replacer be better?
Hi Christina, we haven’t tested these muffins with any egg replacements, so unfortunately we can’t offer much advice on what would work best here. If you do try anything, please do let us know how it goes.
I just made these with granny smiths and they are soooo good!
Moist and right buttery-ness. I reduced the sugar and it was just right. For the crumble topping i subbed in some oatmeal and it added a crisp texture to the crumble.
The only complains i had from my kids was that there wasnโt enough applesโฆ so next round of bakes i will keep this in mind.
Thank you for this amazing recipe. Its a keeper!
I have a question. How could I make these delicious muffins as a pumpkin cinnamon version. I loved this recipe so much and was wondering if that would work? If I could make them pumpkin how much of what should I add???
Hi Berlin! Here’s our pumpkin crumb cake muffins recipe ๐
Delicious and not too hard!
Can i use apple cider instead if milk? Thank you!
Hi Beth, that shouldn’t be a problem!
Is it possible to cook this into a loaf instead of muffins?
You can definitely bake this recipe in a loaf pan. Weโre unsure of the exact baking time.
I love this recipe!!
Actually I love all your recipes, they are my go to!!
Thank you!!
Wow! These muffins are incredible! They taste like fall. Like store-bought apple muffins-but better!
Iโve made this recipe no less than 5 times in the last 4 days. Every batch that comes out of the oven is gobbled up by my family and the slew of teenagers that make their way through my house everyday.
Quick and easy, super delicious. Thanks for sharing this phenomenal recipe!