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!
These crumb-topped apple muffins have been a personal and reader favorite since I published the recipe in 2014.
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. 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. Plus you have wiggle room with the yogurt and milk depending on what’s convenient for you. I love easygoing recipes that produce consistently delicious results and know you appreciate that too! By the way, if you love these flavors but want to skip the mixer, you’ll love these applesauce muffins.
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, 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: 1 Muffin Batter for Infinite Muffin Recipes. 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 straightforward– creamed 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 batter– very 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 165g) 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 it 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.
And one more piece of advice before you start:
Best Apples to Use in Apple Muffins
Firmer apples are ideal for baking so avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. If you’re baking a recipe that calls for many apples such as apple crisp or apple crumble pie, use a mix of tart apples and sweet apples. These apple cinnamon muffins only need 1 or 2 apples, so it’s fine to use tart apples like Granny Smith or sweet apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Pink Lady.
Print
Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 14 muffins 1x
- 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 (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup (84g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
Muffins
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115g) 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) milk (any kind), at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (165g) peeled & chopped 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 425°F (218°C). 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.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Make the muffins: 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 2 minutes. 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 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-23 minutes, give or take. 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: 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.
- 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: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- For a jumbo muffin pan: 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22-25 minutes for a total of 27-30. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: 350°F for 12-14 minutes. Makes about 36-40.
- 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? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information.
Keywords: apple cinnamon muffins
Reader Questions and Reviews
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I made these recipes for a family party and they turned out perfectly! I am gluten and lactose intolerant so I was not able to try them. However, I got such great reviews 🙂 Thank you for a great recipe, will definitely be adding this to my baking recipe book! A++
★★★★★
I made them with Pilsbury 1-to-1 gluten free flour mix, avocado oil butter, oat milk and lactose free yogurt. Came out much better than the traditional recipe.. go figure
★★★★★
This is a great recipe! I baked a half portion with 2 apples and it turned out great!
Hi Sally!
This is a great recipe! My family loved it and I’ll certainly be making these over and over again! I need some advice though – I filled the muffin cups to the top and put my crump topping on, then gently pushed it down just like the recipe says. When I bake them however, the cinnamon topping almost completely disappears, and the muffin bubbles up through the top. I’ve had this same problem when making cinnamon muffins with a crumb topping as well. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Taylor, We are so happy your family enjoyed these muffins! For the crumb topping make sure you are measuring your ingredients correctly – using too much butter can cause the crumbs to melt as they bake, as can over-mixing it to the point of it becoming a paste rather than crumbles. You an also try placing the topping mixture in the refrigerator as you prepare the muffin batter so that it’s colder before going in the oven. I hope this helps!
These are absolutely amazing! My boyfriend sit 3 one sitting. I made your bread but ran low on cinnamon so kind of supplemented with apple pie spice. It was delicious but the crumb on these I think are what give it that extra “wow” factor. I live in the south and it’s pretty humid here, so I added an extra egg white(along with the sour cream) making them super fluffy and light which is the way I like to make all my cakes. My cakes usually fall or end up too dense otherwise. All of your recipes turn out perfectly. You explain this so well but not so much as to make it tedious. I’m a newbie at baking and cooking for the most part. I grew up in a tv dinner type home but visited family members who made everything from scratch so I’ve sort of begun scratch cooking since they’ve all passed on (and before I could ever really any recipes from them). Thank you!
Thank You, they are delicious. What kind of apples do You recomend to use in this recipe?
★★★★★
Hi Nena, See the paragraph above called “Best Apples to Use in Apple Muffins” for our suggestions.
I made these for my husband who is a muffin affectionodo & hard at work remodeling our house. I skipped the icing. The tops came out perfectly & the muffins were not too sweet. He took a break & ate 2. A definite keeper recipe. Do you have a recipe for Morning Glory Muffins?
★★★★
Hi Nancy, so glad you loved these! Here’s our favorite Morning Glory Muffin recipe.
This recipe is amazing!! My kids love it. I used gala apples since were the only ones I had. It came out delicious. Thank you so much. I also tried the oatmeal blueberry muffins.
★★★★★
These are amazing!! Love the soft gooey apple chunks combined with the crunch crumb topping, and the cake itself is very moist and flavorful. I didn’t make the icing and though I think it would taste great with that it definitely doesn’t need it.
★★★★★
I almost NEVER comment. This is my second time making this recipe and it was perfect both times. These are moist and delicious and IMPRESSIVE! Like, they look like I went to a fancy bakery. The first time I made the icing, it was good bit for a house full of adults we felt it wasn’t needed. This time no icing. Delicious. Took a few to the neighbors as a reciprocal welcome gift and she looked stunned. I think we should rename these Welcome/Thank you muffins. Thank you for the most amazing muffin recipe! (I think I’ve tried hundreds of muffins recipes). Thank you thank you thank you!
We’re so thrilled to read your rave review of these muffins, Mariah! Thank you so much for your kind words.
Hello Sally,
What kind of apples do you normally use for your Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins?
Hi Jessica, firmer apples are ideal for baking so avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. See section “Best Apples to Use in Apple Muffins” for some of our favorites!
I made these to take on a trip using 1 granny Smith apple. It made 16 muffins but next time will decrease the baking time to 13 minutes instead of 15. They were dry and overbaked. I also couldn’t find the calories or nutritional info. Please provide if you have it. Will definitely make them again! Delish!
★★★★
Hi Shari, so glad you loved the flavor! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
These Apple Cinnamon muffins are amazing! Simple and easy to make. I used sour cream, and skipped the icing. This recipe is a keeper!
★★★★★
Great muffins Thanksgiving morning
★★★★★
This recipe was simple and delicious! I used two Granny Smith apples, and followed recipe to a T, and it came out perfectly.
★★★★★
This is our family’s favorite apple muffin recipe! Delicious and moist. Mmm.
★★★★★
Great recipe thank you! They were super moist, kids love them!
Great recipe! Made these for my son’s birthday party at daycare and all the kids (and caregivers) loved them. As it was for kids, I roughly grated the apple instead of dicing. And I didn’t have enough butter for both the muffins and the crumb topping, so for the topping I improvised and substituted with 40g high fat cream cheese (called ‘rahmquark’ here) and 20g of sunflower oil. Worked well! And I also left out the frosting, would be a shame to hide those nice crumbs.
★★★★★
These muffins were delicious and a big hit for brunch. They were very moist and had a great texture. The crumb topping was great and added a nice crunch.
★★★★★
Can we turn this recipe into a loaf??
Hi Andrea, You can definitely bake this recipe in a loaf pan. We’re unsure of the exact baking time.
These were really tasty and moist and got rave reviews from my family. I accidentally added the milk in with the other wet ingredients instead of afterwards, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Along with the cinnamon, I added ginger, allspice, cloves and cardamom. Next time I would make a half recipe of the topping.
★★★★★
I made this a few hours ago and really loved it. I didn’t include the icing in case it was too sweet for me, and I found it perfect as is! The icing would have been great for the aesthetic look though (that’s how I stumbled across this recipe after all). Everything turned out really well even though I’m pretty much a beginner baker and it took me 2-3h to get everything done. The only thing is when the muffins rose in the oven, most of the crumbs spread towards the side on some of the muffins. I’m not sure if that’s expected but perhaps I didn’t press it down enough or I put too much on the sides. Either way, I made most of them for my fiancé and his family so I hope they love these as much as I do! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
★★★★★
I made a mini version of these. They worked best at 425 for 4 mins and 350 for 12 minutes. For minis you only need about half the topping though. They’re incredible. THANK YOU
★★★★★
These were so delicious! Deleted all other apple muffin recipes I had. This is the best so far! Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
These are insanely good. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. My 5 year old can’t get enough! Didn’t make the icing and don’t think it needs it. . I had a lot of the crumb mixture left over, would halve the quantity of it when making next time.
★★★★★
This were probably the best muffins I’ve ever had! Thanks so much for sharing this reicpe!
★★★★★
Soooo freaking good! I added caramel bits along with the apples. This recipe is a keeper.
★★★★★
Hi! I made your chocolate chip muffins and they are fantastic. I was looking to make these as well and I see that for this batter you recommend starting with creaming the sugar and the the butter as suppose to the one for the chocolate chip muffins that you mix all the wet ingredients together? What is the difference please?
Thank you!
Hi Fotini, starting with a base of creamed butter and sugar gives these muffins a lovely cake-like texture. All recipes are different and we recommend following the instructions closely 🙂
These muffins looked wonderful, but we found them incredibly sweet, made the icing but threw it away, luckily tasted a muffin before I iced them. Disappointed
I made this recipe today but added a little nutmeg and it was amazing. Didn’t make the icing for them though. Definitely going to be making this again
★★★★★
Was looking for a recipe close to the apple crumb muffins that Costco used to make. Made these (using almond flour) and they were amazing! Definitely a new favorite recipe and will be making them more frequently.
★★★★★