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. When you crave a big slice of apple pie for breakfast, these apple-studded muffins fill the gap 🙂
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!
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 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 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 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 (just like apple cupcakes), so it’s 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.
PrintApple 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 (56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup (84g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Muffins
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (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) milk (any kind), at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) 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.
- Make the muffins: 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 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°F, 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. 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rubber 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: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- For a jumbo muffin pan: Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes, for a total of 27–30 minutes. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: Bake at 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
Hi Sally,I was just wondering if I could switch the yogurt for sour cream?I read the comments,but I won’t to know if you think it’s ok since it’s your recipe?I have always followed your recipes exactly,but I’m not a huge fan of yogurt.Also what apples should I use for these muffins?Thanks so much!!
Any apples you love best (I refer Granny Smith or Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady) and yes sour cream works. Same amount. Enjoy!
These are delicious! Great recipe! And you know I learned a tip that I can use with other muffin recipes and that was starting them off at a higher temperature so that you have that nice bakery-like high top. I did not put the glaze on it although I can see that that would make a beautiful presentation if you were taking them somewhere special. Next time I make them I think I will try substituting half of the butter with applesauce and decreasing the sugar a bit and see how that turns out. Thanks!
Love your blog, Sally and wondered, instead of reg size muffins, how long would the mini stay in the oven and at what temp? We’re having a Garden Club Tea in September and wanted to do a test batch. Thanks!
Thank you Mindy! I’d say 11-12 minutes is great for the mini muffins, 350F temperature the whole time.
I made these today and they’re absolutely delicious! So light and fluffy. I used Fiji Apple’s and diced them small so I could add a lot. Next time I make these I may add a few chopped nuts to the topping, also try a caramel glaze. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I just discovered your blog and there are about a gazillion recipes I want to try.
These muffins were so delicious! I made a batch to take on our family beach vacation and everyone loved them! They were very moist and full of flavor. The topping was really wonderful! I used plain Greek yogurt. Thanks for a recipe that I will be making again and again.
Fantastic! I made the apple cinnamon version with gluten free oat flour. They were so moist and delicious. My husband will be so happy to eat them tonight since he has celiac.
just made these this morning,
I used sour cream instead of yougurt, I also used 1/4 cup margarine and 1/4 cup butter ( instead of all butter) for muffin recipe. I subbed the egg (egg allergy in our home) with a snack cup of natural apple sauce and extra 1/4 tsp baking soda and baking powder.
Most importantly I weighed out the flour!
made 12 regular size tops rose high and they came out absolutely beautiful, moist and delicious! the crumbs and glaze are the perfect topping!
OMG…..Made these today….OMG….lost for words. If you follow the recipe to the exact, they will come out to PERFECTION. I honestly did not think that they would turn out like this but to my surprise! My husband is ecstatic over them. The granny Apple is best because it gives it a “tart” twist. BTW, I used sour cream ( as I always do with my cakes) and it came out DELICIOUS. If you want to impress someone with a muffin, this will do it.
Made these today to take to the school for teacher appreciation. I am a cook not so much a baker. They turned out so beautiful and delicious. Thank you for the recipe. Will be making these lots in the future.
These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them! My muffin pans are dark, nonstick, and I usually knock the temp down 25° when I use them so they bake a little more evenly, but I’ve never used a recipe that uses an initial high heat followed by a lower heat. Would it still work if I do 400° followed by 325°? Maybe 425° followed by 325°? Or should I just keep everything the way it is?
In your case, I would do 425 for 5 mins then 325 🙂
I’ve now made these twice and they were just what I wanted! I made the second batch using coconut cream (at a runny consistency) instead of yoghurt because I was out and it still worked really well. These muffins also works well with other added “pumpkin spice”/”autumnal” flavours – I added grated nutmeg and ginger, which I’d recommend those who found the muffins bland try out.
PS The crumbled baked in the oven for 5-15 minutes at 350 make an AH-mazing add-in to icecream! Trust me it goes really well with any icecream, especially chai spice ice cream!
Made these yesterday following the recipe to the letter. TO DIE FOR. So soft, fluffy and flavorful. The ratio of apples-to-cinnamon is just right. Ditto sweetness. I took care to dice the apples pretty fine (1/4 inch-ish) so they’d fully soften while cooking. I doubled the recipe (because I’m no dummy) and froze them for an upcoming brunch party. Thank you for a new favorite that I’m certain to be making over and over again.
These are absolutely perfect! I live in CO and a friend of mine has two apple trees. The kids and I went to pick apples and ended up with three shopping bags full of apples. Needless to say I’ve been searching everythinv apple. I love baking but since moving to CO last summer I’ve had lots of issues with my baked goods collapsing. I am very happy to share this recipe was super easy to adjust for high altitude (I am at 6800 ft). I reduced the baking soda and baking powder by half and the muffins came out absolutely perfect. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hi Sally,
I made these muffins today and used oat streusel topping (of sky high apple muffins). Used all whole wheat flour, even for the topping and substituted butter with 1/2 cup vegetable oil. The muffins are very moist and very fluffy even with whole wheat flour. Aaaaand super delicious. How do you come up with such yummy recipes…there has not been a single failure so far (I tried a lot of your recipes). Thanks a ton!
I just made these last night and they are absolutely fantastic! Thanks so much for the recipe. Your site has become my go-to for new baking recipes because every one that I have tried so far has been absolutely delicious!
Made these today…fabulous. My husband and son are clobbering them. I can always count on your recipes because you provide weights for ingredients which is fantastic. This recipe is a keeper. Perfect balance of a tender, cakey muffin with a crunchy top and a sweet glaze. Yummo.
Thanks for the recipe. Trying it today. I was looking for something to take camping with us, and I love apples, too! So, I think I will make the glaze for a test muffin. (Have to do that!) And, then freezing the rest and will thaw and glaze when we are ready to eat them.
Oh my goodness, I just made these for the coffee brunch my class is having tomorrow morning and could not resist sneaking one! They are so incredibly moist and flavorful even without the glaze! I can’t wait to see what the others think of them (though they’ll probably be in love- I make a fair amount of Sally recipes to share with my friends!).
I just made these tonight for my fiancée to take to work to enjoy with the guys tomorrow. They came out AMAZING! I used the standard muffin pan and got 13 muffins total. I also made a home made caramel sauce and drizzled that on top since I had no icing sugar. My 3 year old had a blast helping make them as well! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
I doubled this recipe and made mini-muffins. So, I used pink lady apples (1.5 large which yielded about 2.5 cups) and diced them into small pea-sized chunks, used full fat plain (non-Greek) yogurt, whole milk. I’d recommend to make sure these are all at RT as when I mixed the eggs & yogurt into the butter-sugar mix, I got an ugly liquidy mix with small bits of butter because my dairy was not quite at RT. BUT! It all worked out in the end, even with my impatience. I poured the wet into dry and folded, then folded in the whole milk and then the apples and it looked very nice and uniform. I got 3 pans of 24 mini-muffins (12 minutes) and then another 8 regular-sized cupcakes (15 minutes). Oh! And I completely forgot and started baking right at 350. They do dome up a bit but fall down a little but were NOT completely flat. It looked great with a small sprinkle of the crumb topping (no glaze this time). Sally, these are great! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Seriously the best muffin ever–I was wondering, Sally, if I wanted to make these into 12 mini loaves, would they still be alright, and how should I alter the bake time?
Kacie, I’m entirely unsure. I’ve only baked them as muffins.
These muffins are amazing! Light fluffy and full of apple chunks! I did not do the glaze. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Glazed Apple Crumb Muffins are my new FAVORITE!!!! I can not wait to make them again! Light and moist. 5 stars!!!
Hey Sally!
I just made these 2 nights ago and they came out AMAZING!!! Unfortunately they only tasted good for me 🙁 I kept them in a Ziploc container at room temp, tried one this morning and it became very dry. Wondering what happened? I would have loved for these to taste as moist as they did that first night for everyone else to enjoy!!
As fantastic as you described. Got lots of great comments for them! Thanks.
Hey, Sally. I’m so excited to make these this weekend; my mouth is already watering.
Just one question — can use a mixture of sour cream and plain yogurt? I have a scrapable amount of sour cream left and I don’t want it to go to waste.
Thank you for reading!
Yes! A mix of yogurt/sour cream works.
Made the Apple Crumb Muffins yesterday to try out my new oven so I was not expecting miracles! WOW I did perform a miracle as they turned out amazing! I used baking paper to line the muffin tin which was a bit fiddley but worth the effort as I was able to make them a bit bigger and the crumble didn’t fall off as I put it on and they domed up beautifully! I haven’t baked anything in ages but will be making these again very soon! Thank you for this superb recipe, if I can make them anyone can! 🙂
Delicious results! Thanks for laboring to “get it right” for the benefit of your readers. One idea that I have borrowed from someone else – use apple cider instead of milk for the glaze. It is not quite as pretty a presentation, but really adds to the apple goodness.
If you were to put a frosting on this, and turn it into more of a cupcake, would you prefer a cream cheese frosting or a buttercream? Also, any changes I should make to make it more cakey?
Please let me know! I have a request for these for a baby shower!
These are simply AMAZING!! Super moist…Will definitely be making again!!