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 🙂
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. ★★★★★”
One reader, Caroline, commented: “The perfect apple muffins! These are a hit every time. Don’t skip the crumb! ★★★★★”
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! ★★★★★”
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, 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 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.
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 flour (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) 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 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on 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 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) | 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: 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made these today and they were delicious. My family and coworkers love them. If I were to make any change at all I might omit the vanilla icing on top. I thought it made it too sweet.
I made these this morning, and they came out with a tender crumb and looked like bakery muffins. I chopped one large Gala apple, which was plenty. However, I think I needed to use a stronger apple like Granny Smith, because I didn’t get much of an apple taste. Granted, I ate them while warm, and many times, muffins are better after sitting a bit. I also think, apple cider instead of the milk might give it a stronger apple taste. Overall, it is a very good muffin recipe. Will make again with these few changes.
Probably the ultimate autumn muffin. So tasty, loved by all!
These muffins are our family’s fall bestseller. Tasty with different textures. I tried to alternate apples with unpeeled yellow pears and it’s simply delicious. Thanks for this recipe
These came out great! Very flavorful and the streusel topping was a great addition. The recipe perfectly made 6 jumbo muffins. I used two good sized Honeycrisp Apples and they worked great, as well as Noosa Vanilla Bean Yogurt for that component as well, making for a very flavorful muffin. I will definitely be making these again sometime.
Fantastic!! Pressing in the topping really made a difference. I mill my own flour and used soft white wheat berries. Makes these muffins tender and full of the whole grain. I will use this as a base for other fruit muffins.
I’m in shock. I have tried making muffins over the years & finest gave up. Decided I just didn’t have it. Just finished these. The 1st time in my life a recipe came out perfect! This goes in the recipe box. Perfect without the icing. Keeping your name in my file. THANK YOU.
Hello! If I want to make a double batch do I just double all the ingredients? Also, is the oven temperature for a regular or a fan oven? Thank you!
Hi Hester, for best results, we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling. We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake. Hope you enjoy these muffins!
Does the kind of yoghurt matter as well as flavoring? Plain Greek Yoghurt vs Vanilla Yoghurt, etc?
Hi Elle, we prefer full-fat regular or plain Greek yogurt, but lower fat contents and/or vanilla flavor would work in a pinch!
I used Noosa Vanilla Bean Yogurt in mine because that’s what I had on hand and the results were delicious!
These are THE BEST Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins I have ever eaten!!! I’m not a ‘Baker’ at the best of times but this recipe was so easy to make and the instructions were very clear. The muffins are super impressive to serve and they look like you’re an expert at Baking!! 🫶🏻. Still, my kitchen looked like the Chef’s on The Muppet Show and I should have taken a picture of it! LOL 😂. My husband stayed away and I could see it on his face that this was going to be a flop experiment and waste of my time baking these muffins!! 😆. He even stated that THEY’RE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS 🤤 and he’s not a sweets fan.
All kidding aside, Sally do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?
Love 💕 your biggest Canadian Fan!!!💋💋💋
Hi Maria, we’re so glad the muffins were a huge hit! We don’t 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
When are the chopped apples added into the mix. The instructions do not mention adding the apples.
Hi Linda, it’s the last sentence in step 4: Fold in the apples.
What could you substitute the eggs with if you cannot eat eggs
Hi Brittney, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, so we’re unsure what would work best since the eggs provide necessary structure and richness to the muffins. Let us know if you do any experimenting.
Hi Brittany, When I need to make an egg-free item I use Ener-G Egg Replacer and it has always worked perfectly. Good luck!
Hi! Can I add pumpkin puree to this recipe to make pumpkin apple muffins?
Hi Meghann, we haven’t tested that here, but you might enjoy this harvest spice bread instead! See recipe Notes there for making as muffins.
Can I double the recipe and bake the 24 muffins at the same time? Wondering if there is any adjustment to the recipe I should keep in mind.
I have made baked these muffins multiple times and they always come out perfect and scrumptious!
Hi Marie, if you are baking 2 pans of muffins at once, it may take a couple extra minutes. Halfway through baking, you can swap the pans’ locations and rotate them to be sure they bake evenly. So glad you love this recipe!
Great recipe! I’ve made it at least 4x and they always come out delicious. For a fun change, I added maple syrup instead of vanilla to the drizzle 🙂
I am excited to try this recipe! It sounds wonderful. Can you add chopped pecans to topping?
Hi Shelly, chopped pecans would be delicious in this topping! Let us know if you give it a try.
Ugh. This is the first recipe in a very long time that failed and in an epic way. I am a seasoned baker and I knew the ingredients and method was not normal for muffins. I should have stopped there. I got 18 muffins and I have pans of flat ugly muffins that exploded and oozed all over the bottom of my oven. Caused a fire and now I have a crazy stupid mess to clean up. The crumb topping disappeared. Did it sink? I don’t know. What a waste of time and ingredients. Nothing fluffy and moist about these. I’ve gone over the recipe and ingredients a 100 times. I did everything according to the directions. The only thing different in my kitchen this time was the new can of baking powder. Idk. Bake to my tried and true blueberry muffins.
Hi Melissa, We’re so sorry to hear these muffins didn’t turn out for you and we know how frustrating it is when a recipe doesn’t turn out, especially with such a mess to clean up!! The recipe should yield about 14 muffins when the cups are filled to the top, so getting 18 suggests there may have been a difference in ingredient measurements or batter consistency. How was your batter? It should be quite thick, which helps support the crumb topping and create tall muffin tops.
These worked great for me! And I’m not even a “seasoned baker” I just bake for fun! They turned out absolutely delicious and rose beautifully! I would highly recommend:)
Yall this recipe is so good. I skipped the icing. The muffin is light and fluffy! The crumble adds richness! I actually used sliced apples that I had leftover from another eclipse and chopped them into smaller pieces.
Will make again!
Delish!
Excellent recipe and easy! Loved the crumb topping.
Just baked this. Wow these are incredible! LOVE!!
Another fantastic recipe! These are moist, apple-y, and full of flavor. I did add a bit of nutmeg with the apples in addition to the cinnamon and did not cream the butter and sugar together first, just did a traditional muffin ingredient dump and all was well. I ended up getting 16 out of the recipe. We really loved these and will absolutely make again.
I just made these muffins yesterday. Super moist and delicious! I made 24 mini muffins, then used the rest of the batter to make 4 regular size muffins.
My grandkids loved the minis, and the adults loved the big ones. Just love your website, you have so many great recipes, easy to follow, very well explained, and questions are always answered!
Instead of butter and this muffin recipe, can you use oil?
Hi Sharon! Butter is really key in this recipe.
I have been using vegetable butter (mine has avocado oil) in all my baking and it works very well as a replacement for animal butter
Hi Sally and team,
I want to make these muffins for my grandkids. Can they be made as mini muffins? Thanks, love your recipes!
Hi Susan, Yes, for mini muffins bake at 350°F for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
Delicious! My 7 year old rated these 1000/10!
Hi reading the instruction for the crumb topping- the ingredients list flour in the crumb topping but I can’t find in the instructions when it should be added?
Hi Adrienne, see step 2: “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.” Hope this helps!
I am trying this recipe now. Do you know how many carbs per muffin? Thanks
Hi Colette! We don’t 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
Please supply metric measurement quantities!
Hi Jen, do you see the gram measurements listed in the recipe? That should help!
This was just not my favorite recipe. I can’t even put my finger on what it was. We went apple picking and have a bunch of delicious honey crisp apples and I used 2 for these muffins. I did use sour cream. They were fluffy, but a tiny bit dry and just missing something.