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
Loved this recipe, but the glaze made sooo much, I threw most of it away! Muffins are delicious
Loved it! so moist and delish. My very picky son enjoyed them too!! (he is partial to banana chocolate chip!) I love the crumble too, I use it on other muffins as well!! Love so many of your recipes.
These were a great base for what I wanted to do! I reduced 20 grams of white sugar and added 40 grams of homemade candied orange peel I made last week; I also added in 30 grams of dried cherries and a tablespoon of dried rosemary. They’re delicious! I nixed the icing (mine were plenty sweet) and used a recipe for an oat crumble instead. These cooked perfectly at 16 minutes (beyond the 5 at high heat). My husband took one bite and went ‘MMMMMMMMMM’!
My friends father passed away recently and I couldn’t think of what to make . I made your awesome muffins so they didn’t have to worry about breakfast. They absolutely loved them . My husband and I of course had to have one . These are truly Amazing. Just made another batch . ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
The muffins were delicious; my only complaint is with the streusel topping- I thought it tasted very strongly of flour. Disappointed in that; so I doubled the glaze and added cinnamon to try and give the topping more flavor.
Can I make this into a loaf?
Hi Georgie, we recommend this apple cinnamon bread instead!
My family loves this recipe. I have gifted a few of my neighbors and everyone LOVED them. Thanks so much!
What kind of apples do you recommend using?
Hi Sabrina! See the section just above the recipe titled “Best Apples to Use in Apple Muffins”. Enjoy!
These are one of my favorite muffins. I’m trying to do a pan size but think the muffin texture would be too light. I was going to make the apple cake in the 13×9 and add the crumb topping. Do you think that cake would work with the crumb topping and icing?
Thank you for so many fabulous sweet treat recipes ☺️
Hi Denise! Here’a our apple crumb cake recipe 🙂
Sorry! I was mistaken!!
Hi I think you forgot the add milk part?
I assume it’s with the wet ingredients. I am a literal person and this is what really gets me about baking.
It’s an exact thing, but mistakes….
My family loved this recipe! I was gifted 50lbs of apples! So this was the first recipe I tried, so delicious. Thank you!
Hi Sally, would it be okay to use buttermilk ?
Hi Natalia, In a pinch you can try to substitute BOTH the yogurt and milk with buttermilk – so you would use 3/4 cup of buttermilk in place of the yogurt and the milk. Let us know if you try it!
Made these tonight , wow delicious !!!
These are so delicious! I made them as a part of a Halloween treat box for some friends. Moist and delicious!! Making more today because I gave so many away!
Best muffin recipe hands down! I would like to make a mini muffin version of it. How long should I bake them?
Hi Joan, so glad you enjoy these. See recipe Note for jumbo and mini muffins. For mini muffins: Bake at 350°F for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
Wow! These came out perfect, no modifications needed. So moist and delicious. I was worried because I was using sweet gala apples, that they might be too watery. Nope! Everything was so good – only wished I’d made twice as many. Will next time!
These are the most (dangerously) delicious muffins I have ever made. They are all gone!! I can’t wait to bake them for my Mom when she visits in a few weeks. I also love how easy the crumb is to make with melted butter. 10/10.
Would like to use this recipe in a FACS class. I have a large class, only four ovens, and my lab time has been reduced to 40 minutes. Can this recipe batter be made and stored in the refridgerator and baked the next day – I would probably need to divide the prep time and baking time to accommodate and make these successfully.
Hi Debra! Unfortunately, we don’t recommend making muffin batter ahead of time. The raising agents would activate when the wet and dry ingredients are mixed, so the muffins wouldn’t rise properly when baked.
I want to make this recipe I want to know if I can use apple pie spice?Instead of the cinnamon?
can i use almond flour here instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Len, we don’t recommend it. Almond flour has very different baking properties than all purpose flour and absorbs wet ingredients at a different rate. It would take a bit of recipe testing to determine how to properly incorporate it into this recipe.
Can we make this recipe with a handheld mixer without a paddle attachment?
Hi Vanessa, absolutely — a hand mixer will work just as well!
Can I use whole wheat flour?
Hi Gail, you can, but the muffins will be much denser/heavier. You may like these healthy apple muffins instead.
Delicious as all your recipes are. I don’t see where to add the milk in this recipe? Thanks.
Hi Ina, Towards the end of step 4, you’ll see “With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain.” We’re so glad you love these!
I make these with half regular AP and half fresh milled hard white and they turn out great still without getting super dense or heavy. I add a splash more milk and that seems to be enough moisture.
I’ve made these muffins two years in a row. I will probably make them every fall. Hands down the best muffins ive made or had. Love how simple the crumb is to make using melted butter. Thanks!
Love these! How many calories, carbs, total fat, and sugars are in these (regular muffin size)?
Hi Melissa! 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
My muffins didn’t rise but rather spread out across the top of the muffin pan. I swear I followed the recipe exactly – baking powder and baking soda, room temp ingredients. What on earth would have caused this? I’m sure it’s something I did but I just don’t know. Any thoughts?
I weighed my flour but measured everything else with cups or measuring spoons.
Hi Jean, Did you bake the muffins for the first 5 minutes at the high temperature, and then lower it for the remaining bake time? This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin top instead of spreading out. Once the temperature is lowered, the centers of the muffins bake.
Hi Sally I have the same problem! They literally bypass the crumble topping and spread out on the pans. I’m not sure what else to do.
Ckeck the date on your Baking Soda & Baking powder. Plus what Sally said also.
Wow!
These muffins are absolutely the best I have ever baked and I love to bake! The directions are also excellent -specific and clear. And my muffins turned out picture perfect just like those shown in your recipe picture, which turns out to be half the story – they are as delicious as they are beautiful! Great recipe!
Made these muffins today with some locally grown apples. I made a double batch in two jumbo pans. It made 12. Needless to say they are all gone. They were some of the best muffins I’ve made in a long time. Thanks for the great recipe!!!!
Love the recipe but I have a question do we put the crumb in the oven ? with the muffin or that aside?
You would put the topping on the muffins prior to putting them in the oven.
Hi! Can these muffins be made without the topping?
Absolutely!
These turned out perfect! Yummy.
These turned out delicious! The crumb was delightful. I added about 1/4 cup of pecans to the muffins for a fun twist because I love nuts. They were such a hit. They turned out just like the pictures too. I’m excited to freeze these and have them post-partum this fall. Thanks @sallys baking I haven’t been disappointed so far in ANY of your recipes.
So, these were amazing!! They were absolutely delicious and turned out perfectly. My family loved them. Have already made these 3 times this fall. Always a favorite with everyone who has had them. Wonderful recipe!
Amazing muffins! Turned out perfect!! Very yummy
Excellent every time I have made this recipe, and that has been many!!! I even spread it in a buttered pan, and consider it a coffeecake!