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
Made these to bring in to work this morning. I love using the guys as guinea pigs! 🙂
I made as directed except I used Ghirardelli caramel sauce in place of the vanilla glaze. HUGE hit!
I am so thankful for your blog, haven’t made one recipe from this site that wasn’t spectacular!
Hello, I want to make these but thought about adding dried cranberries to it. Do you think that would taste ok or would it change the consistency of the muffins?
Hi Chalene, You should be able to replace some of the apples with cranberries in these muffins without any other changes.
Hi is there a calorie count for these muffins please
Hi Karin, 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
Hi! i was wondering if i could replace the yogurt with something else?
Hi Emma, sour cream is a fantastic replacement for the yogurt. Enjoy!
Help! sometimes muffins are a mess doing the high to low temp baking. Not sure why I cannot get a lofty muffin? My leavening agents are fresh.
Hi Vickie, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Is the muffin batter nice and thick? Or does it appear to be thin? A thick batter is key.
Hi! I love this recipe. I’m will be making these muffins, the pumpkin crumb ones and the double chocolate ones (with a little twist and espresso streusel 😉 ) for my office party on Friday. Do you think that I could make the batter a day early, refrigerate it and bake it right before I have to leave?
Hi Zoe, we don’t recommend it. The leaveners are activated when the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, so it’s best to bake the batter shortly thereafter. Hope the muffins are a hit!
Can I make this recipe with regular butter & not use unsalted butter?
Hi Luan, you can use salted butter and reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
I made 70 cupcakes today for the school shop and they all came out perfect! Used both yogurt and applesauce half-n-half and they came out moist and fluffy. This recipe is amazing and precise. This was my first time making an apple cupcake. Thank you!
Greetings. I love your site and I have enjoyed many of your recipes. I was wondering if you had any opinions on adding a little candied ginger to the batter? Thank you
Hi Dara, we haven’t tested anything in this recipe, but you certainly could do so. We’d start small and then adjust further for future batches. Let us know how it goes!
I just made them came out great even though I forgot the initial bake temperature. I’ll add more cinnamon next time as I like more punchy flavours. Everyone enjoyed it will definitely make again. Thank you
Have apples from my trees. Plan to make these muffins. How would they be to put in freezer? Tks
Hi Veronica, you can freeze baked & cooled muffins for up to 3 months. See the recipe notes for more details. What a great way to use your own apples!
Would I be able to use this recipe for mini muffins? Hosting a brunch and a few of your muffins are a favorite for the girls & I! What should I change about the cook temp & timing?
Hi Felisha, absolutely. Skip the high heat blast for mini muffins – bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes.
Best muffins ever. They were such a hit. I’m gonna try them next time with blueberries. Just for something different, but absolutely perfect.
Recipe
Great recipe. I feel like my crumb came out a bit disappointing despite me following the recipe. Still tastes great though.
I get so many compliments every time I make this recipe! So easy, but still so impressive.
Tried the apple cinnamon crumble recipe. Turned out pretty good, except that mine did not look as lovely crusty brown as your pictures. Tried to just grill the top to make it browner. I may have been stringy with the sugar for the topping so it taste less umph. May add more sugar as sprinkle when warming up before eating.
Is it possible to take out the yogurt and not add anything as the replacement? First time I made this, the batter was too…creamy for my liking
Hi Joyce, we fear the muffins would be quite dry without the yogurt, but let us know what you try.
I loved your Rachel’s chocolate chip cookie recipe, it’s my ONLY chocolate chip recipe I will use. So I decided to try this!
I loved it, I didn’t follow exactly as I am an inpatient and spur of the moment baker. I didn’t use room temp greek yogurt or eggs. They were straight out of fridge, I didn’t have ANY milk and ended up using my coffee vanilla creamer..lol and I had no vanilla.
They still, turned out incredible.
The only thing I would change was tossing the apples in some brown sugar and nutmeg. I will try that next time.
I loved these muffins so much. I am starting to understand that I can’t go wrong choosing a recepie when it is from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
I can’t wait to make this recipe! So I can replace the yogurt or sour cream with unsweetened Apple sauce, correct?
Hi Tricia, that’s correct!
Very good! Thank you Sally!
SO BUSSSSS, done this recipe more than once and every time im amazed at how good these are. From the texture to the taste these muffins are PERFECT! My whole family likes them. Only thing I changed was adding a bit less sugar in the muffin mix and more cinnamon (personal preference).
These were a hit at our Mother’s Day brunch! I received several compliments. The only variation I made was to make the glaze with one part half and half (since I didn’t have cream,) one part water, and one part good quality pure maple syrup. And of course, the vanilla. The maple flavor wafted across the table and garnered the first compliment before they were even eaten. This was my first time making non gluten free muffins, and I knew your recipe would be a sure thing. I find your recipes always spot-on in taste, and with balanced ingredients in perfect proportions. I appreciated your tip about the higher temp for the first five minutes. What a difference! I used a Granny Smith and a Gala apple….firmness is definitely key. Next up will be your lemon blueberry muffins….a combo that is sure to be another winner!
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!
Definitely a hit
Hi!! Is it possible to make this in the form of a cake if we don’t have a muffin tray? Thank you
Hi Sibel, if you don’t have muffin pans, you can make this apple cinnamon bread (very similar recipe) which is made in a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Can I leave out the apples for just a crumb muffin
Hi S, you can, or you could use our crumb cake recipe and follow the muffin directions in the recipe notes.
Sooooo good! Just made for the fam and everyone loved it! We didn’t have sour cream but we had dairy free cream cheese so we used that instead and it was still delicious!
I have made this recipe many times and absolutely love it!
Would I be able to make this in a donut pan? My toddler loves these muffins but is also asking for donuts lately so I would love to combine the two!
Hi Carolyn! We can’t see why you couldn’t bake this batter in a donut pan. Let us know how it goes!
This is my first time making your recipe. The muffins were made with a very well-thought-out amount of all the ingredients, and the finished product was excellent. The recipe was not crazy sweet, but had just the right amount of sweetness.
I have included it as my favorite cooking site.