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
Like a lot of others, I also had issues with the crumble turning into dough. I did exactly as instructions said and was careful not to over mix. It doesn’t taste bad now that it’s been baked but it was difficult to work with. I’m super disappointed because I followed the cook time, 425 for 5 mins then reduce. It recommend 15-18 mins so I set my timer for 14. Sadly they’re way over baked, a couple more mins would have burned them. I tasted one without the drizzle and they’ll definitely need it. Somehow they’re really lacking sweetness.
Hi Jenna, I’m so sorry to hear that you were disappointed with this recipe. The muffins definitely should not have been overbaked at 19 minutes… is it possible your oven’s temperature calibration is off? An oven thermometer is a helpful tool to check. If you would prefer something sweeter, you may enjoy these apple cupcakes instead. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Amazing so moist and delicious
Okay so I did mess up a few times just because I did this late at night craving a snack, so i doubled the sour cream. whoops. It still tastes great but the muffin was really stuck to the liner so I would recommend just greasing your pan really well with no liners.
Instead of doing apple chunks ca you do shredded apple?
Hi Lizzie, chopped apples are best here, because they act more like an add-in vs. shredded apple, which acts more like a wet ingredient. If you’d like to use shredded apples, we recommend these healthy apple muffins instead. You could even use the crumble and icing topping from these on that muffin recipe. Hope they’re a hit!
Excited to serve Christmas morning, but would love to make a day or 2 in advance. Is that okay? If so, how should they be stored and reheated?
Hi Angie, see recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions.
Love your recipes. I need to make 100 of these muffins. Can I double up on the recipe pls ? Any tips would be appreciated.
Hi Shannon, the batter is pretty thick, which means it will be easy to accidentally over-mix it if doubled. We strongly recommend making separate batches.
Can I add applesauce on top of apple sauce? On recipe you stated “if needed” so when is it needed? Thank you.
What? In the recipe Note, I mention you can use applesauce if needed if you don’t have yogurt or sour cream. Sorry if I’m misunderstanding your question.
Yummo!
These were so tasty! I had a problem with the crumb topping though – it came out way more like dough rather than crumble. Still great, but I was wondering how to get the crumbly texture – is it keeping the butter colder perhaps?
Hi Rachel, it sounds like it was possibly over-mixed. If the crumble topping is mixed too much, it will turn into a thick paste. You want to stir just enough to get clumps/crumbles. Hope this helps for next time!
I would really like to see the nutritional facts. Did I miss them?
Hi Janet, 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
Can I substitute buttermilk for the yogurt/sour cream? If so, should it be a 1 to 1 substitution?
Hi Peg, 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!
Great recipe! My people loved them. I customized them a bit. I used only coconut sugar in the muffins and on the crumble (did not do the icing ), and added raisins and walnuts both in the batter and the crumble. Very tasty! Thank you
Can you use Gluten Free flour for this recipe
Hi Roz, we haven’t personally tried it, but other readers have with success! Let us know how it turns out if you do.
The only change I made was to use cake flour instead of AP flour. These muffins are so delicate and delicious! Will definitely make again!
Can I swap apple cubes for chocolate chips? Our family loves this recipe so much!!! But one of my kids doesn’t like apple in anything. Instead of making 2 different batches, can I use half the batch with apple and add chocolate chips in the other half?
Hi Louise, sure can!
Can you use honey in the batter instead of sugar ?
Hi Joan, We haven’t tested honey in the recipe, let us know if you give it a try! You may also love these Morning Glory Muffins that are sweetened with honey and are super customizable with different add-ins.
Love these muffins!! Followed the recipe exactly except I used a vanilla flavored Greek yogurt. So soft and delicious – with or without icing
I am a self-proclaimed muffin maker.
These muffins were outstanding in every way….Moist, flavorful, just the right amount of sweetness so as not to be confused with a cupcake.
I didn’t use yogurt, but instead used Almond milk….Irresistible.
These muffins are so good. I don’t think they
need icing but that’s just my opinion. Will be making these over and over again.
Absolutely delicious like all of Sally’s recipes. Moist and flavorful.
This is the best apple cinnamon muffin recipe I’ve tried and at 67 years young I have tried many.
This recipe made the best apple muffins I have ever tasted, thank you.
What is the nutritional content?
Hi Terry, 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
Anytime I’m looking for a baking recipe, I choose your site. Your recipe always come through for me. I’ve been baking over 60 years and I love the fact that I can trust your recipes and additional information. Thank you!
I wanted to use up some of my sourdough discard (120g) so I eliminated 60 g of the flour and did not add the milk. I added the discard with the sour cream and they came out fantastic! Very flavorful and moist. So happy to have a recipe to use up some sourdough discard. I love your website!
Oh thanks for the tip. I love adding new discard recipes to my repertoire and Sally’s recipes are favourites of mine. I’ll try this recipe the next time I discard.
Hi there! Would putting these in mini muffin tins change the bake time at all?
Hi Ericka, skip the high heat blast for mini muffins – bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes. Hope they’re a hit!
This recipe is so good! I had a bunch of apples from the orchard, and it gave me the perfect opportunity to make these muffins! I use a 6-count jumbo muffin pan when baking and these turned out amazing! The size and shape were perfect.
Hi, my neighbor made these without the crumb topping or icing. They were STILL amazing!! Can I add walnuts? If so will any part of the recipe change? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Alissa! You can add chopped walnuts with no other changes. So glad you enjoyed them!
The perfect apple muffins! These are a hit every time. Don’t skip the crumb!
I have a question. All I have is light vanilla yogurt….will that work for this recipe?
Hi Reby, that will work in a pinch. Enjoy!
Amazing recipe! Works every time. Personally, I like to stir in the flour and milk by hand, which helps me avoid over-mixing. I just made them again for the third time, and they were great: amazing bake, texture, everything.