Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple Cinnamon Muffins are warm, fluffy, and filled with cozy fall flavors in every bite. The sweet apple chunks and hint of spice make them perfect for breakfast or a snack. Pair them with coffee or tea, and they’ll quickly become a favorite treat.

Love More Muffin Recipes ? Try My Apple Crumble Muffins or this Cherry Cobbler Muffins next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These muffins strike the perfect balance of flavors and textures – moist and tender with juicy apple pieces, a sweet cinnamon swirl baked right into the center, and a crispy crumb topping that adds the ideal crunch. They’re just the right amount of cozy without being overly sweet, making them perfect for breakfast, snacks, or sharing fresh from the oven. Every bite brings together warmth, softness, and that irresistible hint of spice.

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Ingredient List

For the Muffins:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (for coating apples)
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (for coating apples)
• 2 cups diced apples (about 2-3 medium apples)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping:

• ½ cup melted butter
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup ground cinnamon

Smart Substitutions: My sister uses buttermilk instead of regular milk because she swears it makes them tangier. When I’m feeling fancy, I swap out half the white flour for whole wheat. Honeycrisp apples are my personal favorite, but my mom insists Granny Smiths give the perfect tart bite.

Why These Ingredients Work

Here’s what I figured out after ruining my first batch years ago – coating apple pieces prevents them from turning into mushy disappointments at the bottom. Room temperature butter actually creams properly instead of creating weird lumps. I learned this the hard way when my impatient self tried using cold butter straight from the fridge. The double cinnamon hit happens because we’re seasoning both the apples and the batter separately, which creates layers of flavor instead of just one flat note.

Essential Tools and Equipment

I use my ancient 12-cup muffin tin that belonged to my grandmother – the non-stick coating is mostly gone but it still works perfectly. Paper liners make cleanup easier when I’m being lazy. You’ll need two bowls for the dry stuff, one big bowl for mixing everything together, and either a hand mixer or stand mixer. My hand mixer died halfway through making these last month, so I finished with a wooden spoon and they turned out fine. Grab your measuring cups, a whisk, and a wire rack for cooling. For the topping, I use a small bowl and usually just dip the muffin tops directly into the butter instead of messing with a pastry brush.

How To Make Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Prep your kitchen

Heat the oven to 375°F and grease your muffin tin. I forgot this step once and spent twenty minutes prying stuck muffins out with a butter knife.

Mix the dry ingredients

Dump the 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a bowl and whisk it around until it looks uniform.

Prepare those gorgeous apples

Take your diced apples and toss them with the 2 teaspoons flour and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in another bowl. This stops them from sinking to the bottom like little apple rocks.

Cream the base

Beat the butter and sugar in your big bowl for about 3 minutes until it gets fluffy and pale. My kids always want to lick the beaters at this point.

Add the eggs and vanilla

Crack in those eggs one by one, then pour in the vanilla. The batter should look smooth and smell amazing.

Bring it all together

Add the flour mixture and milk in turns, mixing just until you can’t see white flour streaks anymore. Don’t go crazy here – lumpy batter makes better muffins.

Fold in the apple magic

Gently stir in those flour-coated apples. I use a wooden spoon for this part because it’s gentler than the mixer.

Fill and bake

Scoop the batter into your muffin cups until they’re about ¾ full. I use an ice cream scoop because I’m terrible at making them even otherwise. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.

The grand finale

While they’re still hot, dip each muffin top in the melted butter, then roll it around in the cinnamon-sugar mix. This part gets messy but it’s so worth it.

Cool and enjoy

Put them on a rack to cool, though my family usually steals half of them while they’re still warm.

Expert Tips

Room temperature everything or you’ll hate yourself later. I used to grab cold eggs from the fridge and wonder why my batter looked like cottage cheese. Take your butter and eggs out an hour before you start, or stick the eggs in warm water for five minutes if you’re impatient like me.

Personal Secret: I always buy different types of apples and mix them up. Last week I used two Honeycrisps and one Granny Smith, and my husband said it was the best batch yet. The tartness from the Granny Smith cuts through all that sweetness perfectly.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Stop mixing the second you can’t see flour anymore. I used to beat the hell out of muffin batter thinking it would make them better, but they always turned out tough and chewy. Lumpy batter actually works better – I know it looks wrong but trust me on this one.

My ice cream scoop changed everything for even muffins. Before that, I’d end up with some tiny sad muffins and others that were basically muffin mountains. Also, smack your filled muffin tin on the counter once before it goes in the oven – gets rid of air bubbles that make weird holes. Don’t open the oven door for twenty minutes no matter how curious you get, or they’ll collapse faster than my willpower around chocolate.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

I throw in chopped walnuts sometimes when my husband’s not around because he picks them out like a five-year-old. Dried cranberries work great too – my aunt does this and they look so pretty. My weird experiment was adding maple extract instead of vanilla once, and honestly it was pretty damn good. My sister-in-law puts mini chocolate chips in hers which sounds wrong but tastes incredibly right.

Make-Ahead Options

You can make the batter the night before and stick it in the fridge, just give it a quick stir before scooping. I do this when I have early morning soccer games and want fresh muffins without the 6am mixing marathon. These freeze really well too – I wrap them individually in plastic wrap and toss them in freezer bags. When my daughter wants one for breakfast, thirty seconds in the microwave and it’s like they just came out of the oven.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Cut your apples small – like really small. Quarter-inch pieces work best. Bigger chunks create weird air pockets and smaller ones just disappear. I learned to peel them after my brother-in-law complained about tough apple skins ruining his perfect bite. Also, if your muffin tops are getting too brown before they’re done inside, just throw a piece of foil over the tin for the last ten minutes.

Let them sit in the pan for five minutes before you move them or they’ll fall apart in your hands. I’ve lost many good muffins to impatience.

Serving Suggestions

These are perfect with coffee in the morning, though my kids eat them as after-school snacks. I put them out at book club last month and had to give everyone the recipe. They’re good warm, room temperature, or slightly heated up the next day. My mom likes to split hers open and put a little butter inside, which sounds excessive but actually works.

How to Store Your Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Keep them in a container with a tight lid for about three days on the counter. After that they get a little stale but are still fine for dunking in coffee. I freeze extras in individual bags and they keep for months. To reheat frozen ones, microwave for twenty seconds or wrap in foil and stick in a 300-degree oven for five minutes.

Allergy Information

These have gluten, dairy, and eggs, so they’re not great if you can’t do any of those things. My friend with celiac uses a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour and says they turn out okay, just a bit more crumbly. For dairy-free, coconut oil works instead of butter, and any non-dairy milk should be fine.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use frozen apples?

Yeah, but thaw them first and squeeze out the extra water with paper towels or your muffins will be soggy.

Why did my muffins turn out like hockey pucks?

You probably mixed too much. Muffin batter should look lumpy and weird, not smooth.

Can I make tiny ones?

Sure, just bake them for 12-15 minutes instead. My niece loves the mini ones.

How do I dice apples fast?

I use one of those apple corer things, then just chop each ring into little pieces. Way faster than trying to cube whole apples.

Less sugar?

You can cut it down by a quarter cup, but they won’t be as moist or sweet. Up to you.

I hope these Apple Cinnamon Muffins become your new weekend tradition. There’s something about fresh apples and warm cinnamon that just makes everything better, especially when your whole house smells like a bakery. Sending flour-covered counters and happy families from mine to yours!

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear about your baking adventures and any delicious variations you discover!