Apple Cinnamon Muffins Recipe
Apple muffins are individual quick breads prepared by folding diced or grated apples into a lightly sweetened batter that often features all-purpose flour, eggs, milk, butter or oil, and leavening agents such as baking powder. Accented with warm spices—commonly cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice—and sometimes enriched with oats or chopped nuts, the muffins balance a soft crumb with pockets of tender fruit. They are typically enjoyed fresh from the oven at breakfast or brunch, packed into lunchboxes as a midday snack, or served alongside coffee or tea for an uncomplicated dessert.
Apple Cinnamon Muffins Recipe
These muffins are a smart way to rescue apples that are bruised or past their prime, turning kitchen odds-and-ends into a grab-and-go treat. The recipe scales well, freezes beautifully, and welcomes swaps—think gluten-free flour blends or plant-based milk—so you can tailor each batch to your household’s needs.
20 minutes
20 minutes
40 minutes
Ingredients
All-purpose flour – 2 cups (250 g)
Baking powder – 1½ tsp
Baking soda – ½ tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Ground cinnamon – 1½ tsp
Ground nutmeg – ¼ tsp
Eggs – 2 large
Brown sugar – ½ cup (100 g), packed
Granulated sugar – ¼ cup (50 g)
Unsalted butter – ½ cup (115 g), melted and slightly cooled
Milk – ½ cup (120 ml)
Vanilla extract – 2 tsp
Apples – 2 medium (about 2 cups / 300 g), peeled, cored and finely diced
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp (optional, for apples)
Optional cinnamon topping
Granulated sugar or turbinado sugar – 2 tbsp
Ground cinnamon – ¼ tsp
Chopped walnuts – ¼ cup (30 g), optional
Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl
- Peel, core, and finely dice two medium apples
- Whisk eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until smooth
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients
- Pour the wet mixture into the well
- Stir gently until the batter is just combined and no dry streaks remain
- Fold the diced apples into the batter
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full
- Stir granulated sugar and a pinch of cinnamon in a small bowl
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the tops of the batter
- Bake the muffins until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes
- Lift the muffins out of the pan and set them on the rack to cool completely
Nutrition (whole recipe)
2889 kcal Protein
42 g Fat
107 g Carbs
448 g Fiber
15 g Sugar
253 g
Notes
Toss the diced apples with a squeeze of lemon juice and a spoonful of brown sugar before folding them into the batter—this keeps the fruit vivid and gives the muffins caramel-speckled pockets. For an easy bakery-style finish, crown each unbaked muffin with a pinch of turbinado sugar and finely chopped walnuts; the topping turns crackly and fragrant as it bakes.