August 31, 2023
updated
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Learn all the hacks to turn staple ingredients into delicious, moist muffins you can prep ahead!
Fluffy Apple Muffins with Cinnamon
These Cinnamon Apple Muffins have a fluffy and crumbly texture. It’s a simple recipe you can make in half an hour from start to finish, and enjoy a warm muffin for breakfast.
Each bite of these muffins has tender, juicy apple pieces that will delight your tastebuds. They’re perfect for the weekend or to enjoy with a cup of coffee at home or on the go.
You can also prep them ahead by making the batter the night before, take them out of the fridge in the morning while the oven preheats, and in just 20-ish minutes, you’ll transform your entire house!
Ingredients
The ingredient list to make these cinnamon apple muffins includes many items that are probably already staples in your pantry.
Here’s what you need:
- Apple: use any variety you have. Peel it and chop it in small even sized pieces.
- Sugar: a basic staple for the batter.
- Butter: add it softened at room temperature, not melted.
- Eggs: to bind the ingredients.
- Vanilla extract: for an irresistible taste and aroma!
- All-purpose flour: you can use whole-wheat pastry flour (white whole-wheat) but not regular wheat flour. More details below.
- Baking powder: gives rise to the muffin batter and a fluffy texture.
- Milk: the liquid we need for this recipe. Use your favorite.
- Brown sugar: adds a nice golden crust to each muffin.
- Ground cinnamon: mixed with brown sugar, makes a delicious topping.
You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.
The Best Apples for Baking
While you can use any firm-textured apple to make these muffins, some varieties hold up best in baked goods. Green apples (Granny Smith) are a classic. Their tart flavor caramelizes in the oven, turning out perfectly sweet. Braeburn, Cortland, Crispin, Golden Delicious, Honey Gold, Honey Crisp, and Fujis also work great for this recipe.
How to Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins
These Apple Muffins with Cinnamon are not only delicious but also convenient: the batter comes together quickly and can be made the night before!
Here’s how the magic happens:
- Prep
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. - Make the topping
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside. - Beat until smooth
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar with the softened butter until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, until incorporated into a batter. - Mix flour and baking powder
In another bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. - Combine
Add the flour mixture slowly into the butter-sugar bowl and combine. Add the milk to the batter until it’s smooth. Fold the chopped apples into the batter. - Fill the muffin pan
Fill the muffin cups about ¾ way to the top with batter, making sure the apple pieces are distributed evenly throughout. - Add the topping
Sprinkle each muffin with ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar. Using the back of a fork, gently swirl the brown sugar into the batter. - Bake to perfection
Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for about 22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool down for 10 minutes before enjoying.
Check out this video to see how these Cinnamon Apple Muffins come together:
The Secret to Moist Apple Muffins
The secret to moist apple muffins is the butter or oil in the recipe. While you might be tempted to substitute it for something else, these apple muffins only contain butter, not both like other recipes.
How to Freeze Cinnamon Apple Muffins
Once the muffins have cooled down, place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for about one hour. Once frozen, transfer the muffins to a freezer-safe zip bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. This method is super convenient to have muffins ready to eat on busy mornings. You can also freeze the muffin batter in paper liners as shown in this post.
Thaw the muffins on the counter, overnight in the fridge, or microwave them for about 30 seconds to one minute each, and they’re ready to be enjoyed.
What type of flour is used for muffins
These muffins are made with all-purpose flour. If you want to swap it, check these tips to yield the best results:
Can I use whole-wheat flour for these muffins?
Use whole-wheat pastry flour (white whole-wheat) but not regular 100% wheat flour.
Using 100% whole-wheat flour:
Use 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup whole-wheat flour. Using the full amount listed in the recipe of regular whole-wheat flour will yield very dense muffins.
Making these muffins gluten-free:
I’ve tested this muffin recipe with a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour successfully. Depending on the brand you use, you might need to add 1-2 tablespoons of extra liquid. Check out the gluten-free apple muffin recipe here.
More Favorite Breakfast Ideas with Cinnamon
If you are obsessed with cinnamon as much as I am, there’s still more cinnamon goodness that will rock your world! You’ll definitely want to try this Coffee Cake Muffin recipe, my epic Cinnamon Pancakes, and devour a few slices of this incredible Cinnamon Apple Bread. SO good!
Cinnamon Apple Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1 apple, peeled and diced
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter, softened at room temperature (not melted)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup milk, any
Topping:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Make the muffin batter:
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar with the softened butter until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, until incorporated into a batter.
- In another bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture slowly into the butter-sugar bowl and combine. Add the milk to the batter until it's smooth. Fold the chopped apples into the batter.
- Fill the muffin cups about ¾ way to the top with batter, making sure the apple pieces are distributed evenly throughout.
- Sprinkle each muffin with ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar. Using the back of a fork, gently swirl the brown sugar into the batter.
Bake:
- Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for about 22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool down for 10 minutes before enjoying.
Storage:
- Store muffins at room temperature in an airtight container or zip lock bag lined with a paper towel (to absorb any excess moisture) for up to 24 hours. Refrigerate them for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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