These apple muffins are made from scratch with plenty of grated fresh fruit, warm autumn spices, and a cinnamon-sugar topping.
Table of Contents
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- Look for softer baking apples for this recipe, since the softer apples break down more easily in the oven and blend into the muffin batter. You get less of the grated texture, and more of the fresh apple flavor. Good options include Golden Delicious, Cortland, Macoun, Jonathan and McIntosh.
- I always peel the apples to remove the tough skin, but this is just a matter of personal preference. Peeled, grated apples bake smoothly into the batter. That said, if you don’t mind the peel, you can certainly leave it on.
- Start the oven at a very high temperature to help the tops rise, and then lower the heat right away to allow the rest of the muffins to cook through without burning.
- Properly measure the flour. Always spoon and level the flour or weigh it on a kitchen scale — do not scoop it out of the package. Incorrectly measuring the flour packs it too tightly into the measuring cup and results in dense, dry muffins.
- The key to a perfect muffin is just barely mixing the ingredients. You want them to come together, but a few lumps are fine. This way they’ll stay moist and tender!
- Fill the muffin cups nice and full. I like to use an ice cream scoop to make sure that each cup has an equal amount of batter, so that the muffins bake evenly in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
The muffins are tasty on their own, but they’re also delicious when served warm and spread with butter, honey butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, or a dollop of apple butter. We love at breakfast, but they’re also tasty for snacks or as a side dish with supper.
Did you make this recipe?
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Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Apple cinnamon muffins with plenty of grated fresh fruit, warm autumn spices, and a cinnamon-sugar topping.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole buttermilk (or sub with regular milk)
- 1 medium apple, peeled and coarsely grated (about 1 cup total)
Topping
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and spritz with nonstick spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl; mix on medium-low speed just until combined. Add the buttermilk; mix just until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in the grated apple.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Place the muffins in the preheated oven, then immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack. When the muffins are cool enough to handle (but still warm), prepare the topping.
- Place the melted butter in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush the top of each warm muffin with the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.
Notes
- How to Store: Allow the muffins to cool completely. Store in a large Ziploc freezer bag or other airtight container. The muffins will last for 2-3 days at room temperature. Wrapped tightly, these grated apple muffins will keep in the freezer for at least 3 months.
- How to Reheat: If the muffins are frozen, allow them to sit on the counter for a few minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Frozen muffins will require about 10-12 minutes in the oven; room temperature muffins will only need about 5 minutes to warm through. Alternatively, you can microwave one or two muffins at a time for 15-30 seconds, or just until warm.
- Recipe adapted from AddaPinch.com
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffinCalories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 187mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 302IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1mg
Apple Cinnamon Muffin Recipe Variations
- Don’t have buttermilk? While the buttermilk gives the muffins a slightly tangy, moist, tender crumb, regular milk will also work in this particular recipe. The baking powder doesn’t need the acid in the buttermilk in order to activate.
- Mix-Ins: A handful of chopped walnuts or pecans would be a great addition to this recipe. Dates, raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries or shredded coconut would also be delicious.
- Swap out the spices for about 2 ½ teaspoons – 1 tablespoon of apple pie spice (a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and sometimes cardamom and ginger). So convenient!
- Make apple crumble muffins by swapping the cinnamon-sugar topping for a streusel topping that you add before baking.
More Recipes with Apples
Apple Bundt Cake (Apple Dapple Cake)
3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Mom’s Easy Apple Pie
3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Easy Apple Cobbler
1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in March, 2019. It was updated in September, 2024.
Hi Blair
Could these be baked in a mini muffin pan? If so, what temperature/bake time would you recommend?
Hi, Joy-Dawn! Yes, I think that would work fine! I would bake them in a 350°F oven for about 12-15 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Hi, did you have an earlier version of this recipe that used bran flakes and whole wheat flour? If so, is it possible to get a copy of it? Thank you.
Hi, Joanne! Yes, ma’am! I’ll post the old recipe below (you can copy and paste to a Word document or email), but I will say — the updated version is much better (just not as healthy). 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Healthy Muffins with Apples and Cinnamon
Yield: 9 muffins
Prep: 10 mins
Bake: 20 mins
1 ½ cups bran flakes (or other similar flaked cereal like Total, Wheaties, or Raisin Bran)
1 cup whole wheat flour (or substitute with all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any milk will work)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or sub with melted butter or other mild tasting oil of choice)
1 apple, grated
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 9 nonstick liners or spray 9 cups with nonstick spray. If using paper liners, I suggest giving the liners a spritz with the nonstick spray, just to make sure that the muffin doesn’t stick to the paper.
In a large bowl, stir together cereal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, maple syrup and oil. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.
Gently fold in the grated apple.
Divide the batter evenly between the 9 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and firm.
Thank you so much! My husband loved these muffins! They helped get us through the worst of Covid. Thanks again.
You’re so welcome, Joanne! We hope you’re both healthy and doing well.
Wow! Was sceptical at first about these, as every muffin recipe I have made lately was a dud. But these are great. I read everything you said about the recipe. All the tips. And did everything but used Swerve sweetener. I was very pleased but next time will use real sugar. Thank you! Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! ❤️
I’m so happy to hear that, Leslie. Thank you!
Hi!
When removing the muffins to a cooling rack, does this mean to remove each muffin from the pan and place it on the rack or just take the entire pan and place it on the rack? I have always wondered about this. May be a stupid question with an obvious answer….LOL
Thanks much.
Not a stupid question! You’ll want to remove them from the pan. We hope you enjoy!
What specific kind of apple do you suggest for this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Nancy! For the best results, we recommend lookin for softer baking apples since the softer apples break down more easily in the oven and blend into the muffin batter. You get less of the grated texture, and more of the fresh apple flavor. Good options include Golden Delicious, Cortland, Macoun, Jonathan and McIntosh. Hope this helps!
Your recipes are amazing.
My whole family loves them.
When my daughter was pregnant I made many of your excellent recipes, especially casseroles for my daughter and son-in-law! They begged for more, even offering to pay for the ingredients!!
Your new Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar is outstanding! It reminds my husband and me of the Apple Cider donuts we bought years ago at the orchard store!
I can’t wait to share this recipe with my daughter and her family! She has a little girl now, born last January!
Appreciation to you for sharing!
Linda
Thank you so much, Linda. This made our day! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy the recipes. Congratulations on your granddaughter!