This Apple Cinnamon Muffins recipe features tall muffins with cinnamon-spiced tops and a soft, tender crumb thanks to fresh grated apples. You’ll fall in love with one bite!
5 STAR REVIEW
Robby says "These muffins are delicious! I thought I would miss having chunks of apple like the apple muffins I usually make….nope. Perfect taste and texture. I added a couple dashes of allspice to the cinnamon sugar topping. Will definitely be making these again and again" ★★★★★
Sammy says "I have made these 3 times and they turned out great each time. I list this one in my favorites" ★★★★★
My ideal apple cinnamon muffins are moist, tender, and packed with fresh apples—similar to apple cinnamon bread. So I used grated apples—they distribute evenly, add flavor, and melt into the muffins for a soft, tender crumb.
How to make tall apple muffins?
To achieve tall, bakery-style apple muffin, fill the muffin cups generously—this gives the batter enough volume to rise high. Also, baking at a higher temperature encourages a rapid rise, resulting in the classic domed top.
Fill the muffin cups generously - Don’t hesitate to fill each muffin well at least ¾ full—this is essential for achieving height. Underfilling, such as only halfway, often leads to flat, less impressive muffins.
Bake at a higher heat - Baking muffin at 375°F instead of the standard 350°F speeds up the reaction of leavening agents, creating a burst of steam that helps the muffins rise quickly and develop a signature domed top. This technique mimics the commercial bakery ovens, giving them a professional, bakery-style appearance.
Don’t overmix the batter - Overmixing the batter activates the gluten in the flour, resulting in dense, tough muffins that fail to rise properly. For light, fluffy, and tall muffins, gently stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined.
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Ingredients you'll need
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Apples – I recommend using Gala, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious apples in these muffins. These varieties strike the perfect balance of sweetness and slight tartness, enhancing flavor without overpowering the cinnamon or making the batter too wet.
- Eggs – Room temperature eggs mix more smoothly into the batter, creating a cohesive texture. Cold eggs can cause melted butter to seize, leading to uneven mixing and an inconsistent crumb.
- Butter – Melted butter adds rich flavor and a classic buttery taste that pairs perfectly with warm spices and sweet apples.
- Leavening – A combination of baking powder and baking soda gives the apple cinnamon muffin a good rise and helps achieve those bakery-style domed tops.
- Flavorings – Ground cinnamon and vanilla extract are key to achieving that classic fall flavor—cinnamon adds warm spice that complements fresh apples, while vanilla enhances the aroma and depth.
- Sugar – I use both brown and white sugar—brown sugar adds moisture and a rich, caramel-like depth, while white sugar balances the sweetness and promotes even browning.
- Flour – All-purpose flour provides the ideal protein level to build structure without density, helping the muffins hold their shape while maintaining a soft, tender crumb.
How to make apple cinnamon muffins?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Tip: Remove any visibly large pieces of peel after grating.
Step 9 - Transfer batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Bake apple cinnamon muffins at 375 degrees for about 24 minutes or the topping is deep golden in color.
Recipe tips
- Apples: Use firm apples with a sweet-tart flavor, like Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp.
- Don't overmix the batter: As with all muffin recipes, overmixing can lead to tough apple muffin. Mix until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined to achieve a tender texture.
- No need to peel the apples- The skin adds texture, flavor and nutrition.
- Using Granny Smith apples? Measure packed light brown sugar to compensate for the added tartness.
- Remove any visibly large pieces of the apple skin after grating.
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 eggs, large
- ½ cup sugar, white
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted but not hot 1 stick
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated apples (lightly packed)
- ¼ to ½ cup walnuts, chopped optional
Cinnamon topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar, white
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with 8 paper liners.
- Add all dry ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add eggs, white sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and whisk for 90 seconds. Add melted butter and vanilla extract and continue whisking for 30 seconds.Pro tip: Use packed light brown sugar if using Garnny smith apples to compensate for the added tartness.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients until combined (the batter will be thick). Stir in the grated apples and walnuts (if using). The moisture in the apples will loosen the batter.Tip: Remove any visibly large pieces of peel after grating.
- Divide batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar topping on top (use all of it). To make cinnamon sugar, stir together 2 tablespoons white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnmon in a small bowl.
- Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or the tops look deep golden and color and a tooth pick inserted comes clean.
- Place pan on a wire rack to cool. Serve muffins warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Storage
Allow the cinnamon apple muffins to cool completely before storing it in an air tight container for up to 4 days or frozen in a airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before serving.
Frequently asked questions
The best apples to use are firm, slightly sweet varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji. They grate well, hold their texture, and release just enough juice to keep the muffins moist without making the batter too wet. I don’t recommend Red Delicious, as their soft, mealy texture breaks down too quickly when baked. If you're using tart Granny Smith apples, consider adding a bit more brown sugar to balance the flavor.
To grate fresh apples, rinse and dry the fruit, then use the coarse side of a box grater with the skin on. Hold the apple firmly and grate around the core, rotating as needed, and discard the core and any large bits of peel.
No, there's no need to peel the apples before grating. The skin adds flavor, color, and fiber, and it softens nicely during baking.
More apple cinnamon recipes for fall?
- Try my apple waffles — they’re super easy to whip up in a blender and use rolled oats instead of flour for a wholesome twist.
- This instant pot apple cinnamon oatmeal is a cozy fall breakfast you can make effortlessly in the Instant Pot. Perfect for chilly mornings!
- If you love apple pie, you’ve got to try my portable apple hand pies. They’re cute, fun, and bake beautifully in either the oven or air fryer.
- For something healthy and comforting, my apple crumble features warm cinnamon-spiced apples topped with a nutty, crumbly mix of almond flour, pecans, and coconut oil — plus, it’s gluten-free!
- Make sweet, juicy baked apples in the air fryer — insanely delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream.
- And for a quick treat, I pack a whole apple into a tiny apple mug cake. It’s a delightful single-serve dessert!
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Kitchen at Hoskins on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Lynne
An amazing recipe. I tried it today and was so happy that I did. I was bummed because I didn't save the recipe on my phone and couldn't find it (searched Google and Bing over and over again). I finally realized that I needed to use Safari on my phone and it came right up. It was worth the trouble to find it! It's delicious! I shredded the apples with the skins on as the author suggested and it was fine. Made it very easy not having to peel the apples.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you enjoyed it hun – Maria ♡
Rebe
23 minutes baking is way to long. I'm sure it would have tasted better with some more spices and less bake time.
Maria Doss
Hi Rebe, Thanks for your feedback. Every oven is different and I hope you give it a try using your favorite spices. Have a wonderful day - Maria
MDingess
I love these muffins and so does my 15 month old son. I make mini muffins so they are easier for him to handle. I hadn't tried the crumble topping but will when I make them for.work in a couple of weeks.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you and the baby loved it - Maria ♡
Kathleen cowan
These muffins were great. I doubled the recipe so I could freeze them for snacks for my grandson and they were a big hit.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you enjoyed it Kathleen – Maria ♡
Robby
These muffins are delicious! I thought I would miss having chunks of apple like the apple muffins I usually make….nope. Perfect taste and texture. I added a couple dashes of allspice to the cinnamon sugar topping. Will definitely be making these again and again.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you love it – Maria ♡
Sammy
I have made these 3 times and they turned out great each time.
I list this one in my favorites.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
Lori
Oh,it is very delicious and moist!! I will use the recipe again. Thank you for sharing.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
Kim
Delicious! I made a double batch for a ladies brunch at church and they turned out fantastic.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
Susan
Yum! Made this morning and we loved them. I may try adding some raisins, next time!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
Rachel
Just made these and they turned out well! I added extra cinnamon, a bit of ginger powder and a bit of nutmeg just for some additional flavor (based on feedback from another comment). I also used a little less butter than called for, which I don’t think impacted it.
I did the recipe x 3, which says it will make 24 muffins. I ended up with 48!! I don’t have an ice cream scoop, so it’s possible I made mine too small. But I still think it would’ve made more than 24. Deducted one star because it took me way longer than 10 minutes to prep them - I’d say the 10 minutes is assuming the apples are already grated.
Ultimately, I’m pleased with the results and had fun trying out this recipe!
Brooke
Yum! Lovely and soft, mild (but lovely) flavour. Grated apple gives a nice consistent texture for those that don't like apple chunks, yet not so smooth - like pureed apple - that they seem like toddler food.
I did bake at a slightly lower temp for 20mins and they came out perfect.
Pre-heated to 210c and turned down to 180c as soon as they went in the oven, skewer came out with crumbs (not wet and not clean) = perfectly cooked 🙂
Brooke
Ok I need storage tips! They came out of the oven with a beautiful crispy top, but after storing in an air tight container overnight the top has softened. Is there any secrets to maintain freshness?
Maria Doss
Hi Brooke, The muffin tops tends to soften when stored, but here's a trick that works well: place one or two muffins in a preheated air fryer at 375°F and air fry for 2 to 4 minutes. This method gently warms the muffins while giving the tops a crispy, freshly-baked texture. Hope this helps - Maria