Apple Cinnamon Muffins
“Cream cheese in the batter makes these apple cinnamon muffins rich and oh so fluffy! Loaded with spiced apples, a crunchy brown sugar crumb topping, and drizzled with sweet vanilla cinnamon glaze!“
And just like that, Autumn has arrived! My goodness, it’s been so rainy and windy. Ya girl Autumn is not playing around here in North Carolina!
I must say, though, I’m loving it! These kinda days always put me in the mood to either clean the house or bake like a mad woman.
So let’s bake!!
First up, Apple Cinnamon Muffins, of course!!
Like Eating An Apple Pie In Muffin Form!
My husband asked if I had an apple muffin recipe on my blog, and I said, “Sure do!”. Turns out I lied! How is that possible? After 52 years of food blogging, I don’t have an apple cinnamon muffin recipe?!? That’s the quintessential thing to bake when Fall starts, right?!
Well, that changes TUH-DAY; grab some apples! We are about to get all the cozy Autumn feels!
Why I LOVE these Apple Cinnamon Muffins
I use food as an incentive all the time! These muffins and my vanilla coffee have motivated me out of my warm and cozy bed on these rainy mornings! They really are the perfect coffee treat!
I love that they are so cute and little. Usually, streusel muffins are so big and messy, but these little guys are 2-bite wonders. The fluffy texture with that crunchy crumb topping just rocks my world!
Oh, and did you know apples are loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and potassium? And cinnamon is high in antioxidants. I mean, I’m just saying. That’s something for you to think about when you’re eating these.
What apples are the best for baking muffins?
Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Gala apples are perfect for baking and hold up well. Really, though, use whatever apples you have on hand! For this recipe, I used three gala apples and one granny smith that was about to go bad.
I’ve made these apple cinnamon muffins with various apples, and they always turn out great with a fantastic flavor.
Tips for the BEST Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Careful not to overwork the batter- For a super fluffy and moist muffin, be careful not to overwork the batter. Stir/mix the ingredients JUST until they are incorporated.
Don’t overfill the paper cups- I’m guilty of normally overfilling my paper liners, but you definitely don’t want to do this with this recipe. Fill in halfway or a little over halfway for the best results.
Make sure to cut the apples into tiny pieces: If you want those delicious baked apples in every bit, then be sure to cut the apples really small. Large chunks of apple will weigh the batter down and prevent it from rising as it should.
Don’t skip the crumb topping or glaze! This muffin batter itself isn’t really that sweet. It’s the crumb topping and that vanilla cinnamon glaze that just ties everything together!
Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Muffins
INGREDIENTS: (don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you. It’s pretty simple! Also, the complete recipe is at the bottom of the post!)
SPICED APPLES
- Apples peeled, cored, and finely diced.
- dark brown sugar
- cinnamon
- clove
- nutmeg
CRUMB TOPPING
- all-purpose flour
- dark brown sugar
- cinnamon
- butter, room temperature
- salt
MUFFIN BATTER
- dark brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- vegetable oil
- cream cheese, room temperature
- egg
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- cinnamon
- buttermilk
GLAZE
- powdered sugar
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- milk
- salt
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Preheat oven to 375. F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- Prepare the spiced apples by placing the diced apples in a bowl and tossing them with brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Prepare the crumb topping by whisking together all the crumb topping ingredients, except for butter, in a bowl.
- Cut in the softened butter with a fork until crumbly and uniform in color. (I prefer to use my hands.) Set aside.
- To prepare the muffin batter, in a large bowl, cream together dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and cream cheese until completely combined.
- Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while alternating with the buttermilk just until the mixture is combined. (Use low speed on the mixer.)
- Fold in the spiced apples.
- Fill the paper liners 1/2 full of batter. (I used a little over 1/4 cup per liner. Do not overfill.)
- Sprinkle the tops with a heaping 1/2 tablespoon of crumb topping. (You will have some leftover)
- Bake on the middle rack for about 20-24 minutes. (Cook time may vary)
- Remove from oven and allow muffins to sit in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, place the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and whisk together.
- Add vanilla extract and gradually stir in the milk until the mixture is silky enough to drizzle over the muffins.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins and allow the glaze to harden. (You can remove the muffins from the paper cups if desired before drizzling.)
- Store muffins in an airtight container on the fridge or counter.
Common Questions
Can I add nuts to the batter? Sure, feel free to add in about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
Can these be made gluten-free? Yes, use your favorite gluten-free flour and gluten-free replacements in this recipe.
Can I add oats? I’ve never added oats to this recipe, but adding them to the crumb topping would work.
I don’t have cupcake liners. What can I use? Simply grease nonstick muffin tins with shortening or a baking spray.
Can I add blueberries? Sure can! Here is a great blueberry muffin recipe.
Can I use whole wheat flour? I’ve never made these apple cinnamon muffins with whole wheat flour. If you want to try it, I’d start by making them with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour first.
Can these muffins be frozen? Yes, you can place them in a freezer bag and thaw them in the fridge when ready to eat.
Wanna get creative?
These apple cinnamon muffins are perfect as is, but there is always room to play around! Here are a few fun twists to try with these muffins if you’re up for it.
- Drizzle with caramel glaze instead of vanilla glaze.
- Throw some granola into the crumb, topping ingredients for even more crunch.
- Replace the milk in the glaze with apple juice or apple cider for an apple cinnamon glaze.
- Make it mini! Use a mini muffin pan to make bite-size apple cinnamon muffins! (Use 1/2 tablespoon of batter per liner and about 1/2 teaspoon of crumb topping)
- Try different spices! Throw in some cardamon or apple pie spice.
Get the Recipe: Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
SPICED APPLES
- 1½ cups apples (peeled, cored and finely diced)
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- nutmeg, a generous pinch
- clove, generous pinch
CRUMB TOPPING
- ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- salt, generous pinch
- 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
MUFFIN BATTER
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1 cup buttermilk
VANILLA CINNAMON GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- cinnamon, pinch
- salt, pinch
- 1½ tablespoons milk, (may need more)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- Prepare the spiced apples by placing the diced apples in a bowl and tossing them with brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Set aside.1½ cups apples (peeled, cored and finely diced), ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, a generous pinch, clove, generous pinch
- Prepare the crumb topping by whisking together all the crumb topping ingredients, except for butter, in a bowl.½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, salt, generous pinch
- Cut in the softened butter with a fork until crumbly and uniform in color. (I prefer to use my hands.) Set aside.3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- To prepare the muffin batter, in a large bowl, cream together vegetable oil, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, and cream cheese until completely combined.½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed, 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Set aside.1 egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while alternating with the buttermilk just until the mixture is combined. (Use low speed on the mixer.)1 cup buttermilk
- Fold in the spiced apples.
- Fill the paper liners 1/2 full of batter. (I used a little over 1/4 cup per liner. Do not overfill.)
- Sprinkle the tops with a heaping 1/2 tablespoon of crumb topping. (You will have some leftover)
- Bake on the middle rack for about 20-24 minutes. (Cook time may vary)
- Remove from oven and allow muffins to sit in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, place the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and whisk together.1 cup powdered sugar, cinnamon, pinch, salt, pinch
- Gradually stir in the milk until the mixture is silky enough to drizzle over the muffins.1½ tablespoons milk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins and allow the glaze to harden. (You can remove the muffins from the paper cups if desired before drizzling.)
- Store muffins in an airtight container on the fridge or counter.
How much cinnamon in muffin batter??? Thanks.
These are really good. Don’t be worried if the batter seems too watery- they’ll still turn out perfectly. I had enough batter to make six extra.
These are so disrespectfully too good! I ate way too many! Highly highly recommend these! She’s not lying when she says they taste like apple pie