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A quick and easy breakfast that delivers! Apple Cinnamon Muffins are a kid-friendly breakfast you can make ahead to enjoy throughout the week. These deliciously moist and fluffy muffins are loaded with apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar for the perfect amount of sweetness! Cozy and perfect for the fall, or any time of year. They’re also one of those apple recipes you’ll want to keep on repeat in your kitchen.
It’s time for easy breakfast recipes that you can make ahead to prepare for a busy week! This addition is in the form of these glorious apple cinnamon muffins. The kind that smell amazing while baking, and taste cozy with some cinnamon spice and warm apples. The oatmeal crumb topping seals it altogether.
I love this time of year when I get reacquainted with my oven after abandoning it all summer. I especially enjoy baking with apples and fun breakfast recipes like Caramel Apple Bread and Apple Coffee Cake!!!
As a nutritionist, I am dedicated to making sure my kids have easy breakfasts that they enjoy (or else they won’t even touch it), and that are healthy, too! These apple cinnamon muffins are made with wholesome ingredients, provide a boost of fiber, and fit right in with the kind of quick and easy meals we rely on during busy mornings.
How to make Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Here are the ingredients you will need to make these muffins:
- All purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Yogurt or sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Milk (can use diary-free)
- Apples
For the optional crumb topping, we’ll add rolled oats! Start by mixing together the dry ingredients in one bowl. Next, beat the room temperature butter with the sugar. Fold in the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and milk. Peel and dice your apples into small pieces. Combine both the wet and dry ingredients, then add the apples! In a separate bowl, mix together your crumb topping ingredients.
Fill each of your muffin cups to the very top. This will help to create a fluffy dome muffin. Spoon the top with the crumb topping. Transfer to the oven and bake. The temperature will start high (at 425), and then we lower to 375. This helps to create a big dome, but lowering the temperature ensures they get fully baked!
What kind of apples should I use for baking muffins?
You really can use whatever apple you prefer. I like Braeburn, Rome, Jonagold, honey crisp, or Gala apples. You can even use Granny Smith for a more tart taste!
Storing and Serving
Storing these muffins couldn’t be easier! My preferred method is to place them in a freezer-friendly container or reusable bag.
On the morning you want to enjoy, just pull out of the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. This is what we do on those busy weekday mornings!
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1 3/4 cup All purpose flour or whole wheat flour*
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (at room temperature or softened)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, (at room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt, (can use dairy-free)
- 1/4 cup milk, (I use dairy-free oat milk)
- 2 medium apples**, (peeled, cored, and diced)
For the crumb topping:
- 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a 12 muffin pan by lining with muffin wrappers. Lightly grease each muffin cup and set aside.
- In medium sized bowl, mix together your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamed. Now whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, yogurt or sour cream, and milk. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into wet and continue to mix using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Now fold in the apples.
- Spoon the mixture into each of the prepared muffin cups. Fill all the way to the top!
- In a small bowl, make your crumb topping ingredients. Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and oats. Spoon the mixture on top of each muffin cup.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Lower the temperature to 375 and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. You can enjoy warm right here, or transfer to a wired rack and let cool completely. Store in an air tight container. My preferred method is freezing shortly after baking!
These smell amazing but I dont know what happened when I made them some cooked thoroughly and some didn’t (at least half of them). Any suggestions or insight would be greatly appreciated! Im thinking my apples were to big so added moisture? Either way I put them back in and it took another 30 minutes and fingers crossed they are all the way cooked. 😖
I made these and they smelled amazing but super weird some random muffins were still beyond raw inside I dont know what happened?! Im cooking them at 350 for another 5 min to see if that helps. Any suggestions or insight would be appreciated!
Do you happen to have a conversion for time/temp if I were to make this into mini muffins?
Thanks!
Can you use almond flour in place of flour? Thank you!
I have not tried it, and it would not be a one for one swap. So unfortunately, it’s a completely different recipe with almond flour!