Make the most of apple season with these simple and delicious apple and cinnamon muffins.
Made using tart Bramley apples and coated with a dusting of sweet cinnamon sugar, these muffins have a light and fluffy texture, making them the perfect choice for lunchboxes, bake sales, and autumn picnics.
My kids absolutely love these apple cinnamon muffins, and it's probably because of the irresistible cinnamon sugar topping that they can't resist licking off!
Although skipping the coating can make them slightly healthier, it's hard to deny the delicious touch it adds.
To me, these bakery-style apple muffins embody the ultimate taste and scent of autumn!
Love apples? Try my easy apple and blackberry turnovers, and caramel apple pie bars too!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- These muffins are the perfect treat for autumn, featuring tart Bramley apples and a warm cinnamon flavour.
- This recipe is simple to follow and doesn't require any special equipment or ingredients, making it a quick and easy baking project that can be whipped up in no time.
- Apple & cinnamon muffins are versatile and can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a mid-morning snack, or as a lunchbox treat for both adults and children. They also make a great addition to bake sales, picnics, and parties.
- Kids love these muffins due to the sweet cinnamon sugar coating, and they are a great way to introduce them to baking. Get the whole family involved in making and enjoying these delicious treats.
- The muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months, so why not bake a double batch?
🛒 Ingredients
I use the same basic muffin recipe as my easy blackberry muffins, with a few additions!
Bramley Apples - These tart apples are a popular cooking apple in the UK and are perfect for baking. If you can't find them, Granny Smith apples are a good substitute.
Flour - Plain white flour is the most commonly used flour in this recipe, but wholemeal plain flour can be substituted for a healthier option.
Bicarbonate of Soda - This ingredient acts as the raising agent in the recipe, helping the muffins to rise and become light and fluffy.
Caster Sugar - This fine sugar is used in the muffin batter and can be substituted with light brown sugar for a deeper caramel flavour.
Cinnamon - A teaspoon of cinnamon adds a warm and spicy flavour to the muffin batter. If you love cinnamon, you can double the quantity.
Eggs - Two large eggs are used in the recipe to bind the ingredients together and add structure to the muffins. It's best to use free-range organic eggs if possible.
Butter - Unsalted butter that has been melted in the microwave is used to add richness and flavour to the muffins.
Yogurt - Plain natural yogurt is used in the recipe to add moisture and a slight tangy flavour. If you prefer, you can substitute it with creme fraiche or sour cream.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping - This simple mixture of cinnamon, granulated sugar, and melted butter is sprinkled on top of the muffins after baking to add a delicious crunch and extra cinnamon flavour.
🔪 How to make apple muffins (UK)
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
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Two: Pour in the wet ingredients and gently fold in.
Three: Add the chopped apple and gently fold until combined.
Four: Spoon into 12 muffin cases and bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes.
Five: Once out of the oven, brush the warm muffins with melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Allow to cool a little before eating.
Top Tips
- Overmixing the muffin batter can result in tough and chewy muffins. When you mix the wet and dry ingredients together, make sure you do it gently, just until the ingredients are combined. If you overmix, gluten in the flour will develop and create a tough texture. Folding in the apple pieces should also be done gently to avoid breaking them down too much.
- Use a muffin scoop or ice cream scoop to distribute the batter evenly among the muffin cases.
- If you want a high-domed muffin, try preheating the oven to 20 degrees above the specified temperature in the recipe card. This higher temperature will help the raising agent, bicarbonate of soda, to start working and create a more significant rise. However, it's important to turn the temperature back down as soon as you put the muffins in the oven. If you leave the temperature too high, the muffins may rise too quickly, resulting in a collapsed or uneven top.
- When chopping the apples, try to keep the pieces small, around 1cm. This will help the muffins hold together better and prevent them from falling apart. If the pieces are too large, they may sink to the bottom of the muffins, causing them to be unevenly distributed.
🍴 Serving suggestions
These delicious apple and cinnamon muffins make great after-school snacks or lunchbox treats, and are perfect for autumn picnics.
For a simple and satisfying dessert, serve them with custard or honeycomb ice cream.
Don't forget to check out all of my muffin recipes on the blog!
📖 Variations
- If you can't find Bramley apples, you can use Granny Smith apples instead. They have a similar tart flavour and hold their shape well when baked. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe as Granny Smith apples are generally less tart than Bramley apples.
- If you're a fan of cinnamon, you can double the amount in the muffin batter for an even stronger flavour.
- Adding a handful of blackberries to the muffin batter along with the chopped apple will give you apple and blackberry muffins.
- If you want some added texture and crunch, you can sprinkle 50g of chopped walnuts into the muffin batter. Walnuts also provide a source of healthy fats and protein.
- To make the muffins healthier, you can replace the plain white flour with wholemeal flour. Skipping the cinnamon sugar topping will also reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe.
- You can swap the cinnamon sugar topping with a crumble topping to make apple crumble muffins. Simply mix together flour, sugar, and butter until you have a crumbly mixture, and sprinkle it on top of the muffin batter before baking.
- Adding a grated carrot to the muffin batter along with the chopped apple will give you apple carrot muffins. This is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies and add moisture to the muffins.
🥡 Storage
Store - The apple muffins will stay fresh in an air-tight container for up to 3 days, but are best eaten on the day they are made.
Freeze - The apple muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place them in a freezer-safe container or in freezer bags, and freeze. Defrost the muffins for a couple of hours before serving!
❓ FAQs
Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature before using them, particularly the eggs. Then make sure your raising agent is evenly distributed through the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients to it. It's also worth noting that it's important to allow the melted butter to cool slightly before adding it to the other wet ingredients.
Tough muffins result from over-mixing the muffin batter. Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately first before mixing them together. Be gentle and it doesn't matter if the batter is a bit lumpy. Gently fold in additional ingredients like fruit, chocolate chips, and nuts.
Overbaking them by just a few minutes will result in dry muffins. Stick to the time given in the recipe.
Yes, you can use other types of apples such as Granny Smith or Gala apples. Keep in mind that the sweetness and texture may vary slightly depending on the type of apple you use.
😋Related recipes
More Bramley apple recipes to try!
- Cinnamon Spiced Stewed Apples
- Apple & Blackberry Muffins
- Cinnamon Apple Crumble
- Apple Pie Bars
- Apple and Mincemeat Crumble
- Apple and Blackberry Turnovers
- Apple Crumble Bars
- Apple Sauce
More Muffin Recipes To Try
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Recipe
Easy Cinnamon Apple Muffins
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Equipment
- Vegetable Peeler
- Chopping Board
- 12 Hole Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 140 g Caster Sugar
- 200 g Plain Flour
- 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 100 ml Plain Natural Yogurt
- 140 g Unsalted Butter melted and cooled
- 2 Eggs large
- 2 Bramley Apples peeled and chopped into small pieces
For the Cinnamon Sugar topping
- 50 g Butter melted
- 50 g Granulated Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°c (170 fan/ Gas 5) and place 12 muffin cases in a 12 hole muffin tin.
- Put the caster sugar, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.140 g Caster Sugar, 200 g Plain Flour, 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda, 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- Whisk together the cooled melted butter, yogurt and eggs in a bowl or jug then gently fold into the dry ingredients.100 ml Plain Natural Yogurt, 140 g Unsalted Butter, 2 Eggs
- Fold in the chopped apple pieces and spoon into the 12 muffin cases.2 Bramley Apples
- Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes until golden.
- For the topping: Mix together the cinnamon and granulated sugar in a bowl. Whilst the muffins are still warm, brush the tops with melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar. Allow to cool slightly before serving.50 g Butter, 50 g Granulated Sugar, 3 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
Notes
- Overmixing the muffin batter can result in tough and chewy muffins. When you mix the wet and dry ingredients together, make sure to do so gently, just until the ingredients are combined. If you overmix, gluten in the flour will develop and create a tough texture. Folding in the apple pieces should also be done gently to avoid breaking them down too much.
- Use a muffin scoop or ice cream scoop to distribute the batter evenly among the muffin cases.
- If you want a high domed muffin, try preheating the oven to 20 degrees above the specified temperature in the recipe card. This higher temperature will help the raising agent, bicarbonate of soda, to start working and create a more significant rise. However, it's important to turn the temperature back down as soon as you put the muffins in the oven. If you leave the temperature too high, the muffins may rise too quickly, resulting in a collapsed or uneven top.
- If you can't find Bramley apples, you can use Granny Smith apples instead. They have a similar tart flavour and hold their shape well when baked. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe as Granny Smith apples are generally less tart than Bramley apples.
- If you're a fan of cinnamon, you can double the amount in the muffin batter for an even stronger flavour.
- Adding a handful of blackberries to the muffin batter along with the chopped apple will give you apple and blackberry muffins. The tartness of the blackberries pairs well with the sweetness of the apple.
- If you want some added texture and crunch, you can sprinkle in 50g of chopped walnuts into the muffin batter. Walnuts also provide a source of healthy fats and protein.
- To make the muffins healthier, you can replace the plain white flour with wholemeal flour. Skipping the cinnamon sugar topping will also reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe.
Pam says
We are more than ready for apple season so I made these for breakfast this morning. They were a huge hit!
Tavo says
Apple muffins! I am always trying new apple recipes, this one looks very interesting! Will definitely try it!
Petro says
We absolutely LOVED these , they turned out sooo good! Fluffy & moist and so delicious!
Carrie Robinson says
I am so ready for fall baking and apple season! These look perfect. 🙂
maryanne says
Now that apple season is here, I will be making these for my family this weekend! They sound so moist and delicious!
Angela says
I made these today and they were absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe - I can't wait to make them again!!!
Beth Sachs says
So glad you enjoyed them Angela!
CW says
Assume these are regular size muffins? Can they be made as minis? How much do I shorten the baking time?
Beth Sachs says
Hi, yes this recipe is for regular size muffins. For 24 mini muffins bake for 10-12 minutes.
sue ellis says
Hi Beth, Could apple sauce be used to replace the apples please? If so how much would you recommend please?
Many thanks for your time 🙂
Beth Sachs says
Hi Sue. I haven't tested the recipe with apple sauce. The muffin batter may be too runny.