Soft and tasty apple cinnamon muffins topped with a simple glaze are the perfect way to start your day or as a delicious snack. Ready in about 30 minutes.
👍Why you should make this recipe
- Everybody will love these delicious apple & cinnamon muffins.
- The muffins are packed with pieces of apple and enhanced apple flavor from the addition of apple juice.
- Very moist and tender with a delicious vanilla glaze.
- They are easy to make and only take a bit over 30 minutes with step-by-step photo instructions.
- Hand mixing only—no need for a stand mixer.
- Instructions for mini-muffins and jumbo muffins are included.
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or after-school snacks.
- These muffins are low fat and low in calories, so they are a relatively "healthy" treat to fit many diets.
This recipe is a muffin adaptation of Cook's Country Apple Fritter Recipe. The batter of apple fritters is very close to muffins.
🍎Ingredients
Apples—Gala or Honeycrisp suggested
Apple juice—or cider
Eggs
Butter
Milk
Pantry ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, powdered sugar
👨🍳How to Make Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Peel and chop apples into ¼ inch pieces.
- Spread over paper towels and firmly pat with more paper towels to dry.
- Mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Mix well, add the apple and mix to coat the apple.
- Whisk together wet ingredients: apple juice, eggs, and melted butter.
- Mix the wet ingredients with dry ingredients with the apple.
- Fill the muffin liners to about ¾ full.
- Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean—about 23 to 25 minutes.
- Mix a glaze of powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
- After the muffins cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, coat them with glaze.
⏰Cooking Time
Cooking time will vary by the oven and even the pan used. Generally, the muffins will take 23 to 25 minutes but always bake to the endpoint.
The good old toothpick test is always good to determine when the muffins are done. Also, done is about 200° on an instant-read thermometer can be helpful if in doubt.
🧁Jumbo and Mini Muffin Options
This recipe is for 12 standard-size muffins, but you can make different sizes. Make them like you want: mini, regular, or jumbo cook to the endpoint and not by time alone.
Fill the paper liners to about ¾ full. Generally, bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes.
❓FAQs
There are a lot of good cooking apples, but the total cooking time of the muffins is relatively low. So cut the apples small and use a softer apple like Gala or Honeycrisp.
When the apples, or other fruit bakes, they can release fluid that can cause the baked goods to develop holes around the fruit. By cutting the pieces small, pressing them some with paper towels, and coating them with flour, the issues will decrease or disappear.
Like biscuits and quick bread, muffins can be easily over-mixed. That leads to gluten development, and any micro air pockets disappear. Chewy is good in bread but not muffins.
Also overcooking muffins can make muffins less tender.
Muffins are good at room temperature for about 24 hours but need to be protected from drying out. They are good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
📖Muffin Recipes
Really Good Banana Nut Muffins
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Prep a 12 muffin tin with paper liners.
Peel 2 medium apples and chop them into ¼ inch pieces (about the size of a peanut). Spread over paper towels and firmly pat with more paper towels to dry some.
Mix dry ingredients together: 2 cups of flour, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Mix well, add the apple, and mix to coat the apple.
Combine wet ingredients. ¾ cup apple juice or cider, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons melted butter—whisk to combine.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix by hand to combine—do not over mix.
Fill the paper liners to about ¾ full.
Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean—about 23-25 minutes.
Mix a glaze of ⅔ cup powdered sugar, a few drops of vanilla, and about 2 teaspoons of milk.
After the muffins cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, coat them with the glaze.
📝Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 apples - peeled and cut into ¼ inch pieces
Dry
- 2 cups flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Wet
- ¾ cup apple cider - or juice
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
Glaze
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk - adjust as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prep a 12 muffin tin with paper liners.
- Peel 2 medium apples and chop them into ¼ inch pieces (about the size of a peanut). Spread over paper towels and firmly pat with more paper towels to dry some.
- Mix dry ingredients together: 2 cups of flour, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Mix well, add the apple, and mix to coat the apple.
- Combine wet ingredients. ¾ cup apple juice or cider, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons melted butter—whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix by hand to combine—do not over mix
- Fill the paper liners to about ¾ full.
- Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean—about 23-25 minutes.
- Mix a glaze of ⅔ cup powdered sugar, a few drops of vanilla, and about 2 teaspoons of milk.
- After the muffins cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, coat them with the glaze.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- A very easy recipe to cut in half.
- Most apples, other than delicious, are good for this recipe. Gala and Honeycrisp are recommended
- Be sure to cut the apples small and dry well, or you will have small steam pocket holes in your muffins, and the apple pieces may not cook completely.
- Cooking time will vary by the oven and even the pan used. Generally, the muffins will take 23 to 25 minutes, but always bake to the endpoint.
- When are they done? The good old toothpick test is generally always good. Also, done is about 200° so an instant-read thermometer can be helpful.
- This recipe is for 12 standard-size muffins, but you can make different sizes. Make them like you want: mini, regular, or jumbo just cook to the endpoint and not by time alone. Generally, bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published November 1, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Gail
Can I make this with white whole wheat flour ?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Gail,
The whole wheat will need a bit more fluid and will be more dense. I would add a touch more baking powder also. Those things are generalities... Report back if you do it.
Dan
Linda
I'm embarrassed to need to ask this, but... do you need to heat the glaze when mixing or just mix the powdered sugar with the milk and drizzle without the heat?
Thanks so much - love your recipes!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Linda,
Just cold. It comes together easily. If I make frosting, I like to beat room temperature butter to start then beat in the other ingredients.
Dan
Jan
I would like to make them jumbo muffins. How long would I have to bake them?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Jan,
Welcome to the blog.
I have never done jumbo with these. I will give a few generalities. It is usually only a few minutes different not anything like double. The good old toothpick test is generally always good. Also, done is about 200 degrees so an instant-read thermometer can be helpful.
My only jumbo muffin recipe is https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/cinnamon-nut-muffins/ but no raw apple to cook.
Let me know how it comes out.
Dan