Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe

These Cinnamon Apple Muffins are so moist and loaded with apple chunks, unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon. They are big on flavor and made with healthier ingredients.

Muffins, breads, baked goods — they are always a hit around here. These Apple Muffins are no exception!

I know you are probably over apples already and I should be on to peppermint and Christmas baking, but I’m not letting go. Fall is just getting started, and I’m going to hang onto this beautiful season as tight as I can before we’re hit with the first big snow!

With our oldest in grade 1 this year and my husband still busy and gone 14 hours per day, we’re packing a lot of lunches (and those of us who aren’t packing lunches still need snacks! Just ask my 3 year old 😉 ).

I love to have a big stash of muffins and quick breads in the freezer for quick breakfasts (you know, just in case my kids ever sleep past 6:30 am…..) and something hearty to stick in lunch boxes.

There’s not guarantee that the veggies in my 6 year old’s lunch box will get eaten, but breads and baking? Pretty much a given! For this reason, I like to load my baking up with the healthiest ingredients I can without sacrificing flavor.

How to make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:

• Choose the right apples. Generally, firmer apples work better for baking because they don’t turn to mush in the oven. You also want a sweet-tart flavor that will really pack a punch in any baked goods. See this article for choosing good baking apples.
• Don’t overmix. Mixing the muffin batter too much can give you tough, dry muffins, so go easy and mix just until all the dry goods are incorporated.
• Don’t overbake. This is pretty much my favorite baking tidbit for any baked good, because I love my baking to be moist or chewy or luscious but definitely not dry and overbaked. You want to bake until the centers are completely set, but not much past that point or you will have dry lumps of muffins.

What makes these Apple Muffins healthy?

For this recipe, I used whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce and Greek yogurt instead of butter, and rely mostly on the natural sweetness of the apples (although there is still some sugar!). This makes these muffins a healthier but still delicious lunch or breakfast option!

How to freeze apple muffins:

These Apple Muffins freeze perfectly in an air tight container or freezer bag. You can store them up to 3 months.

To thaw, you can leave out on a plate for an hour or two at room temperature, or microwave on low heat for roughly 1-2 minutes.

Can I make these apple muffins into apple bread?

Absolutely! This muffin recipe is adapted from this Praline-Glazed Apple Bread, so check over there for detailed recipe instructions 🙂

Looking for more apple recipes?

• Apple Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cobbler
• Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Pudding Cake
• Brown Sugar Glazed Apple Cinnamon Baked Donuts

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Cinnamon Apple Muffins

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 1 vote

These Cinnamon Apple Muffins are so moist and loaded with apple chunks, unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon. They are big on flavor and made with healthier ingredients.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Cuisine American

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Servings 14 muffins

Calories 194cal

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt (250g)
• ▢ ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (115g)
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ¼ cup milk or buttermilk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ▢ 1 cup brown sugar* lightly packed (210g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2½ cups whole wheat flour fluffed (325 grams)
• ▢ 2 Granny Smith or baking apples peeled and finely chopped (3 cups or 315 grams apples)

Cinnamon Sugar (optional)

• ▢ 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, applesauce, eggs, milk, vanilla and brown sugar until smooth. 
• Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and whisk until combined.
• Fold in flour and apples with a spatula, just until moistened and no flour remains. 
• Lightly grease a non-stick muffin pan or fill with paper liners, and fill muffin cups to the top (you can also make smaller muffins but they will bake more quickly).
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. (If using paper liners, they will be easier to remove after several hours has passed)

Cinnamon Sugar (optional)**

• Brush butter over tops of slightly cooled muffins.
• Stir together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over muffins before serving.
• Store muffins uncovered at room temperature on the day you bake them. To store longer, place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Notes

*These muffins are not overly sweet but I find them perfect with the cinnamon sugar topping. If you are not going to use the topping, or you like muffins a little sweeter, you can add an extra ¼ cup sugar to compensate.

**Muffins with the cinnamon sugar topping are best eaten that day. Once they are sealed and stored, the sugar will lose its crispness and become moist. They are still tasty, it is just the texture that will change. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 194cal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg

Keywords apple bread, apple cinnamon muffins, apple muffins, healthy apple muffins

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