These apple cinnamon muffins are super moist and tender, and topped with a crumb topping! Made with simple and healthy ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes.
I’m seriously obsessed with recreating all my favorite apple desserts with a healthy twist.
We’ve enjoyed an apple crisp, and apple cake, and a delicious apple pie. Now, we’ve thrown in a classic into the mix- apple and cinnamon muffins.
Why this recipe works
- Lower in fat. By swapping out half the butter with unsweetened applesauce, these muffins keep the moist texture.
- Made in one bowl. Everything for the muffin batter is mixed together, so clean up is a breeze.
- Super moist and fluffy. Like any good muffin recipe, these one tick the texture boxes.
- Gorgeous crumb topping. While delicious on their own, adding a crumb topping takes it to another level.
What we love about this recipe is just how fast they are! From prep to plate, this healthy apple muffin recipe comes together in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients needed
Like many of my healthy desserts, these muffins use simple pantry staple ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
For the muffins
- Self rising flour. A mix of white flour, baking powder, and salt. If you don’t have any on hand, make your own.
- Almond flour. Blanched almond flour is preferred, but almond meal also works.
- Superfine sugar. Also known as caster sugar. It’s essentially halfway between standard sugar and powdered sugar.
- Cinnamon.
- Apples. Choose tart and crisp apples, like Granny Smith ones.
- Butter. Unsalted and softened to room temperature.
- Unsweetened applesauce. Has a similar texture to butter but with a fraction of the calories and none of the fat.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk but any milk works.
- Eggs. room temperature.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good muffin.
For the crumb topping
- Flour. Plain and sifted.
- Butter. Softened but not melted.
- Sugar. White or brown.
- Cinnamon.
- Rolled oats.
How to make apple muffins
This recipe is ridiculously simple and follows a 3-step process. The total hands-on time is less than two minutes. Ready to make some muffins?
Step 1- Make the muffin batter
Start by whisking together the butter, applesauce, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, sugar, and almond flour and mix until combined.
Step 2- Make the crumb topping
Next, in a separate bowl, mix the crumb toppings together.
Step 3- Bake the muffins
Now, transfer the muffin batter evenly amongst a 12-count muffin tin. Sprinkle the crumb topping on each one and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, before carefully transferring them onto a wire rack to cool.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Avoid over-baking the muffins as they will continue to bake as they are cooling down.
- If your dry ingredients have clumps (e.g. the flour), sift them very well first to ensure the batter is smooth.
- As mentioned earlier, the crumb topping is completely optional. These muffins taste just as delicious without them.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
The beauty of these muffins is just how easy they are to customize for various diets or eating styles. Here is what we’ve tested:
- Make them vegan. Use dairy free butter (or dairy free margarine), plant based milk, and use an egg replacement.
- Make them gluten free. Swap out the flour(s) for gluten free blends. Be sure to choose ones that have xanthan gum added to them.
- Replace the eggs. Swap out the eggs for an egg substitute.
- Cut the dairy. Use dairy free versions of the butter and milk.
- Add mix-ins. Chocolate chips, raisins, and chopped walnuts are all fantastic additions.
Storage instructions
Wondering what is the best way to store leftovers? Here are best practices for apple muffin storage:
- To store: Place the muffins in an airtight container, along with a sheet of paper towel. They will keep well for at least 5 days. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: Once the muffins have cooled, place them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
While any apples work for baking, tart and crisp ones are best. These include Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Johnathon apples.
Each muffin has just 150 calories each.
To prevent apple muffins from drying out, remove them from the oven when they are still a little underdone inside. While the muffins are cooling in the pan, they will continue to cook resulting in the most perfectly moist muffin.
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Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups self rising flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar caster sugar
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples finely chopped
For the crumb topping
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Grease and line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Sift through the self rising flour, superfine sugar, almond flour and cinnamon until combined. Fold through the diced apples.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the crumb topping ingredients.
- Evenly distribute the muffin batter amongst the 12-count muffin tin. Sprinkle the crumb topping on each one. Bake the muffins for 17-19 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, before carefully removing from the tin and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
Favorite name idea: (Selfie) Spill it Sundays. I’m getting more comfortable with taking selfies but I always think I look soooo awkward and can NEVER take them with other people around. Thus, empty twerk.
Spill it Sundays it is my friend- lets get ready to embrace this- empty twerk or not 😉
I have yet to try out sunbutter. My mother-in-law buys it all the time and raves about it. I really need to get some! These muffins look fantastic too. I’m kind of wishing I had some for breakfast right now! 😉
You need to try it- its so good!!! hope your enjoying your week off! 🙂
I’m going to go with the majority with Spill it Sundays. And taking selfies is definitely outside of my comfort zone, but that’s what makes it worthwhile, right? 😉
Spill it Sundays it is- Can’t wait to see some sprinkled selfies. That’s alot of alliterations in one comment.
Spill it Sunday or Self Talk Sunday – I’m undecided but tending a little more for the former. Either way, I’m looking forward to this – who doesn’t like random facts and the occasional selfie to get to know other bloggers even better?!
Admittedly, though, I’m not sure about including a selfie myself. It probably won’t come off as a surprise given there’s not a single picture of me on my blog. Maybe I’ll let all others doing so convince me to tag along … But I’m definitely up for the question part and what I really like is that we’re free to choose whichever day works best for us to post it.
Spill it Sunday it is- and its time for you to embrace the discomfort- Time to take some selfies 🙂 We should all appreciate ourselves. But at the same time, if your not comfortable, no pressure at all 🙂
I love the selfie Sunday idea! I think Spill it Sunday would sound good. I love learning fun facts about bloggers and their ‘real lives’ haha.
you and me both- spill it sunday it is! By the way expect an email soon!
yay! i heart giveaways! I’ve tried other brands of sunflower seed butter .. but I’ve still never tried Sunbutter. I love how you added it to your muffins, which i think look amaze btw 🙂 I’m pretty much a fan of anything apple cinnamon 🙂
can’t decide on a name for the link up though..they all sound great!
Thanks Maria- they worked well in the muffins!
I see just about everyone loves “Spill it Sundays” and I have to agree…requiring a selfie is a great motivator for someone like me to share one 🙂
Even though I have had just about every nut butter around lately, I have yet to try Sunbutter – combining it with apples in muffin form is BRILLIANT!!!
Rainy weekend here in Georgia, so ran in the rain and stayed home and had tons of quality time with my daughter!
That sounds like a great weekend- quality time with a special someone!
Spill it Sunday it is- and SunButter worked so well with it! Hope you’re having a great start to the week, Shashi!
Spill it Sundays! I feel like a goober taking selfies and pictures of my food and hashtagging…. #bloggerproblems
You? a goober? Never. 😉
I like Shamelessly Sharing – but not a selfie fan. 🙂
Great recipe!!!!
Thanks Jody! You should embrace the selfies haha!
I do headless ones! 🙂
I like Spill it Sundays! I don’t take many selfless because I look so freaking awkward in every one, BUT I would do it for the link up! Never had sun butter, but maybe I should try! I know there are no peanuts, but what’s it made of?
Spill it Sundays it is and you WILL be doing it for the link up – haha no pressure!
Its made from Sunflower seeds- its so good- sweet and salty. My peanut allergy friend introduced me to it!
Selfies for the win! I admit to not being a huge sunbutter fan… I’m more of an almond butter addict… but in a pinch it’s pretty tasty 🙂 And muffins made with nut butter are even beter.
Seriously- so good! I used to only use butter in muffins. Who would have thought!
I LOVE Sunbutter, so good!! Your muffins look great!
I vote for Spill It Sundays!
Spill it Sundays it is- thanks Karey! I hope SunButter is whole30 approved!
Ohhh, I can totally work this in to my confessions posts! I love the “Spill it Sundays” name and you know I can never have enough reasons to plaster pictures of myself all over the internet! 😉
Gosh, I was sitting here trying to remember the first time I tried sunbutter, but I can’t place it. I know I didn’t know a THING outside of peanut butter before stumbling into blogworld and I know that sunbutter was one of the many I tried within the first few months of jumping in, but I don’t think I started to love it as much as I do now until…well, until THIS post! https://www.kissmybroccoliblog.com/2011/07/21/my-breakfast-date/ And yes, yes I am slowly catching you up on all my favorite old posts! LOL
I hope my future posts continue to spark memories from KMB so I can go back and read this gems- Love it! Instead of reading a novel, I’m going to wind down at nights reading your posts from the very start!
YES. Embrace the selfies 😉
Awww, you are so sweet! But umm, feel free to skip all the posts before like mid 2011…I had NO IDEA what I was doing…they aren’t pretty! Lol
I love all of the name ideas and can’t pick just one! 😀 I’d be awful at choosing “left or right” in those suspense movies. Never take me into a cave!! Lol.
Nut-free muffins! Sounds great and I pinned them after I saw YOUR pin of them on Pinterest 🙂
You need to read my WIAW post, STAT.
Okay… Going to right now 🙂