Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe

These cinnamon apple muffins are a delicious way to revel in the flavors of autumn!

Cinnamon and apples are such a timeless combination, don’t you think? Warm, welcoming and so wonderfully aromatic, you can’t help but get swept away to another time and place.

An overhead view looking down on some cinnamon apple muffins and some apples on a white surface.

For me, that time and place is when I was little. It was fall, the weather was cool and damp, pumpkins were everywhere, the school year was still new, and Halloween was just around the corner. Mom had some hot apple cider (with lots of cinnamon) simmering on the stove, and I was busy carving pumpkins. I was definitely in my “happy place”. It felt like total comfort to me. These muffins remind me of that time every time I make them.

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Cinnamon Apple Muffins cooling on a wire cooling rack.

What Kind Of Apple Is Best For Muffins?

For these muffins, you want sweeter apples. Avoid tart apples like granny smith apples, and instead use apples such as honeycrisp, gala, or fuji apples. You can use red apples, but they tend to be a bit bland for this recipe.

Optional Streusel Topping

While this recipe does not call for it, you can make a streusel topping if you wish. Sprinkle it on just before you put the muffins in the oven.

  • ½ cup of traditional oats
  • ¾ cup granulated sweetener
  • ½ cup oat flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Why Are My Apple Cinnamon Muffins Dry?

  • Don’t over-mix the batter.
  • Don’t over-bake the muffins
  • If you are reheating these, do not overheat them.
Two cinnamon apple muffins stacked up on a white surface next to some apples.

About the Ingredients For This Recipe

Whole wheat pastry flour – If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, look for white whole wheat flour. It’s the closest flour to the pastry variety and tends to be a bit more widely available. Using regular whole wheat flour will make this muffin extremely dense.

Baking soda – Make sure it’s newer baking soda.

Large egg whites – I recommend using real eggs for this. Not the bottled egg whites.

Honey – Any type you have on hand is fine. You can use maple syrup too, but the muffins won’t be as sweet.

Oil – Any light flavor such as grape seed or safflower will work well here. Avoid coconut oil in this recipe.

Milk – Dairy milk works fine as does soy, rice, or almond milk. Pretty much any non-dairy milk will work here except for coconut, which will change the flavor too much.

Unsweetened apple sauce – Make sure it’s unsweetened or your muffins will turn out way too sweet. Plus, you don’t want refined sugar anyway.

Apple – Peeled and chopped small. You can also use grated apple if you prefer the texture.

Ground cinnamon – Just cinnamon. No added sugar.

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins

All the ingredients for Cinnamon Apple Muffins measured and sitting in individual bowls on a white surface.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and measure all your ingredients.

The mixed, raw Cinnamon Apple Muffin batter sitting in a mixing bowl.

Stir and fold together all the muffin ingredients in a medium bowl. I typically mix the dry ingredients together first and then add the wet ingredients.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins batter scooped into a muffin pan.

Spoon the mixture into a lined muffin pan and place in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the muffins are cooked through. Test with a toothpick. If it pulls out clean, they are done baking.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins cooling on a black, wire rack.

Cool on a cooling rack (the apples retain the heat for a while, so allow enough time for cooling).

How To Store Cinnamon Apple Muffins

These are best stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezing Cinnamon Apple Muffins

These can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months if packed well in a freezer-safe, airtight container.

An overhead view looking down on some cinnamon apple muffins and some apples on a white surface.

How To Reheat Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Reheat From The Fridge

You can reheat these in the microwave on high heat for 30-45 seconds. Serve with a warm pat of butter if you wish.

Reheat From The Freezer

Thaw these completely in the fridge before reheating as instructed above.

Recipe Supplies

For this recipe, you’ll need a standard-size muffin pan, paper liners, and a mixing bowl. You can find those items on Amazon by clicking an image below. (Affiliate links)

A standard muffin pan sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)
Cupcake liners sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)
Mixing bowl set with lids sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

More Healthy Muffin Recipes

Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe Card

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Cinnamon Apple Muffins cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Delicious muffins that are perfect for autumn snacks and desserts!
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Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 16 muffins
Calories: 134kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Standard muffin pan

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 large egg whites
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup oil (light flavor such as grape seed or safflower)
  • ¾ cup milk (dairy, almond, soy or rice will work well)
  • ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 medium apple (peeled and well chopped)
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and measure all your ingredients.
    All the ingredients for Cinnamon Apple Muffins measured and sitting in individual bowls on a white surface.
  • Mix together all the muffin ingredients in a mixing bowl. I typically mix the dry ingredients together first and then add the wet ingredients.
    The mixed, raw Cinnamon Apple Muffin batter sitting in a mixing bowl.
  • Spoon into lined muffin tins and place in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the muffins are cooked through (test with a cake tester).
    Cinnamon Apple Muffins batter scooped into a muffin pan.
  • Cool on a cooling rack (the apples retain the heat for a while, so allow enough time for cooling).
    Cinnamon Apple Muffins cooling on a black, wire rack.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 10/22/2011.

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75 Comments

  1. Hi what is a good substitute for whole wheat pastry flour ..? I can only find whole wheat flour

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      White whole wheat flour would be the next best choice.

  2. What substitute to wheat flour would you recommend for your muffins to compensate for gluten intolerance?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Leah – I’ve never figured that out, I’m sorry. It’s something I’m working on though…

  3. Hello. These look absolutely amazing and I have some apples I need to use NOW! But I was wondering though, is it possible to use coconot flour instead?

    Thank you!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Angelica – Not for this recipe, no. Sorry…

  4. Can I use oat flour instead?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Natalie – I don’t recommend it. I have a few gluten free dessert recipes on my blog, but this isn’t one of them. This is formulated to need the gluten.

  5. This recipe is absolutely delicious! It’s not too sweet like many other recipes, it is perfect. Thank you for sharing this!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Julie – My pleasure! 🙂

  6. Katherine says:

    Made this exquisite recipe, substuting extra applesauce for the oil and adding chopped pecans. It was a hit! I’ll be using this recipe as a base for other delicious breakfast muffins like banana ration, and berry chia. Thanks so much for sharing!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Katherine – Glad you enjoyed it!

  7. Katherine says:

    This time I substituted pumpkin purée for the applesauce and added nutmeg and pecans. So delicious, thank you again!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Katherine – My pleasure! Sounds yummy! 🙂

  8. Teresa Tian says:

    Instead of making muffins, is it okay to bake it together in a baking pan/cake pan?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Teresa – It’s possible, but you’ll have to watch the baking time and I would try to use smaller sized loaf or cake pans. Otherwise, the center may not bake very well.

  9. Teresa Tian says:

    Thank you! I just place the batter into 2 loaf pans and baked it normal temperature and it turned out delicious!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Teresa – Fantastic!

  10. Is it ok to use wheat flour instead of pastry? Can I sub oatmeal for half the flour? Thank you

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Jessica – Muffins are reliant on the gluten. You can try to sub half the flour, but I can’t guarantee the outcome. As long as the flour is 100% whole grain, it’s clean. But the regular WW flour is a different type of wheat. So you will get a breadier, more dense result.

  11. Made these today as well, love them! Froze half to save for later!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Monica – You’re on a roll! (pun intended) 😉

  12. Made these this morning they were surprisingly good, will make these again.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Celeste – Wonderful! My favs are the coconut muffins and the banana muffins. Give them a try if you get a chance!

  13. I tried making your Banana Muffins and they were awesome! Was thinking to add some apples inside. Or rather, add some bananas inside THIS recipe. Will it be okay? Thanks! 😀

    P.S. YOU ARE AWESOME! <3

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Rusty – Thanks so much! It should be okay, yes. Just don’t overdo it or they won’t bake properly.

  14. I made these this morning! I’m currently living in the UK though and it turns out their idea of applesauce is different than ours so it’s sweet and used for cooking. I used only half the honey and it turned out great only they didn’t rise much. Is that normal?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Elita – Depends. Are they flat as pancakes or did they raise at least a little bit? There could be a lot of different reasons…

  15. They rose maybe half an inch but that’s about it. They look like cute hockey pucks , but taste amazing.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Elita – Oh no!! Hmm… Did you forget the baking soda? Or was the baking soda old? Did you use the WW pastry flour?

  16. I did all of the above and bought everything fresh. Maybe I didn’t add enough soda. Anyways they were a big hit regaurdless at our picnic! Thank you!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Elita – Odd. But I’m glad everyone enjoyed them!

  17. Omg! These are fabulous! My seven year old said they are the best muffins he’s ever tasted. That’s really saying something since his only experience with them is store bought or made from a box.

    Your recipes and advice have been so helpful to me in my quest to go clean. I really appreciate what you do. Thank you!!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Colleen – That’s wonderful! You made my day! 😀

  18. can we use just whole eggs instead of the egg whites? Is there a reason specifically for egg whites? I don’t see them needing them to be beaten and folded in. The yolk has so many nutrients particularly choline.

    1. Jennifer – Yes! You can use a whole egg. Use 1 whole egg for every 2 egg whites (or vice versa) in any of my recipes.

  19. If these muffins turn out as good as they sound, I will make them this Sunday to treat my friends. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!