Apple Muffins
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These wholesome apple muffins are full of spice and everything nice.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour, these apple muffins are made partially with whole wheat flour, which gives them a wholesome, nutty flavor and toasty-brown color. They’re also chockfull of tart apples and enriched with low-fat yogurt, so no one could ever accuse them of being cupcakes pretending to be muffins.
The recipe calls for a full tablespoon of cinnamon along with a hint of nutmeg and cloves, so your house will smell amazing while the muffins bake. But the best part of these apple muffins might just be the simple brown sugar topping, which gives the lids an irresistible crunch. If you’d prefer something that you can slice and share, my cinnamon swirl apple bread is chock-full of apples, has similar flavors, and is equally alluring.
Table of Contents
“I made these gorgeous muffins, they are easy to make, so very light and tasty. Perfect for the autumnal or winter season.”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Muffins
- Butter: Provides richness and flavor to the muffins.
- Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar: Sweeten the muffins while adding moisture and subtle caramel-like flavor.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together and provides structure to the muffins.
- Plain Low-Fat Yogurt or Greek Yogurt: Adds moisture and richness to the muffins and interacts with the baking soda to help them rise.
- Whole Wheat Flour and All-purpose Flour: The foundation of the muffins. The use of whole wheat flour provides a wholesome, nutty flavor and lovely color.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Leavening agents that help the muffins rise and give them a fluffy texture.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Cloves: Infuse the muffins with warm, aromatic spices that complement the apples.
- Apples: Provide moisture, sweetness, and texture to the muffins. Make sure to use baking apples that are firm enough to hold their shape when baked. See the FAQ’s for what brands of apples are considered best for baking.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a crunchy, sweet topping to the muffins enhancing the flavor and texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
Beat until light and fluffy.
Add the egg.
Then beat again.
Add the yogurt.
Beat again.
Add all the dry ingredients right to the bowl.
Mix until just combined. Note that the batter will be very thick.
Add the diced apples.
Then stir them in.
Use an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter to a muffin tin.
Sprinkle the tops generously with brown sugar.
Bake for about 25 minutes.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baking apples, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious varieties, are firm and tart, making them ideal for baking because they hold their shape and retain their texture during the baking process. Their tartness balances the sweetness of baked goods, and their firmness prevents them from turning mushy, ensuring a pleasing texture in baked treats. They’re also ideal in apple pie and apple crisp.
Using all whole wheat flour may make the muffins dry. If you have white whole wheat flour, that would work nicely. If not, I’d suggest using 1½ cups of whole wheat and ½ cup all-purpose flour.
Because the apples help to keep them moist, the muffins will keep nicely for several days. Store them at room temperature in an airtight container lined with a sheet of paper towels. Arrange the muffins in a single layer and cover them with another sheet of paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
Absolutely! The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350° oven until warm.
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Spiced Apple Muffins
These wholesome apple muffins are full of spice and everything nice.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 1 cup whole wheat flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups peeled, cored, and finely chopped baking apples (you'll need 2 large apples)
For Topping
- 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the egg and mix well, stopping to scrape the bowl if necessary.
- Beat in the yogurt. The batter will look grainy.
- Add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Beat on low speed until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Add the chopped apples and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Use an ice-cream scooper or large spoon to divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. The cups should be full. Sprinkle the 6 tablespoons of brown sugar evenly over top.
- Bake the muffins for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven, cool them for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto a rack to finish cooling completely.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 221
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Sugar: 16g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 207mg
- Cholesterol: 37mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Another amazing recipe. When you posted in on Facebook I knew I had to make them. They are beautifully light and just spiced perfectly. Delicious with the apples but would also be excellent without them or with just nuts. Either way another winning recipe I will make over and over again.
Just made these twice. The first time, did the recipe exactly as is. The top had a very crisp shell but the muffins were raw in the middle. The second time, I used pears and only filled the muffin cups 3/4 the way. The result was similar. What are your suggestions?
Hi Christina, Because you’ve had a problem with these twice, and followed the recipe exactly (with the exception of the pears the second time around), I suspect it may be a problem with your oven. Check out the tips in this helpful article to test your oven’s accuracy.
I’ve made these muffins several times without a problem. Are you mistakenly using the convection setting on the oven? Otherwise, I agree it sounds like there is a problem with the oven.
Delicious! Used Fuji apples and, for more protein, used Greek yogurt diluted with a bit of milk. Reduced the brown sugar topping to about 3.5-4 Tbsp. I agree that the brown sugar topping probably isn’t needed, but it does add a pleasant touch of sweetness. After hesitating on the 1 TBSP cinnamon, I decided to trust Jenn on this…and am glad I did! Thanks for another keeper recipe.
Now that the blueberries are pretty much gone until next year I had to leave off blueberry muffins and find a seasonal substitute. These apple spice muffins are the perfect player! With myself and two sons a dozen never last long. Certainly not long enough to ponder storage methods. Once they are cool and knocked out of the pan, I just set them on a rack on the kitchen counter. They will disappear in a day or so. I have used Honey Crisp and Granny Smith apples. I think the Granny Smith lend themselves better to baking than the Honey Crisp. Honey Crisp are the best eating apple, hands down. But Granny Smith come out with more apple flavor and less mushy when baked.
Did you try using it with only white whole wheat flour? If you can’t use this for all the flour required, could you substitute the whole wheat with white whole wheat flour? Thanks, Jenn
Hi Jenn, I haven’t tried them this way, but I’d imagine that’d work. Hope you enjoy!
Simply Scrumptious. I like the fact that the recipe uses whole wheat flour. I have made the recipe several times. We like the muffins as written but I have made using vegan margarine and for children I usually leave off the brown sugar topping.
Great recipe. Perfect for Fall Apple season. This could also make a great individual dessert for guests paired with a vanilla caramel ice cream. I left the apple chunks about 1/4-1/2 inch sizes to get more Of the fruit notes. Thanks!
Jenn I just finished making this muffin recipe …. And Jenn the results are sheer perfection! I am sooooooo happy. I own the Bosch oven from hell and every dish I try to cook in there is a challenge. It’s always a joke when we entertain ,,, will we or won’t we serve an apple pie with Uncooked pastry? It is such a comfort to know I can follow your instructions and rest assured I will have a good product to serve my family and friends. Many thanks and keep your great dishes coming to our table.
I would like to make mini muffins using this recipe. Would I have to make any adjustments in the recipe?
Hi Cyndi, Mini muffins would work here, just make sure to chop the apples into small chunks. I’d bake them for 10-15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Hello,
I don’t have any wheat flour, so I’m going to substitue with graham flour! I will let you know how it goes, but this is a great recipe regardless!
Hi Jen..love your website! Is it possible to adjust this recipe using your applesauce recipe?
Good question Glenda! I haven’t tried them using my (or any) applesauce, so I’m really not sure. If you try it that way, please report back and let me know how they turn out!.
Hi Jenn. First of all, thank you for your recipes. This is the 3rd recipe I’ve tried from your site. I made these today. Just wondering what’s the best way to store them?
Hi Rowena, I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes! You can store these in an airtight container with paper towels between each layer. (The muffins are pretty moist and the paper towels will keep them from getting soggy.) Hope you enjoy!
Could you please recommend temperature and time adjustments to bake as a loaf instead of muffins?
Thanks!
Hi Elan, I’d keep the temperature the same and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 45 – 50 minutes.
I would love to make this today, however I do not have yogurt. Is there a way around that? Or can I use something else?
Hi Andrea, If you have sour cream, that should work. I might just dilute it with a bit of milk or water to get it to the consistency of yogurt.
I’ve tried many apple muffin recipes and Jenn’s is by far the best. It’s very moist with lot of flavor–both from the apples and the spices. I didn’t chop the apples very finely so I had nice chunks but they were well cooked. Unlike most muffins, these are still good several days later…but it is hard to keep them from being gobbled up before that!
Quick question, I don’t like a lot of butter in baked goods, can I use oil as a sub (coconut, olive, canola)?
Tanisha, It depends on the recipe. For this one, I wouldn’t suggest oil as you won’t achieve the right texture when creaming the ingredients. You could substitute margarine here, if desired.
These have just become my sons new favorite. Thank you!
Shut the front door! I just bit into one of these and gobbled it down, so good! I did not have low fat yogurt only whole fat – other than that followed your recipe to a T. Thanks so much.
Omg! These were frigging fantastic!
Why shouldn’t I use Greek yogurt? Just wondering since that’s all I have on hand.
Sorry, I just noticed that you’ve answered my question already! I’ll add milk to the Greek yogurt. Thanks.
Hi,
Looks delicious. Just wondering if just all purpose flour can be used in this recipe. Does whole wheat flour make a big difference in flavor?
Thanks.
Linda
Hi Linda, Whole wheat makes them taste more earthy and wholesome, but all purpose will work well too. Enjoy 🙂
Yum yum must try
I didn’t have yogurt on hand, so substituted the same amount of sour cream. These muffins were wonderful – plenty of apple, nice and moist, not too sweet, with a comforting cinnamon topping. I will be making these regularly. I’m so glad I found Jenn’s website and can’t wait to make more of her recipes.
Hi Jenn,
I’m just wondering why Greek yogurt would be a no-no in this recipe? I ask because I prefer its taste and health qualities, and it’s usually the only thing I have on-hand in a plain yogurt.
I am excited to make these with my 3-year-old today! She has recently shown an interest in helping me out in the kitchen so I’m pulling a carpe diem. 🙂
Thanks.
Jenn
Hi Jenn, You can use it; just thin it with a little milk to get it more the consistency of regular yogurt. Hope you and your little one enjoy 🙂
These are great, my daughter loves them. I just leave the crumble off for her, and it doubles well, also.
Jen, do not like cloves, can I substitute ginger or allspice
Yes, absolutely.
I just made these.. And they were amazing. I would definitely make the pieces of apple smaller since the muffins only take about 20 minutes to cook; therefore the chunks of apple didn’t get as mushy/soft as I would have liked (since they are a snack for my 1 and 3 year old kiddos). Very moist and full of flavor. Great healthy recipe.
I changed this from 2 white flour to
1 1/2 cup white flour
1/4 cup wholewheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
to make it healthier!!! Very good recipe!
This recipe was outstanding!!! The spices add so much flavour, and the cake is so soft and moist. I was apprehensive about adding so much yoghurt but it was perfect! Only thing – the quantity of the brown sugar as the topping was too much in my opinion. Reduced it to about 4 tbsp and it was perfect
What temp does the oven need to be at? Did I miss that somewhere?
Hi Shannon, Oven temp is 375°F (it’s right at the beginning of recipe).
You mentioned reducing the topping; I completely forgot to add it, and they’re wonderful as is. Good texture, perfect level of sweetness, moist, etc.
You have a great website — thank you
for the “print” option, but it would be
great if you could please arrange the
recipes with the photo of the item included on the “print” recipe. Often
it’s the photo that inspires me in the first place!! Many thanks!
Thanks, Toni. I will see if I can add this option. I wasn’t sure how people would feel about the images because they often make the recipes print out on two pages instead of one.
The photo does appear on the printed page on the top right-hand corner, big enough to look drooling-delish, yet small enough not to dominate the page and having to print recipe unnecessarily on 2 pages, whether overleaf or otherwise.
In fact, your recipe printout has the best layout with both recipe and photo, and other optional details!
If I don’t have any low-fat yogurt on hand, could I substitute with sour cream?
Hi Kathryn, Should work fine. I might just dilute it with a bit of milk or water to get it to the consistency of yogurt.
These were easy to make and so good!! I’ve served these to 4 people and everyone loved them and want to me make more. I’m going to try to make the Chai Banana Bread first though! 😀
I have made so many apple muffin recipes and this is by far the best!! I will never try another recipe again, as this one is PERFECT! Thank you!
I made these muffins to help use up some of the apples we picked this fall and OH. MY. Gosh. were they good. I was a little worried because the brown sugar on top did not look as pretty as the pictures, but who cares what they look like once you’ve had a bite! This will be my go to apple muffin recipe. Also, make sure to use the dark brown sugar and it will not be nearly as good with light brown.
Made these and shared with our new neighbors as a house warming gift. Thanks Jenn for another go to recipe
If I am making these as Mini Muffins should I adjust the cooking time? Do you think think Mini muffins will be ok?
Hi Keri, Mini muffins would work fine, just be sure to chop the apples into little chunks. I’d bake them for 10-15 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
I love these muffins! They are moist with the perfect amount of spices, and the topping is wonderful! I will make these from now on. Thanks for the recipe!
These are so amazing… I had to take them to work and share them so I wouldn’t eat them all! I just love your recipes… Thank you!
I want to make these today, but I don’t have any whole wheat flour. Can I just use 2 cups of all purpose flour or do I need to adjust the measurements?
Hi Melissa, You can just use 2 cups all purpose…should work fine. Enjoy!
Will any type of apple work?
Hi Erin, You need to use baking apples, like Honey Crisp, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, etc.
Great timing. My husband and I went apple picking with friends and made home-made apple sauce, but still have some Jonagold apples left and can’t wait to try this recipe…..I will be making this for our community’s “Coffee with Neighbors” gathering this Satiurday. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes.
You’re welcome, Patricia. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Perfect timing, I bought a box of apples last weekend and have a few left I need to use, I canned quite a bit of applesauce last Sunday and made your french apple cake recipe which is always a favorite.
Can these be adapted to gluten free flour?
Hi Debbie, I’ve never baked with gluten free flour so I can’t say for sure, but I imagine that it’d work.
Could I bake this as a loaf?
Hi Janet, Yes, I think that would work.
This sounds nice and not too complicated.
Ohhh these sound good, & my son will love them as he does anything cake based & spiced. Thanks
Hi, I tried this and it’s really good. However, i would add more spices the next time I bake these again. I really like the fact that you include metric conversions and your recipes arent too sweet! Please continue to do those 🙂
Can I bake this recipe in an 8inch square baking pan?
Hi Elsa, I have not tried it but don’t see why not. Please let me know how it comes out if you make it that way. Thanks!
I’ve been looking for the perfect apple muffin recipe too. Making these for Saturday morning breakfast.
LOVE the brown sugar topping!