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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I grated the apples instead. Worked well. Excellent recipe.
Hi Jen,
I know you specifically said plain yoghurt, not Greek style but what happens if I use Greek yoghurt? Love your recipes..I tried your Best Blueberry Muffin recipe, they turned out so good I bought your cookbook immediately after.
So glad you like the recipes and thanks for your support with the cookbook! You can use Greek yogurt here but you’ll need to thin it out with a little bit of milk. Hope you like the muffins! 🙂
Hi Jen,
I love nearly all your recipes that i have tried and if it fails it most likely because of a substitution i made. These muffins are great. my sons, 5 and 3 yo, that don’t like spiced baked goods have two each already! Thank you for your easy to follow recipes.
Hi Jen,
I am a big fan of yours. I loved the banana nut muffin recipe so I thought I would try this recipe too. I have a few questions. When you say brown sugar, do you mean light brown sugar or dark brown sugar? Or does it make any difference?
Also, do you think I can add walnuts with honey and cinnamon as the topping? I love nuts. Will it work with this recipe?
Lucy
Hi lucy, so glad you like the recipes! This recipe calls for dark brown sugar, but if you only have light brown on hand, that will work as well. And yes, you can add the topping that you mentioned (just use that in place of the brown sugar that tops the muffins). Enjoy!
What kind of apples do you personally use? It looks like you have 2 different kinds in the picture.
Hi Angie, I think I used a Granny Smith and a Golden Delicious Any of the following would be great choices: Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagolds, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, Gala, or Honey Crisp. Hope you enjoy the muffins!
Hi Jenn, it’s me again – the broken record who keeps singing your praises. These apple muffins were FANTASTIC. I hadn’t made muffins in eons because I went through a phase of baking joyless low-fat, low-sugar, rubbery muffins. Well, my muffin-baking days are back, baby!!! Apple-y, tender, not too sweet, good texture. The only change I made was that I sprinkled maple sugar instead of brown sugar on top.
ALL your recipes are keepers, Jenn. Thank you for everything you do! xo
LOL💗
I made a double batch this morning. (I’m drowning in fresh organic Ambrosia apples from a local orchard). These were wonderful. I sent half a dozen muffins over to elderly neighbors who called raving about the muffins. My family loved them too. So yet another winner Jenn.
Hi! I have an overflow of pears from the pear tree in my front yard. Could I use these instead of apples?
Thank you!
Hi Maria, I suspect pears should work, but because all fruits bake up a bit differently, I can’t guarantee it. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them!
This recipe was just perfect! Not too sweet and very moist.
Hi Jenn, I just discovered your site and really like what I see! Found your recipe for apple spice muffins. They turned out awesome. Like a previous review, I didn’t have yogurt either and used 1 cup of sour cream. I also added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. I will definitely be making these again, Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Best Regards Trish
If we didn’t have yogurt in the fridge, can we replace the yogurt with buttermilk? Thank you!
Yes, Trish, the finished muffins may not be quite as dense, but I think buttermilk should work. Hope you enjoy!
These were delicious! I bought whole wheat flour for this which I typically don’t keep, Can I use it for other muffin or cake recipes (I’m specifically thinking of your strawberry muffins and cake) or should I save for when the recipe calls specifically for whole wheat flour?
Hi Sara, You have to be careful with whole wheat flour, as it can make baked goods very dry. I’d start by replacing just a 1/4 of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour in other recipes and see how you like the results.
Looking forward to trying this recipe! If I only use cinnamon rather than the nutmeg and cloves, how much do I add?
Hi Meghan, If you want to use all cinnamon, I’d just replace the nutmeg and cloves with equal amounts of cinnamon. Hope you enjoy!
Could I bake this as a loaf instead of muffins? If so, how should I adjust the temp/timing?
Hi Sarah, Sure that will work – bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 45 – 50 minutes. Enjoy!
I don’t have whole wheat flour. May I substitute it with all-purpose flour? Thanks.
Yep – hope you enjoy!
Very delicious muffins. Thanks for the recipe.
We had an unexpected early morning meeting happening at our house, so I wanted to make some apple and cinnamon muffins to go with coffee. Whose recipe could I trust when I hadn’t made it before? Jenn’s, of course! They turned out perfectly and were gobbled up. Thanks, Jenn, for such great and reliable recipes. I was worried they might stick in the pan, so I hedged my bets and put half in cupcake cases, but I needn’t have worried, they slipped out of the pan perfectly.
Hi There, I love your site and I have tried many of your recipes and they all come out great, you have very good instructions. I just made the apple spice muffins and i used 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup organic cane sugar and I sprinkled a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon on top. I got 18 muffins and baked them for 22 minutes and they are so delicious. Thanks so much. Hope you keep on posting recipes because I can’t wait to try more of them,
Delicious way to use up apples! I had some honeycrisp apples leftover and this recipe was absolutely perfect – they’re moist, spiced, with a delicious crispy layer of brown sugar on top. I have already been requested to make these again. I only had Greek yogurt, so I just used half the amount of Greek yogurt and thinned it with some milk until I reached the consistency of regular yogurt.
Are there “baking apples” that you prefer to use more over others? When baking, is there a mix (sweet and tart) that you prefer to use together?
Thanks!
Hi Patty, Any of these would be great choices: Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagolds, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, Gala, or Honey Crisp (and it’s perfectly fine to use a combination of sweeter ones like Fujis and Granny Smiths. Hope you enjoy the muffins!
Just baked these muffins of yours for an Autumn Party….they turned out perfect and beautiful!
What is the best way to freeze these, for a couple of days?
Glad they turned out nicely! They can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated {350°F|175°C} oven until warm.
These muffins are fabulous! Moist, flavorful, not too sweet, and perfectly spiced. Easy and quick to put together as well. I didn’t have yogurt on hand when I wanted to make these, so I used an equivalent amount of sour cream. This recipe is a keeper!
Made these the other night. The finely chopped apples were so tasty in the muffin and added another layer of sweetness. I substituted spelt flour and they turned with a nice and light texture. I was generous with the cinnamon and other spices as well. Well-liked by the family!
Can these muffins be frozen?
Sure, Bonnie – they freeze well.
Good morning! Have you ever made these as mini muffins? I always prefer mini muffins to regular (calorie count always spoils the fun!!). Would you provide the adjusted baking time and temp, if so? Thank you!!
Hi Lorrie, I haven’t but no reason it won’t work. I’d keep the temp the same but start checking for doneness at 12 to 15 min. Please LMK how they turn out!
Hello! Quick question- can I use a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer?
Yep – hope you enjoy!
With a stand mixer, the wire beater or the paddle?
(Love your recipes, so clear and easy to follow and very tasty results!)
Hi Leigh, I’d use the paddle (and so glad you like the recipes)! 🙂
This recipe was so easy to execute! I had to substitute light sour cream for the plain non-Greek yogurt (didn’t have plain yogurt). They baked up just great and we thoroughly enjoyed “taste-testing” them. Thank you!
Can I use all white flour as I don’t have whole wheat flour in my house right now. Do I need to change any liquid amounts if using all white? Thx
Sure, Susan, it’s fine to use all white flour here with no other adjustments. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn- I love the Fall and I especially love recipes that use apples (reminds me of being at my grandparent’s home in Michigan where they had apples galore!). These Apple Spice muffins are super good! The only modifications I made was that I used 1/4 c. granulated sugar instead of 1/2 cup, and I used 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon in the batter instead of 1 tablespoon (decided to use some cinnamon for topping)…and, I topped them with 3 T. brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 c. walnuts (I’m a nut lover! 😀)
I made these muffins today and they came out perfect! So moist and delicious. Love your blog and every recipe I’ve made from your collection comes out great!
Hi Jenn, the muffins are awesome. I used all AP flour and reversed the sugar (1/2c brown & 1/4 cup regular) as we love the taste of brown sugar in baked goods. Muffins were moist & delicious!!! I’ve made a handful of your recipes and we have enjoyed them all. To this day, my wife tells anyone who will listen about how good my (your) bolognese sauce is. You make me look good and I am not a cook/chef by any stretch of the imagination!!! One last comment: I commend your measured & considerate responses to some of the questionable reviews….the one on the French apple cake comes to mind where your metric measurements are called into question. I believe the concept of weight vs volume was lost on the reviewer, however your response was one of CLASS and consideration. Bravo! It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, however some need a thousand words to generate the “mental” picture. Logic and critical thinking are great life tools, and what a world this could be if all possessed them! Thanks for all of your efforts to make us look good! Scott (Notachef)
😊
Absolutely wonderful muffins! I had to make some changes, because I didn’t have a couple of ingredients on hand. I doubled the recipe to make 24 muffins without any problems. Since I had only Greek yogurt, I measured about 3-4 tablespoons of water in my measuring cup and added the yogurt up to a cup and mixed in order to get the consistency of regular yogurt. Additionally, I only had 1 cup of yogurt, so I swapped in the same amount needed of unsweetened applesauce. At the same time, I reduced the sugar too, since that added some sweetness. Finally, since I woke up early to make these for a meeting, I quickly peeled my apples and grated them on the large side of a box grater in order to save time that I would have spent coring the apples and chopping finely. They turned out beautifully.
These were absolutely delicious! My only modification was that I diluted greek yogurt with milk to get the consistency of a low fat non-greek yogurt. They were perfect, and didn’t last long!
I can’t believe the original recipe called for more brown sugar for the topping; it was plenty sweet as is. One could probably get away with using even less, if desired.
Hi Jenn! Could you possibly add the metric measurements to this recipe?
I feel like I must have measured something wrong. The taste was wonderful, but the consistency wasn’t great, and they fell apart when I picked them up. I did add maybe 1/4 cup too many apples, and the pieces where probably not quite as finely chopped as yours. The problem was likely that I used a coarse whole wheat flour, as that was what I had available. I would love to try the recipe again with these changes, and hopefully they will turn out better!
Hi Elise, I just added the metric measurements for these. Perhaps you measured something incorrectly, but the coarse flour may have had a bit of an impact. Hope the metric measurements help the next time you bake these!
Thank you, Jenn!
I have made these muffins 3 times so far. They are always consistent, moist and delicious! The only thing I’ve done differently was a little less brown sugar on the top. 2 Thumbs up! PLUS the 5 stars!
Hi Jenn,
I have bunch of applesauce to use up. Any way this recipe could be modified to use applesauce instead of apple chunks?
Thanks!
Jen
Hi Jennifer, I haven’t tried these using applesauce, so I’m really not sure how they’d turn out or if any modifications are necessary – I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Made these for the first time and I like them! I maybe could have cooked a little less than 25 min. The muffins are cooked a little more on bottom and edges than I’d like. The real test is does the hubby like them? I’ll find out soon.
Just made these and they are OUTSTANDING!!!!
I was just curious if anyone has ever tried this with gluten free flour. I’ve had amazing luck using GF flours for several of your other muffin recipes. Fingers crossed on this one too. Thanks!
Hi Emily, personally, I haven’t baked these with gluten-free flour, but I think it should work.
Try Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 GF Flour Blend. Great price on walmart.com. Already has xanthan in it, so don’t add extra. I’ve used this blend when adapting “regular” recipes to gluten free, with very good results. Works great with Land of Lakes (regular) choco-chip cookie recipe. The Bob’s blend is what I use when I don’t have the time to blend my own. Hope this helps you!
HI Jennifer, can I use x- large egg for this great recipe. Thanks DJ
Sure, Darlene – that’s fine.
Anyone try making it a bread? Or used almond flour?
Looking for a good almond flour Apple bread recipe.
Absolutely delicious!!! not too sweet. Used whole wheat pastry flour. Tt’s so fine kids don’t know the difference. Will make these again for sure.
Flavor is great and I love the crunch of the brown sugar on top. I think I overcooked mine by a few minutes as the bottoms were a bit dry but overall they were a hit and they kept well in a tupperware for 4 days. I used honey crisp apples and they were soft but not mushy so I’d recommend them if you’re not sure what type of apple to use.
I’ll use less sugar too sweet for me but these muffins are moist.
Hi Jenn,
Can I use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat? Would I need to double it then? Will it affect the flavor?
Thanks for another great recipe.
Nargiza
Sure, Nargiza – no need to make any changes though. Just replace it cup for cup. And it won’t affect the flavor too much at all. Enjoy!
I have a large tea party tomorrow in our 1840 historical bed and breakfast inn, in Roscoe Village, Ohio. Can I make the mini muffins one day in advance? Will they still taste good?
Hi Lorraine, These keep well thanks to the moisture in the apples, so I think you’ll be fine to make a day ahead. Just be sure to cut the apples small since you’re making minis.
Can you substitute something else for the yoghurt?
Hi Sonia, You could replace the yogurt with sour cream or buttermilk. Hope you enjoy the muffins!
Great recipe, thank you. It’s the first time I made muffins (they’re not as well known in Switzerland as are cup cakes). Turned out real fluffy and moist, and absolutely delicious!
Made somewhat bigger chunks of the apples (used Boskop, a great local cooking and baking apple), added (real) vanilla instead of the nutmeg, and no sugar topping. Threw in a handful of raisins too. Was out of whole wheat flour, but had what’s called “half white” flour hereabouts and added a bit of spelt flour. Looking forward to offering some of those yummy muffins to my daughter, who’s a confectioner by profession. 🙂
I made them exactly as written and they turned out amazing! Thank you for sharing such great recipes… I sure appreciate you. I’m excited for your cookbook!
These are delicious. I put extras in freezer to prevent me from eating all at one sitting
I made these muffins for my family using some leftover apples I had in the fridge. I grated the apples instead of cutting them which allowed me to avoid peeling them, so one less thing to do.
I also added some oats and walnuts for a bit of crunch and texture, plus they provide added nutrition as well.
My entire family absolutely loved them!!! They were moist, not too sweet and super delicious!! Think of a hand-held apple crisp. This recipe is a must try!
Can you use 2 cups of white flour? Instead of 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white flour?
Hi Laura, Using all white flour will work here too. Enjoy 🙂
This recipe is the best! I tend to always change something in a recipe, though. I just added some fresh cranberries to the mix and cut the sugar a bit. My boyfriend and my neighbours loved them! They kept asking me for one and were sad when there was no more muffins.
Added some walnuts to mine. These are absolutely delicious. Go for it!