These easy apple muffins made with oil are so good, you will not believe it! Soft and fluffy, sweet and aromatic, the perfect treat on a rainy afternoon.
Easy apple muffins with cinnamon and oil
These are some of the best cinnamon apple muffins (or muffins generally) I have ever eaten! Really!
I made them for my son's birthday a few weeks ago, and I think I was the one eating most of them. All the kids present enjoyed them and had at least one, but we had other cakes there as well... I kept going for the muffins... I think I had three in half an hour and the two remaining ones the next day...
I've made so many muffins over the years, plain muffins, white chocolate strawberry muffins, Nigella's carrot muffins, you name it; I have probably already baked them. They are always good, easy to make, ready in no time, and good to take to a party.
But these ones (and my absolute favorite – the sour cream muffins) do stand out. I just love that cinnamon flavor, that sugary topping, the soft apples inside, and that perfect crumb. Really the best apple muffins I have ever made! You should definitely give them a try!
Especially now, in autumn, when apples are so good and so cheap, I have so many apples at the moment that I could bake some apple muffins or cake every day.
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Ingredients
What apples are good for muffins?
- A tarter sort of garden apple would be fine, but use whatever you happen to have. I have no idea what all the garden apples I keep getting from all our neighbors are called, every neighbor has a different apple tree in the garden, and I never remember to ask about the name of a particular apple.
- Their general name would be cooking or baking apples, apples that are not very sweet or crispy, the kind of apple you would probably not choose to eat as they are.
- The fact that they are not particularly sweet or juicy makes them perfect for baking.
What can you do with these overripe apples?
I get lots of cooking apples from my neighbors every autumn. But how to keep them for longer?
- Store them in the cellar, in one layer, on a table lined with old newspapers.
- Make sure you check them regularly (I do that at least twice a week) and remove those that are starting to get bad.
- Use those first, cutting away the unsatisfactory parts, or discard them entirely if they are really bad.
- Use the overripe or old cooking apples to make these easy apple muffins, apple cakes, apple pies, desserts, apple sauce, apple butter, and so on.
- Or use them for cooking; apples are great when combined with any kind of meat. How about this roast chicken with apples or a vegan apple curry?
Sugar:
- The recipe also calls for brown sugar. You could replace it with white sugar if that's is all you have, but I do recommend using brown sugar.
Oil:
- I used neutral-tasting oil (like canola) to make the batter for the cinnamon apple muffins. I think many muffins made with butter are just fine, but when looking for a new recipe, I ALWAYS look for a batter recipe made with oil first.
How to make apple cinnamon muffins?
Prepare apples and sugar topping:
- Weigh the apples before peeling them. 250 g/ 8.8 oz apples should be about 3-4 medium-sized apples, but that really depends on the size of the apples. However, unless you go way beyond the required amount, a few grams more or less should not be a problem.
- Peel, halve, and core them. Peeling is important in this case, especially if you are using older cooking apples.
- Cut 12 slices of apple for the topping and mix them with lemon juice. This will prevent them from getting brown too quickly. Set these 12 apple slices aside.
- Chop the remaining apples into small cubes; you should have about 2 cups of apple cubes. Place them in another bowl, mix them with lemon juice, and set them aside as well (1).
Cinnamon topping: Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside (2).
Make the batter:
- Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside (3).
- In another bowl, whisk wet ingredients (4). Add the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, and incorporate (5). Add the cubed apples (6).
Bake:
- Divide the batter between the 12 prepared muffin cups. Place one slice of the remaining apples on top of each one and press it lightly into the batter (7).
- Sprinkle each one with the sugar-cinnamon mix.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 - 23 minutes or until golden. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin should come out clean. Unless you hit an apple piece which will cause the toothpick to be wet, so pay attention that you only hit the batter (8). Do not overbake.
Cool: Leave the apple muffins with oil cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then take them out and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Expert Tips
- This is a super easy recipe, as all muffin recipes are, actually. I always recommend using a kitchen scale when baking (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results.
- Sugar: You can use white sugar if that's all you have in the pantry. However, brown sugar is my first choice for apple muffins with oil.
- Why? Brown sugar helps baked goods retain their freshness and moisture longer than white sugar does, and that's one of the reasons these apple cinnamon muffins are so good, even after two or three days. They're not as fluffy as on the first day anymore, but they're moist and incredibly delicious.
- Oil: I am convinced that using oil when baking muffins makes them better. I am not sure about taste, but when it comes to texture, I am positive I could spot an oil muffin just by looking at it and taking one bite.
- Most butter muffins tend to be rather on the dry side. Although scrumptious on the day you bake them, they will get drier as time passes.
- That's not the case for those made with oil; they are incredibly moist when freshly baked and manage to retain that wonderful moisture as the days go on.
- Room temperature: The ingredients (eggs, oil, milk) should be at room temperature. They will emulsify while you stir the batter, ensuring fluffy and airy muffins.
Recipe FAQs
You've overmixed the batter. You should only fold in the dry ingredients shortly in as few movements as possible.
The oven was not preheated. The muffins should be baked as soon as you've stirred the batter; otherwise, the raising agent will lose its power, and the baked goods won't rise.
The apple muffins with oil are best the day they are baked but are still delicious two or three days later. Keep them in an airtight container.
This easy apple muffin recipe with oil is also suitable for freezing. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge or on the counter.
More muffin recipes
Recipe
Cinnamon Apple Muffins - with Oil
Equipment
- Muffin tin (12)
Ingredients
- 250 g apples 9 oz/ about 2 cups, Note 2
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice divided
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon divided
- 250 g all-purpose flour 8.8 oz/ 2 cups
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 150 g brown sugar 5.5 oz/ ¾ cup
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 125 ml vegetable oil 4 fl.oz/ ½ cup, neutral-tasting oil, for instance canola
- 150 ml full-fat milk 5 fl.oz/ ⅔ cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12- muffin baking tray with muffin paper cases.
Apples:
- Prepare apples: Weigh 250 g/ 8.8 oz apples and peel them. Halve and core them. Cut 12 thin apple slices, place them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and toss them with the liquid. Set aside; you will need them to top the muffins. The lemon juice will prevent the apples from browning too quickly.Chop the rest of the apples, place them in another bowl, toss them with the remaining lemon juice, and set aside.
Topping:
- Cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Set aside.
Batter:
- Dry ingredients: Mix 250 g flour, 3 teaspoon baking powder, 150 g brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients: In another bowl, large enough to hold all the batter, whisk the 2 eggs, 125 ml oil, 150 ml milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract very well. Add the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, to the egg mixture and incorporate. Add the cubed apples. Don't overmix.
- Topping: Place the batter in the prepared muffin tin. Place one slice of the remaining apples on top of each muffin and press it lightly into the batter. Sprinkle each muffin with the sugar-cinnamon topping mixture.
Bake:
- Bake the muffins into the preheated oven for about 20 - 23 minutes or until golden. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin should come out clean. Unless you hit an apple piece which will cause the toothpick to be wet, so pay attention that you only hit the batter. Do not overbake.
- Cool: Leave the muffins in the muffin pan for about 5 minutes, take them out, and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it ensures the best results (Amazon affiliate link). This recipe is developed using the metric system.
- 250 g/ 8.8 oz are about 3-4 medium apples, depending on size. Remember to cut 12 slices of apples to top the muffins before chopping the rest of the apples into cubes.
Rick Filler says
Flour measurement is wrong.
Recipe has too much oil
Adina says
No, it hasn't.
Paula says
Loved this recipe. Thank you for including both metric and imperial for measurement. I used coconut oil and half sour cream/whole milk. A delicious hit with my family. Do you have an apple butter recipe in your repertoire?
Adina says
I am so happy to hear it, Diana, these are our favorite apple muffins. I don't have an apple butter recipe on the blog, just rhubarb, plum, or cherry.
Cupcake Mama Sia says
These were probably the most amazing muffins I've made. So moist and tasty. I didn't slices of apples on top but rather just mixed all the chopped apples in the mix. I also baked them for 5 minutes at 220 Celcius and then a further 10 minutes at 180 Celcius (depending on the size of your muffin tin, of course). This gave them a perfect rise.
Adina says
I am so happy to read this .Thank you for the feedback.
Claire says
Easy and delicious! We used a mix of pear, strawberry and apple and it turned out perfectly. Mr 6 is delighted with his work.
Adina says
So glad to hear it. I miss the time when my kids were eager to bake with me. Now they're teenies...
Paula says
Hello! These look delicious and I'm eager to try them, but I don't have any full fat milk available right now. Is it absolutely necessary or can I substitute it with skim milk? Thanks in advance!
Adina says
Skim milk is ok, but not completely fat-free.
Courtney says
Can you freeze these?
Adina says
Hi Courtney. Yes, you can.
jennifer oechsler says
Save your apples save your flour ,oil, these weren t good at all
Adina says
Hundreds of other readers seem to think differently. Something obviously went wrong.
Cupcake Mama Sia says
Agree. Best and tastiest muffins I have ever made!
Cathy says
Followed the recipe but the muffins didn’t rise to my liking.
Tasty though.
renata says
thank you very much for the tasty recipe, just made them in the morning and they are already gone. by the way, l've got 17 muffins out of the batter.
renata
Anna says
Easy, fuss free recipe. I love that it uses only oil and milk - healthier, and they are ingredients I will always have on hand for last minute muffins! I added 70g of chopped nuts (had almonds in the larder this time, but I'm sure walnuts would be even tastier), used 4 apples (about 400g) and cut the brown sugar to 120g. What a lovely homely treat. My family loved them. Thank you Adina!
Adina says
Hi Anna. Thank you for the comment and the rating. I am glad you like the muffins, and adding almonds or walnuts sounds great.
Maria says
Brilliant, tasty, easy recipe. Added more cinnamon to the batter to increase anti inflammatory properties.
The crispy, caramelised cinnamon topping was outstanding
Batter was quite liquid but this didn’t influence the outcome.
Will add it to the baby weaning dishes minus the crispy caramel topping
Culinette says
Hi Adina. I made these and they are incredible. Very very good! I would love your permission to put the recipe on my foodblog and give you credit. I made my own pics from the ones I baked. But I can't find your e-mail anywhere on this website. Please can I share this on my Dutch blog?
Adina says
Hi. I am glad you liked the muffins. As long as you have your own pictures and maybe rephrase the recipe a bit, it's ok to put it on your blog. Just change it so that it's not duplicate content, Google doesn't like that.
Culinette says
@Adina, Thank you very much. I will do as you say. Thanks again!
Penny says
8.8 oz of flour is not 2 cups
Adina says
8.8 oz (not fluid oz) are 250 g, which are 2 cups flour. I recommend to use a scale to measure the ingredients, it's the best way to ensure that a baking recipe works.
grace says
love those hunks of apple in there!
Anca says
These do look amazing. I understand why you had a few, I would have done the same.
PS. Don't miss my latest bake, I'm sure you'll find it hilarious, considering you are going on holidays in a similar way as I do. 🙂