Meet your new favorite fall breakfast: Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Muffins. This muffin recipe is fast, easy, and delicious — loaded with fresh apples, oats, and fall spices. These muffins are like a handheld (and healthier) version of apple streusel cake and make a great treat that’s sure to get the whole family excited for the next breakfast or snack time.
These apple muffins with oatmeal are travel-friendly and perfect for busy lifestyles. Not only does the recipe require only ten minutes of active prep time, the resulting muffins are perfect to grab when you’re pressed for time and need a quick, nutritious bite to eat. They store well, are freezer-friendly, and great for meal prep too!
Why You'll Love These Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Muffins
- Healthy breakfast treat. These cinnamon apple oatmeal muffins are a great alternative to store-bought versions for a healthier breakfast choice. They’re made with real apples, rolled oats, and less sugar than their bakery-counter cousins!
- Classic cinnamon apple flavor. If you are a fan of Apple Pie, Applesauce, Apple Cake, or any apple dessert, then you will love these warm spiced apple muffins. They’re light and spongy, and obviously full of apples which means that your breakfast this week is kind of sort of healthy. Win win!
- The crumb topping. The crumb topping (also known as an oat streusel topping), is the best thing that happened to this muffin. Sweet, crunchy streusel takes these muffins to the next level. It's a mixture of flour, butter, sugar, and oats which turns your muffins from regular muffins into fancy schmancy muffins. Better yet, you can use the streusel recipe on top of everything — like all your favourite cakes and muffins. So be sure to save it!
- Great for meal prep. Hectic mornings and busy days with packed schedules practically demand that you prepare meals and snacks ahead of time, so these spiced apple oatmeal muffins are perfect to make ahead of those weeks when you know you’ll have a lot on your plate. They’re a perfect grab-and-go item to pack in lunches, send along for snack time, or snag for a quick breakfast in the car or on the bus.
Ingredient Notes
To make these easy Spiced Apple Oatmeal Muffins, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- all-purpose flour - make a gluten-free version of these apple muffins with oatmeal by substituting the wheat-based all-purpose flour with measure-for-measure flour, or experiment with coconut or almond flour for a carb-friendly treat (the resulting muffins may vary in texture, and it may take a few tries to fine tune recipe to get the desired outcome).
- rolled oats - make sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats, and not quick oats. Plus, use certified gluten free oats if you have celiac or other gluten intolerance, and swap for organic rolled oats if you’re sensitive to pesticides.
- baking powder + baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- salt
- butter - make this recipe vegan by replacing the butter with melted coconut oil or avocado oil! Avocado oil has almost no taste, but coconut oil won’t change the overall taste of the muffins too much either as the mild coconuty flavor is fairly compatible with most sweet baked goods.
- sugar - we use both brown sugar and granulated sugar in this recipe. You can also swap the sugar in this muffin recipe for maple syrup, honey, or other dietary-friendly alternatives like stevia, turbinado sugar or Swerve. The streusel topping will need some kind of granulated sweetener to retain texture, but what goes into the actual muffin can be tailored to what’s best for your family.
- egg
- yogurt - we used our homemade yogurt because we always have a batch in the fridge.
- apples
- oat streusel - this crunchy topping is made with a mixture of brown sugar, rolled oats, all-purpose flour, butter, and cinnamon.
Equipment
You will also need the following baking equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer or a stand mixer
- 12-tin muffin pan
- cupcake liners
- cookie scoop
- wire cooling rack
How to Make the Best Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Muffins
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Add yogurt and beat until mixed.
Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg. Beat together. Add yogurt. Beat together.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ones. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until most of the flour is mixed in, or until just combined (the batter will be very thick).
- Add apples. Add in the apples and fold them in until just combined. Do not overmix.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir together. Until just combined. Fold in apples.
- Make streusel topping. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the oat streusel topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, butter, and cinnamon) until combined and crumbly.
- Scoop out muffins. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray the inside with nonstick baking spray. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop and divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each cup about 85% full. Sprinkle a spoonful on top of each muffin.
- Bake. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Storage/Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Once the apple oatmeal muffins have completely cooled, you can store them at room temperature in a cool, dry place (the countertop is usually fine!) in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag for up to 3-4 days. Adding a paper towel will help absorb moisture and keep your muffins from getting soggy!
To extend their shelf life, store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Note that refrigeration will change their texture and dry them out a bit. You can add moisture back in by reheating the muffins, but they don't have to be served warm.
How to Freeze
Place the muffins in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or defrost in the microwave on the defrost setting or reheat in the oven.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Got extra apples? Just double up this recipe because the muffins are that good! Plus, they are freezer-friendly, so there's no rush to finish them all in a few days -- although it's quite possible. You can also use up any extra apples in a weeknight salad or soup.
- Want to reduce paper waste? Line muffin tins with unbleached, compostable muffin or cupcake liners, make your own by folding compostable parchment paper (not wax paper!), use reusable silicone liners, or grease the bare pan with whatever works best for your diet to reduce waste.
- Make minis for easy portability, snacking, or portion control. Pour batter into a mini muffin pan instead of a 12-cup muffin pan to make bite-size spiced apple muffins that are toddler-friendly, easy to pack in lunchboxes, and great to dole out in between meals when kids (or adults!) are feeling peckish. If you reduce muffin size, you’ll also have to reduce baking time, so make sure to account for that when baking. Around 7-10 minutes should do it in most cases, but every oven is different! Make sure to check the center of the muffins for doneness with a toothpick and add a few minutes as needed until completely cooked through.
More Apple Recipes
- 30 Best Apple Recipes
- Individual Apple Crisp
- Arugula Salad with Apple
- Homemade Applesauce
- Apple Crisp
- Baked Apple Chips
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Recipe
Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Muffins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 muffins
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Muffins are fast, easy and delicious— loaded with apples, oats, and fall spices. A quick nutritious bite for breakfast or snack time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup plain yogurt, full-fat
- 2 cups baking apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped (approximately 2 apples)
Oat Streusel Topping:
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Add yogurt and beat until mixed.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until most of the flour is mixed in, or until just combined (the batter will be very thick).
- Add in the apples and fold them in until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray the inside with nonstick baking spray. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop and divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each cup about 85% full.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the oat streusel topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, butter, and cinnamon) until combined and crumbly. Sprinkle a spoonful on top of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Equipment used: 12-tin muffin pan, cupcake liners, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a hand mixer or a stand mixer, a cookie scoop, and a wire cooling rack.
How to store: Once the apple oatmeal muffins have completely cooled, you can store them at room temperature in a cool, dry place (the countertop is usually fine!) in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag for up to 3-4 days. Adding a paper towel will help absorb moisture and keep your muffins from getting soggy! To extend their shelf life, store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Note that refrigeration will change their texture and dry them out a bit. You can add moisture back in by reheating the muffins, but they don't have to be served warm.
How to freeze: Place the muffins in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or defrost in the microwave on the defrost setting or reheat in the oven.
How to make mini muffins: Pour batter into a mini muffin pan instead of a 12-cup muffin pan to make bite-size spiced apple muffins that are toddler-friendly, easy to pack in lunchboxes, and great to dole out in between meals when kids (or adults!) are feeling peckish. If you reduce muffin size, you’ll also have to reduce baking time, so make sure to account for that when baking. Around 7-10 minutes should do it in most cases, but every oven is different! Make sure to check the center of the muffins for doneness with a toothpick and add a few minutes as needed until completely cooked through.
Got extra apples? Just double up this recipe because the muffins are that good! Plus, they are freezer-friendly, so there's no rush to finish them all in a few days -- although it's quite possible. You can also use up any extra apples in a weeknight salad or soup.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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April says
I have to say, these are amazing muffins. I used half whole wheat flour and subbed buttermilk for Greek yogurt (I was out). Very moist crumb and it holds together while you are eating it. The topping gives a great crunch.
Helen says
I made this with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour. I substituted maple syrup for the granulated sugar and used Greek Yogurt 2% and added a 1/4 cup applesauce. I forgot the butter in the topping so it was a little more crumbly than it should have been but overall delicious, and teen approved. In my muffin tins, it made 17 muffins so I worked out calories based on my ingredients to 142 per muffin. This one will be in regular rotation, thank you!
Carrie Sanders-Hartley says
These are really good. Not too sweet and came out perfectly, making them with the directions followed exactly as written.
Heather says
I just made these delicious muffins. 😋
I didn't add the white sugar, only organic dark brown sugar. Will bake them again!
Jen says
Hello, I'm interested in making these... I'm wondering, in the instructions it says to add cloves, yet it doesn't say cloves in the ingredients. Wondering how much to put in
Thanks so much.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Oops, I was supposed to remove that. There are no cloves in the recipe. Thanks so much for catching that, I have updated the recipe!
Lydia says
These were great! My only issue was my partner kept trying to include soy sauce in the recipe. Lord help me.
Angelica says
These were delicious! A few things I changed, but still ended up with a perfectly dense but fluffy muffin with a crunchy topping: Had to substitute sour cream for the yogurt because it’s what I had on hand. Also added a teaspoon of vanilla and cut the spices in half (just a personal preference).
Thanks for the recipe!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
So glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for sharing your tweaks, glad to hear that sour cream works well as a substitute. 🙂