These oaty muffins with chopped apple, spices and a buttery top are perfect for breakfast, brunch, and after-school snacks. They're quick to put together and ready in about 45 minutes. Reader feedback inspired these muffins as they shared variations on our popular oatmeal muffin recipe and how great their versions turned out!
SAVE THIS RECIPE
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins
Including apples and cinnamon in an already great oat muffin created these beauties, the latest additions to our very popular muffin category.
They have a crunchy, sugary top with oats, and the crumb is not overly sweet; perfect breakfast food if you ask me.
These apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins have an excellent chew and moisture, thanks to soaked oats, a step that makes this a solid recipe. And they freeze well, so you can warm them up as needed.
They're a more wholesome breakfast muffin option than the sweeter apple crumble muffins, which have a glaze and no oats.
FAQ
What are the best apples for oatmeal muffins?
Firm, slightly tart baking apples that hold their shape and balance the brown sugar. I use Granny Smith most of the time; Honeycrisp and Braeburn work well too, and Pink Lady makes a sweeter muffin.
Should I cook the apples before adding them to muffins?
No. Finely chopped raw apple softens as the muffins bake. Cooking it first only makes sense for large chunks.
Testing notes
Paula's baking tips that make a difference.
The type of oats matters: I use old-fashioned rolled oats (traditional oats) because they hold their shape and give these muffins a great chew. Quick-cooking oats and instant oats can also work; you'll get a more even, less textured crumb. I don't normally use them, as they can turn a bit mushy depending on the brand. I don't recommend steel-cut oats, as they won't soften enough.
Don't skip the oat soak. A few minutes in the buttermilk softens rolled oats, so the muffins come out moist and chewy instead of dry.
Chop the apples right before adding them to the batter so they don't brown. Chop them finely so they distribute evenly and you get apple in every bite. Large chunks can also weigh down the batter.
Don't overmix after adding the flour mixture. Combine the wet and dry ingredients just until you don't see dry spots. Overmixing can make the muffins dense instead of tender.
Baking time: Muffins are done when the tops are set, spring back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick comes out clean; a few moist crumbs are fine but not wet batter. Overbaking will dry them out.
Crunchy topping: It completes the muffin, so I recommend you don't skip it, but you can.
Make a muffin loaf: Follow the idea for the blackberry muffin loaf. You'll get more crumb, and you can also use the topping mixture from this Irish apple crumb cake for a sweeter loaf.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Buttermilk: Instead of mixing whole milk and lemon juice as stated in the recipe card, you can use regular, store-bought buttermilk.
- Vegetable oil: Use whatever type you like. I use sunflower oil (which I always have) or coconut oil if I want to avoid seed oils. Canola oil also works well. Even a light olive oil can be used if you're a little more daring with your flavors and are used to using it for baked goods.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Make sure they're not expired.
Variations & substitutions
- Non-dairy: Use unsweetened almond milk.
- Flour: Use part white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour (very finely ground). The texture will not be as soft, especially with the latter.
- Flavor variations: Adding other spices or citrus will instantly change the flavor of these muffins. Apple pie spice, instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg, and orange zest are great variations.
- Swap in berries, like these blueberry oatmeal muffins.
How to make apple muffins with oats
I love this recipe because it's the old-fashioned way of making muffins: easy and fast, with no fancy equipment or gadgets, just a few mixing bowls, a spatula or whisk, and a muffin pan.
Oat mixture
Let the oats steep in the buttermilk. It's an easy step that takes a few minutes and makes a difference in texture.
The grain will absorb some of the liquid, and the muffins will have a creamier texture, but rustic at the same time, since the oats will be chewier but not mushy.
Oil, egg and vanilla
You can add them to the oat mixture directly and stir everything together, or lightly mix them in a separate bowl first. In both cases, don't beat; just whisk to integrate well.
Dry ingredients and apples
Sift the flour and spice mixture first in a separate bowl, or have them measured and sift them directly over the oat mixture. It will leave behind impurities, dissolve clumps and make folding easier.
The apple is chopped and you decide the size. I like small pieces that will meld into the oat crumb. Too large and they tend to fall off when you bite.
Prepare the pan
Use paper liners or grease the molds.
With the paper cups, only the muffin tops will be crusty because the bottom and sides will touch the paper. They're easier to transport.
Buttering the muffin tins creates muffins with crusty sides, bottom and top.
Baking apple oat muffins
Topping: a buttery oat crumble is added before baking, creating a fantastic crunchy top.
Preheated oven: This is necessary so the muffins rise well. If you forgot to turn it on and the batter is already in the muffin pan, leave it at room temperature while the oven reaches the desired temperature.
When are they done? Use the baking time as a guide and test for doneness by inserting a cake tester or toothpick in the center. It should come out clean; a few crumbs are fine, but no wet crumbs or batter.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy.
Apple Oatmeal Muffins with Crunchy Top
Ingredients
For the topping:
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup traditional rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the muffins:
- 1 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups traditional rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of allspice or nutmeg, optional
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup oil, I use sunflower
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped baking apple, see Notes below
Instructions
For the topping:
- Stir ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ cup traditional rolled oats, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small bowl until clumpy.
- Refrigerate while making the muffins.
For the apple oat muffins:
- Mix 1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add 1 ½ cups traditional rolled oats, and leave to hydrate while preparing the rest.
- Turn on the oven at 350°F (180ºC). Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Or butter and flour them if not using paper cups. Reserve.
- Sift 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of allspice or nutmeg (if using) into a large bowl.
- Add ½ cup light brown sugar to the oat mixture and stir to combine.
- Add ½ cup oil, 1 egg and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to the oat mixture, or whisk them together in a separate bowl first. Stir to combine without beating.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then 1 cup chopped baking apple and stir with a spatula until just combined. Don't be tempted to beat it or overmix it as it will result in tougher and less fluffy muffins.
- Fill the muffin tins or paper cups no more than ¾ full, dividing the mixture as evenly as possible.
- Sprinkle the reserved oat topping on top of the muffins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out dry. Let them cool on a wire rack.
- Store muffins that are left in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat briefly before eating. Or in the freezer for a month.
Kath_41 says
Excellent! I love how these muffins don't have a huge amount of sugar in them. I added more apples, made them twice already. They'll be a fall staple at our house now.