Cinnamon Sugar Apple Spice Muffins (3 Ingredient Recipe) are the easiest and most delicious muffins! Perfect for fall, they combine a box cake mix with two other ingredients and come together in less than 30 minutes! What can be better?!
With summer winding down and school beginning, everyone is searching for simple recipes. These Cinnamon Apple Muffins are the answer to your breakfast woes. They are soft, full of fall flavor and healthy. You won’t feel guilty at all giving your kiddo one of these as they walk to the bus stop.
Looking for another make ahead breakfast? Try this Toasted Coconut Granola. Put on top of Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and you have a high protein and delicious breakfast. Or, make this Peach Baked Oatmeal (without bananas). Make it on a Sunday and serve slices of baked oatmeal all week for breakfast. If you need a delicious fall drink, try this Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte!
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Apple Muffin Details
Flavor: These muffins taste like fall! The box of spice cake mix gives warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. The apples makes these muffins a sweet treat!
Time: Including bake time, these muffins come together in 30 minutes.
Level of Difficulty: Easy! If you can work a stand mixer and a food processor, you can make these muffins!
Ingredients & Substitutions
With just 3 simple ingredients and an optional cinnamon sugar topping, head to the store now!
- Spice Cake Mix: I use the Betty Crocker ‘Super Moist’ box mix. However, I would recommend using a spice cake mix instead of a yellow or white cake mix as the spice cake mix has the spices that compliment the apples.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: For extra flavor, use cinnamon applesauce.
- Apple Pie Filling: This gives the muffins their sweet apple flavor.
- Cinnamon Sugar Topping: Optional. This topping gives the apple muffins a little more sweetness and the mixtures acts as ‘icing on the cake!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Place the apple pie filling in a food processor and finely chop the apples to form a fruit puree.
Step 2: Add the spice cake mix, apple pie filling, and applesauce to a stand mixer. Mix for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl once, until all ingredients are fully combined.
Step 3: Place 1/3 cup of muffin batter into muffin cups (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20 minutes.
Step 4 (Optional): While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops into cinnamon sugar.
Variations
- To make a weight watchers apple pie muffin, use chopped apples in place of apple pie filling. Chop 1 large apple and add directly into the muffin mix. Mix slowly to incorporate ingredients.
- Make these muffins a dessert by adding cream cheese frosting.
- Save time and bake these muffins in a 9×13 or bundt pan.
- To add a little ‘extra’ to the muffins, add chocolate chips! This is my secret to getting my toddlers to eat anything!
Equipment
No fancy equipment here!
- Food Processor: If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the apple pieces from the apple pie filling. You also can keep the apple pieces whole.
- Stand Mixer: You could use a large mixing bowl and mix by hand.
- Muffin Pan: You could also use a mini muffin tin or 9×13 pan. Just don’t forget to adjust the cooking times.
- Muffin Liners
Storage
Store muffins refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. I like to reheat my muffin in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before enjoying.
Top tip
If pureeing the apple pie filling in the food processor, scrape the sides a few times to make sure that all apples are chopped. Whole apples can get stuck on the sides or bottom of the food processor.
FAQ
If choosing to use apples instead of apple pie filling, I like to use gala apples, granny smith apples or honeycrisp apples. Crisp apples are great to use because they keep their texture while baking. Core, peel and dice apple up before mixing with the dry ingredients.
Serve these healthy apple muffins warm with a smear of apple butter for a quick breakfast. I also like to enjoy mine with a bowl of greek yogurt and add the muffin into the yogurt. Apple muffins make a great addition to a breakfast board or brunch spread.
I recommend using muffin liners with these Cinnamon Sugar Apple Muffins. The apple pie filling makes these muffins heavy. Using the liner makes sure that the sides and bottom of the muffin do not stick to the pan.
Related
Looking for other simple breakfast recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite morning drinks to pair with Cinnamon Sugar Apple Muffins!
Cinnamon Sugar Apple Spice Muffins (3 Ingredient Recipe)
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Stand Mixer or Large Mixing Bowl
- Muffin Pan
- Muffin Liners
Ingredients
- 1 Spice Box Cake Mix
- 1 1/2 cups Apple Pie Filling
- 1 cup Applesauce
- Cinnamon Sugar Optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners and spray with cooking spray.
- Add Apple Pie Filling to a food processor. Run on high for 1 minute to form an apple puree.
- Add the spice cake mix, apple pie filling and applesauce to a stand mixer. Mix for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl once, until all ingredients are fully combined.
- Place 1/3 cup of muffin batter into muffin cups (about 3/4 full).
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center of a muffin clean. Let cool in pan for 2 minutes.
- Optional, while muffins are still warm, place cinnamon sugar topping into a small bowl. Dip the tops of each muffin into cinnamon sugar mixture. Let cool on a wire rack.
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