These apple oatmeal muffins are filled with diced fresh apple, hearty oats and warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a batch today and your kitchen will smell like fall!
These apple oatmeal muffins are an adaptation of my favorite Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins. Each bite of these wholesome muffins is filled with tender apple pieces, and cinnamon and nutmeg complement the fresh apple flavor. My kids were my taste testers for these apple muffins and I knew I had a winning recipe when they disappeared in record time!
The key to making the best oatmeal muffins is to soak the oats before adding them to the muffin batter. A quick soak in a mixture of milk and protein-rich Greek yogurt while you mix together the rest of the ingredients softens the oats and gives the baked muffins the best soft, tender texture.
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few notes about key ingredients with substitution options. Find the full ingredient list with measurements below.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Either full fat or low fat Greek yogurt will work. I use plain Greek yogurt, but if you want a bit of added sweetness you can use vanilla Greek yogurt.
- Milk: Whole milk, 2% milk or nondairy milk such as almond milk will all work.
- Oats: Be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats) for the best texture.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is best for these muffins. I sometimes make these with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose. The whole wheat flour makes them a bit heartier and denser.
- Apple: I leave the skin on and dice it fairly small.
What Kind of Apples are Best for Muffins?
I like to use a sweet-tart apple in these muffins, such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Jazz, Fuji or Golden Delicious. I share more about what apples are best for baking in my Apple Pie Recipe.
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Muffins
Soak the oats: In a medium bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, milk and oats. Set aside to soak for 10-15 minutes. You can prepare the rest of the batter while they soak.
Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Then add the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and whisk until very well combined.
Add the oat mixture, flour and apple: Using a rubber spatula, mix the oat mixture into the batter, followed by the flour and then diced apple. Mix gently until it’s just combined.
Scoop and bake: Scoop the batter into a greased muffin pan. Bake muffins for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Tips for the Best Apple Oatmeal Muffins
- For best results, use a kitchen scale and the weight measurements provided in the recipe card below to weigh your ingredients. This is a more accurate way to measure your ingredients than using cup measures, plus you’ll have less dirty dishes to wash.
- If you are measuring the flour using a measuring cup, use the spoon and level method: Fluff the flour in the container, then lightly spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. This method avoids packing in too much flour.
- Dice the apple up fairly finely so that the apple pieces soften easily in the oven. This also ensures that you get chunks of apple in every bite.
- You can bake this muffin batter as mini muffins in a mini muffin pan. You will get about 48 mini muffins and should bake them for 11-13 minutes at 375° F.
More Favorite Muffin Recipes
I think you’ll also love these muffin recipes:
- Apple Banana Muffins – Another apple muffin recipe, perfect for fall baking!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins – The best pumpkin muffin I’ve ever tried.
- Healthy Banana Muffins – My most popular muffin recipe!
- Zucchini Muffins – These soft, moist muffins are easy to make with fresh zucchini and either applesauce or mashed banana.
- Cranberry Orange Muffins – Fresh cranberries, orange juice and orange zest make these a seasonal favorite.
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Apple Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170g) plain Greek yogurt, I used full fat
- ½ cup (120mL) whole milk, or 2% milk
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour*
- 1 ½ cups (160g) diced fresh apple*, 1 large apple, I leave the skin on
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, milk and oats. Set aside to soak for 10-15 minutes.¾ cup (170g) plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup (120mL) whole milk, 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Whisk until very well combined.1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Add the oat mixture and use a rubber spatula to mix it into the other ingredients.
- Add the flour. Use a rubber spatula to mix until almost combined. Be careful to not overmix.1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour*
- Gently fold in the diced apple until just combined.1 ½ cups (160g) diced fresh apple*
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, dividing it evenly between the 12 wells. Bake muffins for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Bake mini muffins for 11-13 minutes.)
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Flour: You can substitute half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. The muffins will have a heartier texture and flavor if made with whole wheat flour.
- Apples: I like to use a sweet-tart apple in these muffins, such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Jazz, Fuji or Golden Delicious.
- To Store/Freeze: Muffins may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
