Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Recipe: Apple Cinnamon Muffins

These Apple Cinnamon Muffins are egg free, easy to bake, super delicious, aromatic and loaded with apple chunks. Though you can omit the topping of melted butter, sugar and cinnamon, I highly recommend that you use them. Makes these rustic  muffins perfectly buttery and flavourful.

Sharing Apple Cinnamon Muffins With The Group FoodieMonday/Bloghop Group

For our 192nd theme, Sasmita who blogs at First Timer Cook recommendedthe ‘ One Spice Ingredient ‘ theme. She suggested that we make any one spice the star of the recipe. A spice that the dish is incomplete without or one that adds the overall flavour. I was not going to participate as I was in Thailand for my niece’s wedding.

When One Spice Ingredient was chosen I knew immediately that I can participate for this theme as I had Apple Cinnamon Muffins ready in my draft file. Apple and Cinnamon go hand in hand, compliment each other.

I had first posted this recipe on 22/04/2019. Redid it on 21/09/2025 with better photos and write up.

A Bit More About Apple And Cinnamon

Apple and Cinnamon are undoubtedly the best combination when it comes to bakes, desserts and apple drinks. When I baked the muffins it was not to use up the apples or anything of that sort. You’ll probably laugh if I told you why I baked the muffins. I had run out of cinnamon and headed to my favourite Indian grocery store in Mombasa, Indian’a Spices. I saw these really long curled up cinnamon sticks. Usually we get the broken sticks but these were whole. I immediately bought the packet. On opening the packet, the cinnamon smelt heavenly. Immediately I thought of apples and cinnamon and thus this recipe.

When I baked these muffins with freshly ground cinnamon, the whole house smelt amazing. I truly believe that to get the best out of a spice, it is best to use them when they are fresh. Grind small batches of spices so that the aroma and flavour don’t disappear.

What Are Spices?

I think as bloggers we go crazy with spices and exotic food items. Every time I pass a fresh produce market or shops selling dried fruits, spices, nuts, hubby takes hold of my hand and pulls me towards another direction ever so fast. If it were up to me my suitcase would be full of these food items.

Spices are plant derived dried seeds, roots, barks, fruits, or other plant parts that are generally used to flavour, colour or preserve food and beverages. Herbs on the other hand are leaves, stems, and sometimes flowers of a plant. For example cinnamon is a bark, cardamom seeds and cloves dried flower buds.

My Choice Of Spice – Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice that is made from the inner bark of trees scientifically known as Cinnamomum. It has been used as an ingredient throughout history, dating back as far as Ancient Egypt. It use to be rare and valuable and was regarded as a gift fit for kings. Branches of these trees are cut and the outer bark is removed. It is then beaten repeatedly to remove the inner bark. The inner barks come out as thin rolls called quills. These are dried and sold. The main flavor of the cinnamon spice is from essential oil and principal component, cinnamaldehyde. Nowadays, cinnamon is widely used in bakes, desserts, spice mixtures, drinks and local authentic dishes.

Did You That There Are Four Types Of Cinnamon?

Cinnamon Zeylanicum

Also known as Ceylon Cinnamon, True Cinnamon, Mexican Cinnamon or Cinnamomum Verum. Its mainly grown in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean. The trees grow up to 32 to 49 feet high. It tastes mildly sweet and is light to medium reddish brown in colour.It has low coumarin levels and is quite expensive.

Cinnamon Burmanni

Goes by the  names Korintje Cinnamon, Padang Cassia, Indonesian cinnamon. It is mainly grown in Indonesia. The tree grows to a height of 22ft. It has a spicy dark reddish brown bark. Not too expensive and it has high coumarin levels.

Cinnamomum Loureiroi

Additionally  known as Saigon cinnamon, Vietnamese cassia, Vietnamese cinnamon. Found mainly in Vietnam it tastes spicy sweet and is dark reddish brown.It has high oil content. It has high coumarin levels.

Cinnamomum Aromaticum

Known as Cassia Cinnamon or Chinese Cinnamon. It mainly grows in China, with the tree height being 32-49 feet high. It has a spicy bitter taste, is dark reddish in colour and not expensive.

Many people are consuming cinnamon either with hot honey and lemon water, sprinkled in oats and cereals or used in dishes. If you consume cinnamon on a daily basis then for health reasons its best to buy the one with low coumarin levels. Too much coumarin is not good for health.