These easy Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins are the perfect simple bake to make this apple season. They are allergy friendly, a great recipe for beginners, and contain lots of fall flavor in every bite.
I was in the mood for a simple apple muffin with lots of cinnamon flavor and these delivered. Through my years of baking and developing gluten free recipes, sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. These gluten-free muffins aren't anything fancy, but they'll satisfy your cravings for fall flavors.
If you're not usually a fan of apple muffins or bread because of the apple chunks, these muffins will be your new best friend because we're using shredded apple to disperse the apple flavor and moisture throughout the muffin. This way the result is moist apple cinnamon muffins with tons of flavor in every bite!
Fall baking can get fancy with all the seasonal and holiday recipes. If everything looks delicious, but too intimidating to bake, then this recipe is for you. These delicious gluten free apple muffins are a beginner friendly baking recipe and perfect to make with kids.
Looking for more healthy muffin recipes? Try my Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins, Gluten Free Chocolate Walnut Muffins, or Paleo Cinnamon Roll Muffins.
Why You'll Love These Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Easy to make: like I said above, this is an easy recipe made with simple ingredients that's easy to whip up. Mix, scoop, bake.
- Allergy friendly: these gluten-free apple muffins are also dairy free and refined sugar free. Plus, they have no nuts or corn so you can feel good about sharing them with others or popping one in your kids lunchbox for snack.
- Healthy gluten free muffins: with no refined sugar and a fraction of the sugar normally adding to muffin recipes, you can feel good about eating these apple muffins for breakfast, snack, or dessert. They contain 2 full cups of apple for plenty of fiber and micronutrients and we use heart healthy olive oil instead of an inflammatory seed oils (like vegetable oil) for the fat.
Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffin Ingredients:
- Apple: you'll need a couple fresh apples for these muffins. I like to use a combination of apples- one green apple and one red variety (like Fuji or Honeycrisp apples) for the best mix of apple flavor. See FAQ for the easiest way to shred apples.
- Gluten free flour: be sure to use an all purpose gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum for best results. I've linked the King Arthur Gluten Free Flour, but I also like Bob's Red Mill.
- Tigernut flour: this is a nut free flour alternative to almond flour that is also gluten free. If you tolerate nuts, feel free to use almond flour.
- Eggs: you'll need 2 large eggs to keep these gluten free muffins fluffy and moist.
- Olive oil: using olive oil keeps these muffins light.
- Applesauce: be sure to use an applesauce without added sugar.
- Maple syrup: stick to pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract: I've linked my favorite aluminum and corn free baking powder.
How to Make Gluten Free Apple Muffins
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with muffin cups
- Add shredded apples to a paper towel or cheesecloth and gently squeeze once to remove just a little bit of the moisture. Don’t overdo it and don’t squeeze all the liquid out. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Sift all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Combine all wet ingredients together in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer or stand mixer until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine on low speed (with paddle attachment if available).
- Fold in the shredded apple.
- Divide muffin batter evenly among a lined muffin tin. you should get 12 muffins.
- Optional: sprinkle a coconut sugar and cinnamon mixture on the tops of the muffins before baking.
- Bake for 23-27 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs and the top of the muffins are golden.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan then remove muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Substitutions and Variations
- Flour: you can use almond flour instead of tigernut flour.
- Olive oil: olive oil is the best option but melted coconut oil or melted butter should work if needed. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
- Cinnamon flavor: if you love cinnamon, feel free to use cinnamon apple sauce or a cinnamon infused maple syrup for even more cinnamon flavor.
- Variations: feel free to add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter
How to Store Apple Muffins
Keep leftover muffins stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. These muffins also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Baking Tips for the Best Gluten Free Apple Muffins
- Don't over mix the batter: this is so important with gluten-free baking. If you over mix the batter, you end up with a dense or gummy texture instead of a light, chewy texture. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until there are a few flour streaks left. When you fold in the apples, that will fully incorporate everything.
- Don't over bake the muffins: gluten free baked goods can dry out fast. You'll know the muffins are done when you insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin and a few crumbs are on it. They will cook a bit more as they cool.
FAQ
I like to use a mix of Granny Smith apples and a red/pink variety. Anything from Fuji, Pink Lady, or Gala apples. Honestly whatever your favorite apple variety/varieties will work in this recipe.
Most people use a box grater, but that is a lot of unnecessary work. The quickest and easiest way to shred apples is in the food processor. Core and chop the apples into chunks then pulse in the food processor until shredded. Just don't overdo it as we don't want to end up with applesauce.
This is a personal preference. Most baking apple recipes call for peeling them first as the skin can be tough even after baking. BUT, the skin holds a lot of nutrients and since the apples are shredded in this recipe, you don't notice it as much.
I have not tested an egg free version of this recipe.
Other Apple Recipes
If you are looking for more apple recipes, then don't worry, I've got plenty of gluten free options for you!
Gluten Free Cinnamon Apple Bread
Apple Pie Cheesecake Cookies (gluten and dairy free)
Caramel Apple Crumble Cheesecake (gluten and dairy free)
Gluten Free Cinnamon Apple Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated apple (peeling them is optional) *about 2-3 apples
- 1 ½ cups 1:1 gluten free flour
- ½ cup tigernut flour or almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup olive oil*
- ½ cup applesauce**
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping (optional)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Peel apples if desired then chop and grate the apple (see FAQ above for easiest way to do this). Place shredded apple in a paper towel or cheesecloth and gently squeeze once to remove just a little bit of the moisture. Don’t overdo it and don’t squeeze all the liquid out. Set aside.
- Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl (flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon).
- Combine all wet ingredients together in a separate bowl (eggs, oil, applesauce, maple syrup) and beat until smooth with an electric mixer or stand mixer.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine on low (with paddle attachment if available) until there are a few flour streaks left.
- Fold in the shredded apple.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin tin. you should get 12 muffins. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar mixture if desired.
- Bake for 23-27 minutes, until a toothpick just comes out clean. Start checking at 23 minutes and don’t over bake!
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan then remove muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Aviva says
Made these for my boyfriend, and he loved them! He's mentioned them multiple times. So healthy and good! Also quite easy to make. I had to freeze them originally, and they defrosted well! Victoria makes such great recipes!!! (I also love her pot pie. So much!!!)
Victoria Faling says
Thank you, Aviva! I'm so glad he loved them!!