These Healthy Apple Muffins are the perfect Fall breakfast, treat, or snack. Made with only real food ingredients, they are gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free, but have all the warm and comforting flavors of the season! This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill. As always, all opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Confessions of a Fit Foodie possible.
Healthy Apple Muffins
I took a quick poll on social recently asking which is the favorite Fall flavor: pumpkin or apple.
And you know what?
I was shocked by how many apple fans are out there. I hear so much about everyone’s love for all things pumpkin, but wow…many of you want more apple recipes and I am here for it! To be fair, I am here for all the recipes and all the flavors, but anywho – let’s get on with the show and talk about these unbelievably yummy apple muffins! 😍
Muffin recipes are super popular on the blog – we have Healthy Banana Oatmeal Blender Muffins, Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins, Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins and now these healthy gluten free apple muffins are joining the club! My kids LOVED these muffins and I can’t wait for you all to try them!
Dry Ingredients for Healthy Apple Muffins:
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1 Baking Flour: I used my favorite baking flour in these muffins so they are safe for my gluten free kiddo, and I know I can trust the texture to be spot on perfect. After trying many gluten free flours, Bob’s is the brand I go back to again and again.
- Cinnamon: because apples + cinnamon are everything I love about Fall.
- Pumpkin pie spice: this is optional, but I love the little extra pop of flavor it brings to these muffins.
- Baking soda and baking powder: I use both to get that perfect rise. Tip: be sure you replace these every few months for best results when baking.
- Salt: to help bring out the sweetness in the muffins.
- Raw sugar (with an optional dash of cinnamon): a tiny bit of raw sugar added to the tops of these muffins elevate them oh-so-much…think store bought bakery style according to my daughter (this is sadly her highest compliment 😂). I also added a dash of cinnamon for apple cider donut vibes 😍.
And of course you need Apples!
I used my favorite Honey Crisp apples, cut into small chunks…I love getting a little bite of apple in my muffins – like a mini burst of apple pie. If you have picky kiddos, you can grate your apples into fine pieces, but both my daughter and I prefer the chunks!
Tip: If you ever added fruit to your muffins and it sank to the bottom, mix your fruit into and coat with the dry ingredients first, instead of folding your fruit into the batter. It will definitely help those chunks stay put!
Wet Ingredients for Healthy Apple Muffins
Here’s whatcha need to add to that flour mixture:
- Oil: you can use melted coconut oil, avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil in this recipe.
- Maple syrup: I prefer maple syrup to honey in my baked goods, but it can be swapped in a pinch.
- Pure vanilla extract: a muffin ingredient staple!
- Eggs: I haven’t tried it, but I think flax eggs could work if you are looking for a vegan option.
- Unsweetened applesauce: feel free to use homemade or store bought – they both work great.
How to Make Healthy Apple Muffins
- Preheat oven to 425 and prep your muffin tin with liners – I LOVE the parchment kind because you know nothing is gonna stick.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix up those wet ingredients.
- In a larger mixing bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Fold apples into dry mixture and coat evenly. Stir wet ingredients into the dry and incorporate well.
- Divide muffin batter into prepared cupcake tins. Sprinkle tops of muffins with raw sugar.
- Cook for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Inhale!
What kind of Apples are best for baking?
Any apples will do in this recipe, but I would look for a sweet, firm apple like:
- Honey Crisp
- Fuji
- Gala
- Pink Lady
Can I freeze these Gluten Free Apple muffins?
Yes! I highly recommend you make a double batch of these muffins and freeze some for when the cravings strike, or when you need a quick breakfast. Just freeze in a air tight container, stasher bag, or ziplock bag, then thaw on the counter or in the fridge. You can also thaw in the microwave if you can’t wait!
What kind of flour can I sub for gluten free flour?
If you aren’t gluten-free, you can sub Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour in this recipe with a perfect 1:1 swap. These muffins also works great with Oat Flour, which will add extra fiber, too!
More Yummy + Healthy Apple Recipes for Fall –
Instant Pot Apple Crisp | Gluten-free Apple Crisp
Caramel Apple Dip | Caramel Apple Nachos
Gluten Free Stuffing with Sausage + Apple
Instant Pot Apple Butter | The Foodie and The Fix
Thank you Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post. It means so much to me to work with brands that I love and use in my kitchen every day!
Healthy Apple Muffins [Gluten Free + Dairy Free]
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil (I used avocado oil)
- ½ cup maple syrup ⅓ cup for WW
- 2 eggs room temp
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ¾ cup of Bob’s red mill 1-1 gluten free baking flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice can sub all spice or omit
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups finely diced apples ¼ inch chunks or less no need to peel - I LOVE honeycrisp for these
- 12 parchment liners
- 1 T raw sugar with optional dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. Line a 12 space muffin tin with parchment liners.
- In a medium sized bowl, beat oil and maple syrup together, then beat in eggs. Add in applesauce and vanilla and set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Fold apples into dry mixture and coat evenly. Stir wet ingredients into the dry and incorporate well.
- Divide muffin batter into prepared cupcake tins. Sprinkle tops of muffins with raw sugar.
- Cook for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
Carrie says
I made those yesterday and ate TWO before I even knew what I was doing!! Needless to say, someone didn’t get to have a tortilla for taco night last night! 😉 I had to eat my taco as a salad cuz I chose to eat my “tortilla” in the form of apple muffins! They’re AMAZING and it was SO worth it!! NancyLynn, you always fill my heart and tummy with so much joy!
Nancylynn says
Awww, I love this, Carrie! Thanks for trying these and taking the time to write such a great review 💕💕💕💕
Sarah says
I made these with whole wheat flour and they turned out great! I did need to bake them for about 20 minutes to get the centers cooked, but totally worth it!
Nancylynn says
Great info, thank you!! So glad you loved them!
Sara says
These were so simple to make and absolutely delicious!
Nancylynn says
You made my day, Sara! Thank you for rating and reviewing! 💕💕💕
Rachel says
These are soo delicious!! My son and I just devoured a couple!! Looking forward to breakfast all week!!
Nancylynn says
Woohoo! It’s easy to sneak a couple right out of the oven – been there! lol!
Michelle says
Absolutely love this recipe, I used whole wheat flour and topped with some chopped nuts,so delicious! Thanks
Nancylynn says
AHH thank you!