These gluten-free apple muffins come out light, fluffy, and full of juicy apple chunks in every bite. The warm spice and tender crumb make them perfect for breakfast, snacking, or packing into lunchboxes. Best of all, they’re quick to make and just as delicious with dairy-free ingredients, so everyone can enjoy them.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
Mornings can be hectic in the Fearless Dining household, so I wanted to create a recipe that was easy to eat on the go. These gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins are the perfect fit for us because you don’t need any utensils! Just grab one, and we can hit the road. I love that these are also dairy-free!
If you wonder which gluten-free flour blend to use for gluten-free muffins, I tested four easy-to-find gluten-free flour blends. If you are an apple fanatic like me, you will want to check out my delicious gluten-free apple recipes!
Ingredient Notes and Easy Swaps:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Both flour blends worked well. I recommend letting the batter rest to eliminate any grittiness.
- DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend – My homemade gluten-free flour blend works really well in this recipe. My blend is also gum-free.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon. Read Why Binders are Necessary in Gluten-Free Baking to learn more.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Coconut Oil – You can also use canola or avocado oil if you are not dairy-free
- Non-Dairy Milk – I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk because it is too thick.
- Eggs – Use large eggs.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation vanilla.
- Apples – I typically used: Fuji, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady. I often use a combination of apples depending on what is in our refrigerator.
One reader told me she successfully made these muffins egg-free by using Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer in my recipe. If you love apples as much as we do, check out this delicious Gluten-Free French Apple Cakes recipe.
Easy Swaps:
- Add nuts like walnuts, almonds, or even macadamia nuts
- Mix in raisins or raisins.
- White or dark chocolate chips
- Make a brown sugar crumb topping. If you want a streusel topping, use the topping recipe from my Gluten-Free Coffee Cake recipe!
How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Muffins (Step-By-Step)
For dome tops, preheat the oven to 425º F. For regular muffin tops, preheat the oven to 350º F. Use the bake setting and not the convection setting for a more even bake.
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients, including the flour, sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, to a large
Step 2: Chop your apple into small pieces. Add the wet ingredients to a medium bowl, including the egg, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, oil, and diced apples. Diced apples are best because they blend into every bite. Mix well.
🔑 Sandi says: I like to leave my peels on the apples, but you can peel the apples if you prefer.
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently.
Step 4: This is what your apple muffin batter will look like. If your batter is thicker, add more milk. Some gluten-free flour blends are starchy and require more liquid than others.
Step 5: Put muffin liners into a muffin tin and fill each about 3/4 full for regular tops and full for dome tops. I prefer using parchment paper muffin liners because the muffins don’t stick to them. Optional: top each muffin with a sprinkle of coarse sugar.
🔑 Sandi says: One of my favorite muffin baking tips is that if you want your muffins to have a domed top, bake them at 425º F for the first 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350º F.
Step 6: For dome tops, bake at 425ºF for the first 5 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350ºF without opening the oven door. Bake for 20 additional minutes. For regular muffins, bake the muffins at 350ºF for 25 minutes.
To see if the gluten free cinnamon apple muffins are done baking, insert a toothpick into the center of the muffin. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the muffins must be baked longer. The muffin tops will have a pale golden brown color.
Step 7: Carefully remove the muffins from the oven to a cooling rack. I do this with a butter knife. I slip it alongside the muffin and then gently lift it out of the pan.
Need help with your muffins? I have a great gluten-free muffin troubleshooting guide, and here are my favorite tools for making muffins.
Tips For Success
1. For best results, do NOT overmix your muffin batter. Mix it until it is just barely mixed. Do not use a standing mixer or food processor in this recipe; your muffins will turn out dense.
2. Use parchment paper muffin liners. The muffins won’t stick to them, which means more bites of yummy muffins for you to eat!
Frequently Asked Questions:
No, peeling is optional. I leave the peels on the apples for added fiber.
Yes, I have a reader who said Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer worked great to make these gluten-free muffins egg-free.
These muffins will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Yes, you can freeze these apple cinnamon muffins. The best way to freeze them is to individually wrap them in plastic or a freezer bag. Once they are all packaged separately, please put them in a larger airtight container. This will keep them fresher and prevent freezer burn. You can place them on the counter to thaw until they are ready to eat.
They turned out great! Awesome recipe!
Whitney L., Pinterest User
More Gluten-Free Recipes:
- These Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes make a great birthday or bake sale treat.
- Everyone loves this sweet Gluten-Free Banana Muffins recipe. Just grab some over-ripe bananas!
- My Gluten-Free Honey Cake recipe has been getting rave reviews!
- Easy Gluten-Free Orange Marmalade Muffins. They are also oil-free!
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Fluffy Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup butter or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup thinly sliced apples
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Set the oven rack to the middle position. Note if you want dome tops, see the Notes below for specific directions.
- In a large bowl, add 2 cups gluten free flour blend, 1 cup cane sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon sea salt. Use a wire whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add ⅓ cup butter or coconut oil, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, 1 cup non-dairy milk, and whisk. If the coconut oil is hard, melt it in the microwave oven for 20 seconds. Add ½ cup thinly sliced apples.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix. (See Notes below)
- Place liners into the muffin tin and fill each cup about 3/4 full of muffin batter.
- Bake the gluten-free apple muffins for 25 minutes until done. Check at the 20 minute mark by inserting a toothpick into the top of a muffin. If the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are ready.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend (gum-free) in this recipe. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the muffins need to be baked longer.
- The secret to light and fluffy muffins is to barely mix the batter. If you overmix the batter, your muffins will be denser.
- If you want your muffins to have a domed style top, bake at 425º F for the first 5-8 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350º.
- These muffins will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an older January 2020 post with more detailed instructions.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Hi Sandi
Can I use honey instead of the sugar for this recipe?
Hi Ruth, I haven’t tested using honey. Given it is a liquid, you will need to reduce the liquids to compensate for the honey.
These muffins were delicious! I doubled the recipe and made the muffins huge. They were so moist and delicious. I even forgot to add the vanilla and they were still flavourful. Lol
I’m loving your recipes. I made carrot cake cupcakes today.
I am so glad you loved them. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
Muffins came really nice and fluffy. Can I use something else instead of non dairy milk
Hi Carmen, I am so glad you liked them. You can easily use regular milk if you are not dairy-free.