These soft, fluffy, and delicious Vegan and Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins are the perfect breakfast or snack! They're made with better-for-you ingredients found anywhere and just one bowl. This is a family-friendly recipe that can be enjoyed all year long. Everyone in your home will love them and no one will guess they're both vegan and gluten-free!
Vegan & Gluten-Free Apple Muffin Ingredients
- Butter: To keep these gluten-free apple muffins non-dairy, we use melted vegan butter in the batter. This makes the muffins super moist and tender. If you are not vegan or dairy-free, feel free to use regular butter.
- Milk: To ensure these vegan apple muffins are vegan-friendly, we use unsweetened almond or oat milk in the batter. If you are not vegan, regular milk will work.
- Maple Syrup: We use maple syrup as our natural sweetener in our muffins. This gives the apple muffins a warm and maple flavor that pairs perfectly with the cinnamon. Be sure to use 100% pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
- Vanilla Extract: For added flavor.
- Applesauce: Applesauce is what gives us the apple flavor in these delicious muffins. We recommend using plain and unsweetened applesauce.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon pairs perfectly with the apple and maple flavors in these gluten-free apple muffins.
- Flax Eggs: To bind our batter together, we use a mixture of flax seed meal and warm water to create 'flax eggs'. How to make flax eggs is explained below. If you are not vegan or egg-free, feel free to use a single regular egg in this recipe.
- Baking Powder: Essential for creating that nice fluffy muffin top.
- Oat Flour: Instead of all purpose flour, we use oat flour. Oat flour is made from finely ground oats. It is naturally gluten-free and has a rich flavor that is so delicious in these gluten-free muffins. If you are gluten-sensitive or intolerant, be sure to check the label on your oat flour to make sure it's made in a certified gluten-free facility. Here is a brand of oat flour that I use and trust!
- Oats: To make these vegan apple muffins even healthier and more filling, we use quick oats in the batter. Don't worry, you won't even notice they're there!
How To Make Vegan & Gluten-Free Apple Muffins
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. I like to lightly spray my paper liners with non-stick baking spray to help the muffins not stick to the liners.
Step 2: Next, prepare the flax eggs by mixing the flax seed meal and warm water together in a small bowl. Let it sit for 2 minutes until a thick gel forms.
Step 3: In a separate and larger mixing bowl, mix the melted vegan butter, almond or oat milk, maple syrup, flax eggs, vanilla, applesauce, cinnamon, and baking powder together. Then, add the oats and oat flour and mix until a batter forms. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin wells (about ⅔ full) and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Step 4: You will know the muffins are done when they are golden on the tops. Enjoy warm spread with a little vegan butter, nut butter, or let them cool to enjoy as a snack later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Try some of these apple muffin mix-ins: crushed walnuts, small peeled or unpeeled apple slices, dried cranberries or raisins.
We recommend storing these in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-5 days. Refrigeration can be drying for baked goods so if you need longer storage, we recommend freezing them. You may reheat in the microwave before serving.
I haven't tried to swap the oat flour out for regular flour in these apple muffins, but I'd imagine it would work by using 1-2 to ¾ cup of regular flour rather than the 1 ¼ cup of oat flour.
If you're not a fan of apples or applesauce, I recommend trying these Oatmeal Banana Muffins instead!
More Vegan & Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
- Blueberry Muffins
Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Equipment
- small mixing bowl
- Large Mixing Bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- whisk or fork for mixing
- paper muffin liners
- muffin tin
Ingredients
Vegan Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter
- ½ cup unsweetened almond or oat milk
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon flax seed meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ cup oat flour
- ½ cup quick oats
Instructions
Vegan Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Preheat oven to 350
- Prepare your flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 2 tablespoon of warm water. Set Aside.
- In one bowl, mix together your melted vegan butter, almond or oat milk, maple syrup, vanilla, applesauce, cinnamon, baking powder, and flax egg (in that order)
- Mix in oat flour and quick oats until completely mixed
- Pour batter into 8-9 lined and sprayed (with baking spray) muffin cups. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Henna says
These are so delicious! I was looking for a recipe to use up some leftover apple sauce I had, and this was the perfect one! I love simple yet nutritious recipes like this one!
Jillian Glenn says
Hi Henna, I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed them 🙂
Bobbi says
Can the flax egg be replaced an egg?
Jillian says
Hi there, I haven't tried it but I think a single egg should work well in this recipe!
Jenny says
Hi!
Just made these today and they are delicious!!! Can they be stored at room temp or should I put them in the fridge?
Thank you! Can’t wait to make more of your recipes.
Jillian says
Hi Jenny, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the apple cinnamon muffins! Thank you for trying my recipe! I tend to store them at room temp because the fridge can be drying!