These gluten free apple muffins are the perfect fall breakfast or snack to eat year round. With a cinnamon swirl ribbon and chunks of apple inside, these moist muffins kind of remind me of apple fritters (only not fried, of course). They are perfect for a quick breakfast and so easy to make. They got my picky son’s seal of approval, so you know they must be delish!
Apple are so versatile, there are just a ton of ways to enjoy them. If you love all things apple, I recommend you try my gluten free apple crumble or my easy gluten free apple bread, both are filled with fresh apples and warm fall spices.
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Why you'll love these gluten-free apple muffins
- It's filled with fall flavor but they're great any time of year.
- They make the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack.
- No mixer required.
- This easy recipe is gluten free and dairy free!
Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Flour – for almost all of my recipes, I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour Blend. You can use your own favorite flour blend but keep in mind this recipe was developed with BRM, so your final product may be slightly different. For best results, weigh your flour. And if you're using another flour blend, make sure it contains xanthan gum .
- White & Brown Sugar – White sugar for the muffin and light brown sugar for the cinnamon swirl.
- Baking Powder – A little bit of baking powder helps the muffins grow nice tall muffin tops.
- Oil – I typically use olive oil, but vegetable oil, coconut oil or any light flavored cooking oil will do. You could also use melted butter for a richer flavor.
- Egg – Just one large egg to hold everything together.
- Vanilla Extract – Just a hint of vanilla to sweeten the flavor.
- Milk – I usually use unsweetened coconut milk (the kind in the carton) in my baking recipes. Any non-dairy milk will work fine. If you're not looking for a dairy-free option, use regular milk in the same measure.
- Cinnamon & Apple Pie Spice – You can’t have cinnamon swirl without cinnamon.
- Apple – Just one diced apple, preferably Granny Smith apples or another good baking variety.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Not Dairy Free - use dairy milk in the same measure.
- Make it Vegan - Replace the single egg with 3 tablespoons of applesauce. The muffins will be a little denser, but have a nice apple flavor.
- Add a streusel topping -Use the recipe from my delicious gluten free blueberry muffins for streusel to sprinkle on top of each muffin.
How to make gluten free apple muffins
The key to getting those amazing muffin tops like you see in a bakery comes from the mixing method. I always use what is known as the “muffin method” for my recipes. Make sure to line your muffin tin with parchment paper muffin liners to prevent sticking.
STEP 1: Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside.
STEP 2: Combine the gluten free flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and apple pie spice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well mixed.
STEP 3: Crack the egg into a small bowl. Whisk until it's frothy, like soap bubbles.
STEP 4: Add the oil, vanilla and milk to the beaten egg. Mix until smooth.
STEP 5: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold together with a spatula, about 10 strokes.
STEP 6: Add the chopped apples to the partially mixed batter. Fold together about 5 more strokes until it's evenly mixed.
STEP 7: Fill each muffin cup about half full with the apple muffin batter.
STEP 8: Top each half filled muffin with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Then fill each muffin cup with a second portion of batter and top the muffins with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake.
Baking Tip
To check for done: gently poke the top center of one muffing with a finger. If it springs right back it is baked through. If it leaves an indentation, bake another 2-3 minutes and recheck.
Storage
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Muffins will last up to 3 days.
Reheat individual for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave prior to serving.
These muffins can also be frozen. Simply place leftover, cooled muffins in a freezer bag and try to remove as much of the extra air as possible. Muffins can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature or reheat before serving.
Recipe FAQs
First, mix the batter just until it’s combined.
Second, fill the muffin cups right to the top.
Third, bake in a hot oven. This causes the tops to grow tall just like you see in a bakery.
No. Use parchment paper liner cups in your muffin pan instead of greasing. Greasing actually makes the sides slick so the batter has nothing to hold on to as it grows. Using paper lines let the muffins grow tall and keeps the clean up easy.
Granny Smith are usually the preferred variety for baking because they do not become too soft after being cooked. However, I really like the sweetness of golden varieties.
More gluten-free muffins to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Easy Gluten Free Apple Muffins
Ingredients
For the cinnamon swirl
- 2 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
For the apple muffins
- 1 Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Apple Pie Spice
- 6 Tablespoon Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 3 Tablespoon Oil
- ⅓ Cup Non Dairy Milk regular milk will work too
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Cup Apple finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line 6 muffin cups with paper liners.
- Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.2 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
- In a large bowl, combine the gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, apple pie spice and sugar. Whisk together until well mixed.1 Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Apple Pie Spice, 6 Tablespoon Sugar
- In a second smaller bowl, crack your egg. Whisk until it's frothy, like soap bubbles.1 Egg
- Add the oil, milk and vanilla to your whisked egg. Whisk a little more until the mixture is smooth.3 Tablespoon Oil, ⅓ Cup Non Dairy Milk, ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together with a spatula, about 10 strokes.
- Add the diced apple and fold about 5 more times until it's evenly distributed.1 Cup Apple
- Scoop about 2 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. It should be less than half full. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar over the batter. Scoop the remaining batter on top of the cinnamon. The cups will be almost filled to the top. You can sprinkle the tops with any remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Let the batter sit about 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes in preheated oven. Check for done-ness by gently poking the top of a muffin. If it springs right back, the muffins are done. If the indention stays, bake another 2 minutes and check again.
- Remove muffins from the tin within 10 minutes of the end of baking to avoid wet bottoms from the condensation in the pan as it cools.
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
Alex says
Hi Tiffany:
Can I make these jumbo-size muffins?
How would this change the baking time?
Thank you.
You can certainly make these jumbo if you want. A jumbo muffin is about equal to 2 1/2 regular sized muffins, so you might want to increase the servings in the recipe card. Otherwise you'll only end up with 2-3 jumbo muffins. I would start by adding 5 minutes to the bake time, then check them by poking the top to see if they are cooked through. The top should spring right back when they are ready. If it leaves an indent where you poked, add another 2 minutes and check them again.
Raffelina meier says
This looks delicious
Could I use a one cup of apple pie filling to make these GF muffins
I haven't ever tried that, but I bet it will taste delicious. You might try filling the muffin cups about halfway then topping with a little bit of apple pie filling and putting the rest of the muffin batter on top. Sometimes if you swirl something sweet into muffin batter it makes a mess when baking. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Alex says
Hi Tiffany:
Can I use ground ginger instead of the apple pie spice?
How much?
thank you.
I think that would give you a really strong ginger flavor. Apple pie spice is combination of spices, the majority is cinnamon. So if you're looking for an easy swap, I would go for cinnamon.
Alex says
Hi Tiffany:
I cannot have cinnamon.
Can you suggest something I can use in place of the apple pie spice?
Or, can I leave it out?
Thank you.
Apple pie spice is usually made of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cardamom. You might just add a little of each of the other ingredients, since cinnamon is usually the majority of the mix.
Teresa says
I have never made GF muffins, and was a little skeptical but these were delicious! I did half white sugar and half coconut sugar since my husband is diabetic in order to avoid spiking his sugar too much. Both my kids loved them and asked for more. Thank you!
I'm so glad you liked them!