Soft & Moist Apple Cinnamon Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Delicious Gluten-Free Apple Muffins – Perfect for the Fall Season!

There’s something about the smell of apples and cinnamon baking that instantly says fall.

And these moist homemade apple cinnamon muffins are the perfect sweet snack for the fall season.

With a soft and fluffy texture, and studded with cubes of fresh apples, these delicious apple muffins definitely don’t taste gluten-free and dairy-free at all!

I recommend baking a big batch (or two) during the weekend, and these muffins can double as a quick breakfast on the go, or an afternoon snack when the kids are back from school!

Why This Recipe Works:

• Simple Ingredients: The main ingredients required for this gluten-free apple muffins recipe are easily accessible at the local grocery store (nothing fancy required!).
• Easy to Bake: Preparing the batter for these gluten free apple muffins is easy and all you need is to fold the apple chunks into the batter and bake!
• Totally Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: The best part is that these delicious healthy apple muffins are 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances can enjoy them without issues.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for these gluten-free dairy-free apple muffins.

(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Recipe Notes + Substitutions:

• Lemon Zest: For the best flavor, make sure to grate your lemon zest just before using it.
• Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. However, you may also use another vegetable oil (such as olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, etc). You can also use melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use melted butter or ghee if you prefer.
• Sugars: I used a mix of both white sugar and light brown sugar, but you can also use cane sugar, dark brown sugar, or coconut sugar. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
• Eggs: Eggs are essential in binding the ingredients together. I personally have not tested this recipe without eggs, so I don’t know how that would turn out. However, if you are allergic to eggs, you can try replacing the eggs with acquafaba or an egg-replacer. (If you do make this recipe without eggs, please let me know how it goes in the comments below, I’d love to hear!)
• Lemon Juice: I prefer freshly squeezed lemon juice, but you can also use bottled lemon juice if you don’t have fresh lemons.
• Almond Milk: I like using an unsweetened version of my homemade almond milk. However, you can also use another type of non-dairy milk (such as cashew milk, rice milk, tigernut milk, oat milk or coconut milk).
• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, or corn starch), which will ensure a lighter final texture. I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend with heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour).
• Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the substitute for gluten in gluten-free flours, and helps to better bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not already include it, make sure to add it in.
• Ground Cinnamon: I like adding a pinch of ground cinnamon for added fall flavor, as cinnamon complements the apples well.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent used in this gf apple muffins recipe, and helps the muffin batter rise. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.
• Fresh Apples: I used cubed apples, but you can easily substitute them with grated apples instead. See below for types of apples to use.

How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Muffins (Dairy-Free):

Beat Oil, Sugar and Zest: In a large bowl, combine the sunflower oil, white sugar, light brown sugar and lemon zest and beat well.

Add Eggs, Juice and Milk: Add the eggs, lemon juice, and milk to the bowl and whisk for one minute until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add Dry Ingredients to Wet: Sift the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (if using), salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until just combined to get a homogeneous pale yellow batter (the batter will be thick so you will have to spoon it instead of pour it).

Fold Cubed Apples into Batter: Gently fold 3/4 cup of the fresh cubed apples into the muffin batter until the cubed apples are evenly distributed.

Transfer Batter to Muffin Pan & Top with Remaining Apples: Spoon approximately 1/3 cup of the batter into each of the 12 cavities of the muffin pan (make sure the pan is either greased or lined with paper muffin liners). Evenly top the muffin batter with the remaining 3/4 cup cubed apples.

Bake Until Golden: Bake batter for approximately 40 minutes in the preheated oven at 350F (175C) on the middle rack until the muffins are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven once ready. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them and letting them cool totally on a wire cooling rack.

Troubleshooting: Why Are my Gluten-Free Muffins Dense or Dry?

• If Muffins are Dense or Gummy:
  • Spoon & Level Off: Make sure that you’re spooning your gluten-free flour blend into the measuring cup and leveling it off, instead of scooping the flour (scooping the flour packs in extra flour and weighs down the batter).
    
  • Don’t Overmix: Once the flour has been added to the batter, don’t overmix the mixture. Simply mix until no dry streaks below, because the batter can turn gummy if beaten too long.
    
• If Muffins are Dry or Crumbly:
  • Add More Liquid: Depending on the gluten-free flour blend used (and the composition of the different gf flours), your batter may absorb more or less liquid. If you notice that the batter is noticeably thicker than standard muffin batter, add a tablespoon of dairy-free milk or water at a time until the batter loosens slightly.
    
  • Don’t Overbake: Gluten-free muffins may sometimes look slightly undercooked on top even if they are fully baked inside. Test their doneness a couple of minutes before the stated bake time is up by poking the middle of the muffin with a toothpick (the toothpick should come out clean with few crumbs).

Recipe FAQs:

Other Gluten-Free Apple Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

• Applesauce Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Homemade Apple Pie Filling (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Easy Apple Crumble (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Moist Apple Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Gluten-Free Muffins to Bake:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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Gluten-Free Apple Muffins (Dairy-Free)

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Felicia Lim
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Moist and delicious, these gluten-free apple muffins are filled with fresh apple chunks in a tender fluffy batter. They make a great breakfast, snack or dessert, especially during the fall season. Totally dairy-free too!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 cup sunflower oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, beaten
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free flour blend already includes it)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cubed apples (I like granny smith apples)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Preheat and Grease: Preheat the oven to 350F and adjust the oven rack to the center position. Grease a 12-cup regular muffin pan with oil or non-stick cooking spray and line with white muffin paper liners.
2. Prepare Zest and Juice: Grate the lemons to get the lemon zest and squeeze the juice, removing any seeds.
3. Beat Oil, Sugar and Zest: In a large bowl, combine the sunflower oil, white sugar, light brown sugar and lemon zest and beat well.
4. Add Eggs, Juice and Milk: Add the eggs, lemon juice, and milk to the bowl and whisk for one minute until the mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Combine Dry Ingredients: Sift the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (if using), salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
6. Add Dry Ingredients to Wet: Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until just combined to get a homogeneous pale yellow batter (the batter will be thick so you will have to spoon it instead of pour it).
7. Fold Cubed Apples into Batter: Gently fold 3/4 cup of the fresh cubed apples into the muffin batter until the cubed apples are evenly distributed.
8. Transfer Batter to Muffin Pan: Spoon approximately 1/3 cup of the batter into each of the 12 cavities of the muffin pan.
9. Top with Remaining Apples: Evenly top the muffin batter with the remaining 3/4 cup cubed apples.
10. Bake: Bake batter for approximately 40 minutes until the muffins are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven once ready.
11. Let Cool Completely: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them and letting them cool totally on a wire cooling rack.

Notes

Lemon Zest: For the best flavor, make sure to grate your lemon zest just before using it.

Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. However, you may also use another vegetable oil (such as olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, etc). You can also use melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use melted butter or ghee if you prefer.

Sugars: I used a mix of both white sugar and light brown sugar, but you can also use cane sugar, dark brown sugar, or coconut sugar. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).

Eggs: Eggs are essential in binding the ingredients together. I personally have not tested this recipe without eggs, so I don’t know how that would turn out. However, if you are allergic to eggs, you can try replacing the eggs with acquafaba or an egg-replacer. (If you do make this recipe without eggs, please let me know how it goes in the comments below, I’d love to hear!)

Lemon Juice: I prefer freshly squeezed lemon juice, but you can also use bottled lemon juice if you don’t have fresh lemons.

Almond Milk: I like using an unsweetened version of my homemade almond milk. However, you can also use another type of non-dairy milk (such as cashew milk, rice milk, tigernut milk, oat milk or coconut milk).

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, or corn starch), which will ensure a lighter final texture. I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend with heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour).

Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the substitute for gluten in gluten-free flours, and helps to better bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not already include it, make sure to add it in.

Ground Cinnamon: I like adding a pinch of ground cinnamon for added fall flavor, as cinnamon complements the apples well.

Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent used in this gf apple muffins recipe, and helps the muffin batter rise. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.

Apples: I used green Granny Smith apples, but you can use other types of tart green apples that you enjoy. Or, if you prefer sweeter apples instead of tart ones, go ahead and use red apples instead.

Storing: To store, place these gluten-free dairy-free apple muffins in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap the apple muffins individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Let the muffins thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven and eating.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Category: Muffins
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American