Best Gluten Free Apple Muffins

These gluten free apple muffins are soft, moist, and taste just like bakery-style muffins! They’re full of fall flavors, complete with cinnamon streusel on top.

These easy gluten free apple muffins taste just like the ones you get from a bakery. 

I know gluten-free baked goods are not always raved about, but I’m here to tell you from the get-go that these apple muffins are not dry at all!

Made with applesauce, they’re packed with the bright flavor of apples minus all the hard prep work. Your love for fall desserts will also be reciprocated once you smell and taste the warmth of cinnamon in these gluten-free apple muffins. 

And if you’re still not convinced that these are the best gluten free apple muffins, they’re also topped with sugar, spice, and everything nice AKA our sweet, buttery, brown sugar cinnamon streusel. 😋

What Are Gluten Free Apple Muffins?

Gluten free apple muffins are basically our favorite fall muffins with a gluten-free makeover. Why gluten-free, you ask?

People with medical conditions like celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity must consume a gluten-free diet. Some also follow this diet despite not having any medical condition because they claim it offers multiple health benefits and even weight loss.

But regardless of the reason, recipes like these easy gluten free apple muffins mean you don’t have to miss out on the apple treat just because you can’t eat gluten.

You also don’t have to settle for dry, bland muffins just to keep things gluten-free!

The batter for these gluten-free apple muffins is made with gluten-free ingredients like flour, baking powder, and baking soda. But the star ingredient? It’s applesauce! 

This means you don’t have to prepare apples, and you can make these muffins any time of the year.

You’ll get moist gluten free apple muffins that are full of sweet, warm fall flavors, perfect to be enjoyed for breakfast or snack.

Then, to further take it up a notch with very little effort, we also topped these apple muffins with crunchy, buttery cinnamon streusel!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Fall Flavors: The soft, moist muffin and melt-in-the-mouth crumble will surely get your apple cinnamon fix this fall. Anyone can enjoy the cozy flavors thanks to this gluten-free recipe!
• No Fancy Equipment And Ingredients: You don’t need to take out the stand mixer to make the simple batter for these gluten-free apple muffins. A quick trip to your pantry at home should also give you everything you’ll need to bake these muffins. 
• Perfect For Breakfast Or Tea Time: Celebrate apple season during breakfast, brunch, or tea time with these gluten-free muffins! They’re not sickly sweet but still indulgent enough to satisfy your dessert-loving taste buds. 

What Do Gluten-Free Apple Muffins Taste Like?

These are the best gluten free apple muffins if you’re looking for muffins that don’t taste like they’re gluten free. I know you understand what I mean; sometimes gluten-free baked goods fall short on taste and texture!

The applesauce does not only make these easy gluten free apple muffins perfectly moist, but it also adds the bright, sweet flavor of apples nicely. 

If you have extra apples this autumn, you can also include them in the batter to make the ultimate muffin for apple lovers. 😋

And finally, let’s not forget cinnamon and thank it for making our house smell incredible as these gluten free muffins bake.

It’s also highlighted beautifully in the buttery brown sugar topping, which gives a lovely crunchy contrast to the soft muffin. 

Are Apple Muffins Healthy?

Making these moist apple cinnamon muffins yourself is definitely healthier than buying them because you know what ingredients are used in the recipe. 

Keeping the apple muffin gluten-free also means everyone can enjoy it, even those with health conditions that require them to steer clear of gluten-containing foods!

And while I haven’t tried modifying this apple muffin recipe myself, some suggest swapping gluten-free all-purpose flour with gluten-free oat flour for a boost of fiber. 

If you also want to make the muffins lower in carbs and fats, consider using coconut sugar and chia eggs instead of refined sugar and chicken eggs.

What Are The Benefits Of This Easy Gluten Free Apple Muffins Recipe?

Learning how to make gluten-free apple muffins at home will inspire you to get creative and bake delicious treats even when you have to keep them gluten-free.

Because these gluten free muffins are as moist and delicious as the regular ones, your cravings for the fall-favorite muffin will surely be satisfied.

This basic recipe can readily welcome more warm spices, fresh apples, and other add-ins. You can even consider healthy substitutes to keep this recipe low-calorie or dairy-free!

Finally, because they store well, you can make a big batch of apple muffins. This way, they’re always ready whenever you want a pick-me-up full of comforting fall flavors with just the right sweetness. 😋

Ingredients For The Best Gluten Free Apple Muffins

Apple cinnamon muffins:

• Applesauce – Makes our gluten-free muffins moist and full of delicious apple flavor.
• Unsalted butter – Besides giving our apple muffins a rich taste, butter prevents them from getting too crumbly. I mean, who would want a muffin that falls apart?
• Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature for easier incorporation with the rest of the ingredients. 
• Granulated sugar – Tenderizes and, of course, sweetens the gluten free apple muffins.
• Salt – Dessert recipes like these fall-perfect muffins are best made with salt to offset their sweetness. 
• Vanilla extract – A must-have in desserts to add complexity to their flavor.
• Gluten-free all-purpose flour – For the perfect muffins, use high-quality gluten-free flour and don’t forget to measure it with a kitchen scale. Inaccurate measurements are a no-no in baking!
• Gluten-free baking powder – To help the flavorful muffins rise and look as good as those displayed in bakeshops. 
• Gluten-free baking soda – The secret to even browning in the oven!
• Ground cinnamon – Other warm spices will also be delicious with these apple muffins. 

Brown sugar crumb topping:

• Brown sugar – Offers a deep, caramel-like flavor, and it’s also our main ingredient for the crumb topping. 
• Granulated sugar – We’ll use two kinds of sugars to give our streusel a crispier texture. 
• Gluten-free all-purpose flour – Flour helps the ingredients for the crumble topping to blend into the perfect texture. 
• Ground cinnamon – We’ll also incorporate ground cinnamon in the streusel topping for the ultimate fall-flavored muffins!
• Unsalted butter – The best streusel is crisp, sweet, and, of course, buttery! 🤤

Tools Needed To Prepare The Best Gluten Free Apple Muffins

• Mixing bowls for combining the ingredients
• Whisk for mixing the batter
• Ice cream scoop for portioning the batter into the muffin cups
• Muffin tin for baking the apple muffins
• Cupcake liner for lining the muffin tin
• Kitchen scale for measuring the dry ingredients

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Apple Muffins Gluten Free Recipe

Dairy-free options

Did you know you can make these delicious gluten-free muffins dairy-free? Don’t worry; you still won’t miss out on flavor and texture, even with vegan butter and dairy-free milk!

Flax seeds

Missing the goodness of fiber from whole grains in this gluten-free apple muffin recipe? Just add ground flaxseed to the batter!

Dried fruits and nuts

If you’re big on texture like me, stir in dried fruits and nuts to the batter and make these gluten-free apple muffins extra special. I personally love raisins and chopped pecans. 😋

How To Make Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

For the apple cinnamon muffins:

• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking soda
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the brown sugar crumb topping:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Tools you need:

• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Ice cream scoop
• Muffin tin
• Cupcake liner
• Kitchen scale

Instructions:

STEP 1: Gather and measure the ingredients for your gluten free apple muffins.

STEP 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.

STEP 3: Combine the applesauce, melted butter, and eggs in a large bowl.

STEP 4: Stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.

STEP 5: Next, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.

STEP 6: Portion the apple muffin batter into the lined muffin tin.

STEP 7: For the brown sugar crumb topping, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, gluten-free flour, and cinnamon.

STEP 8: Stir in the melted butter to create a crumbly mixture.

STEP 9: Top each muffin with a tablespoon of brown sugar crumble.

STEP 10: Bake the apple muffins for 20 minutes or do the toothpick test to know if they’re done.

STEP 11: Allow the muffins to cool before serving. Enjoy!

What To Serve With Apple Muffins

Serve these apple muffins with maple syrup, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, yogurt, or fresh apple slices!

They’re not overly dense or sweet, so you won’t have a hard time coming up with delectable pairings for these gluten free apple muffins. 

A simple cup of tea or coffee is also perfect while cozying up with these cinnamon apple muffins. 

But since these are guaranteed to become your fall favorite, why not enjoy a piece with our pumpkin spice Vietnamese iced coffee? 

Or if you love the sweet-salty contrast of salted caramel, our indulgent salted caramel milkshake is simply heavenly in every sip. Ugh, just thinking about milkshakes and muffins is making my mouth water. 🤤

Tips About Making Gluten Free Apple Muffins

Here are a few tips to help you make apple muffins that look and taste so good you’ll keep a stash of applesauce in your kitchen cupboard!

• There are cooking practices you can do without much thought, but measuring dry ingredients for baked goods is not one of them. Always weigh them for accurate measurements, so invest in a kitchen scale!
• The secret to smooth, homogenous muffin batter is ensuring your ingredients are at room temperature. I also suggest using smooth applesauce and not the chunky type. 
• Do not overmix the brown sugar crumb topping. Just stir the ingredients with a fork so you don’t end up with a paste.

How To Store Gluten-Free Apple Muffins

• Fridge: You can keep your gluten free apple muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, but to keep them from drying out, consider freezing them instead. 
• Freezer: Wrap the apple muffins individually before storing them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Just note that since the streusel can get moist after defrosting, I suggest leaving this topping out. You can always just serve the warm muffins with apple chunks or cinnamon sugar topping.
• Reheating: Defrost the frozen apple muffins in their wrapper. To reheat, microwave them for a few seconds until warm. 

What Are The Best Apples For Baking Muffins?

Both Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples are delicious for baking muffins. Granny Smiths have some tartness to them, perfect for balancing the sweetness of classic muffins.

You might also love the sweetness of Honeycrisps, especially if you want the apple chunks to hold their shapes even after baking. 

But regardless of the type of apples you have this autumn season, you can transform them into toothsome recipes that will have you muttering, “You are awesome, right to the core!” 🍎

• Easy Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler Recipe – You can bake this outdoors!
• Fluffy Caramel Apple Pancakes – A breakfast apple treat as satisfying as a dessert.  

What Is The Best Flour For Muffins? 

You can’t go wrong with all-purpose flour for baking muffins because it will yield the perfect texture: not too soft and not too hard. 

What about cake flour? This works on muffins too! However, as you can expect from the name, cake flour muffins will be cake-like and fluffier than muffins baked with all-purpose flour.

FAQ About Apple Muffins

Conclusion

Looking for a quick breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert? Well, these gluten free apple muffins are guaranteed to become the apple of your eye!

They’re breaking the stereotype associated to gluten free baked goods because these muffins are delicious and perfectly moist.

You don’t even need fresh apples to make them because they use applesauce. But of course, you can always stir in fresh apple chunks to the basic batter. 😉

And for the perfect finishing touch, these soft apple muffins are topped with crisp brown sugar cinnamon streusel: a melt-in-your-mouth blend of buttery, sweet, and warm. 

Want more yummy treats? Check out the best apple recipes to crunch your way through fall, or bake these sweet goodies and channel the inner pastry chef in you: 

• Delicious Baked Pumpkin Donuts
• Best Peach Cupcakes Recipe
• Chewy Vanilla Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies Recipe
• Easy Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe
• Gluten-Free Lemon Bars