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Loaded with Apples and a sweet Crumble topping, you won’t believe these fluffy Apple Cinnamon Muffins are Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Refined Sugar-Free!
My mouth instantly starts to water when I think of Apple Cinnamon Muffins. I mean, that fluffy (apple-studded) muffin base combined with a crispy, crunchy Crumble topping? That’s pretty much a match made in heaven.
These Apple Cinnamon Muffins are all that….and have a healthier twist on them! My version is not only Vegan and Gluten-Free, but it’s also Refined Sugar-Free and made with simple, wholesome ingredients.
The muffin base itself is a simple combination of Oat Flour, Non-Dairy Milk, Coconut Sugar, and Applesauce. I opted to use Granny Smith Apples in my muffins because I don’t like my baked goods to be overly sweet, but you can use another variety if you’d like. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Gala apples would also be great here!
Oh, and we can’t forget about that Crumb topping, can we? I wanted to keep these muffins Oil-Free as well, so I decided to use a combination of Almond Flour, Maple Syrup, and Cinnamon for our crispy topping. It tastes just as yummy as the classic Buttter-and-Sugar combo, but keeps things a little more wholesome. I did something similar in my Blueberry Crumble Bars, and if you’re feeling dessert over (or with) breakfast, I highly suggest you check those out too 😉
These Apple Cinnamon Muffins aren’t as indulgent as your classic bakery muffin, but are just sweet enough to satisfy. I love to grab a couple of these in the morning for a grab-and-go breakfast, but I also love to heat them up if I have the extra time. Bonus points if you serve them with a side of fresh fruit and/or a dollop of nut butter!
A Few Final Thoughts:
- I strongly suggest you use Soy Milk for this recipe. It has the highest protein content of any non-dairy milk, which allows it to “curdle” with the Apple Cider Vinegar. No other milk will work in this way, so I cannot guarantee the same results with substitutions
- The batter makes around 15 regular sized muffins – if you have two muffin tins, I would suggest baking them at the same time to save time.
- The Crumb topping is optional, but highly recommended 😉
If you’re looking for more Vegan Muffin recipes, you’ll also love these Carrot Cake Muffins and these Chunky Monkey Muffins!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintApple Cinnamon Muffins
Loaded with Apples and a sweet Crumble topping, you won’t believe these fluffy Apple Cinnamon Muffins are Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Refined Sugar-Free!
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 23 Minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 15 Muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- 2 tbsp Ground Flax + 5 tbsp Water
- 1 cup Soy Milk + 1 tbsp ACV for buttermilk
- 3 cups Oats, blended into flour
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¾ cup Coconut Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 1/2 cup small Granny Smith Apples, cut into ½” pieces
For the Crumb Topping:
- 1 cup Blanched Almond Flour
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the Ground Flax and Water in one small bowl, and the Soy Milk and Apple Cider Vinegar in another medium bowl. Set aside and allow to thicken / curdle for 5 or so minutes.
- Combine the Oat Flour, Cinnamon, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt in a large bowl and whisk well. Add the Coconut Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Applesauce, and thickened Flax “Egg” to the bowl with the Soy Milk and mix until well-incorporated, then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine. Finally, fold in the diced Granny Smith Apples.
- Next, prepare the Crumb Topping by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Line or grease a muffin tin, then evenly divide the batter between 15 muffins. Sprinkle the crumb topping over each of the muffins, then bake at 350F for 23 minutes. Remove from the tray and let cool completely on a baking rack. Leftovers will last at room temperature for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to one month.
Notes
- Ground Flax can be replaced with Ground Chia Seed
- Soy Milk can be replaced with another non-dairy Milk, but it will not curdle in the same way due to the lack of protein content. If you must replace it, I would recommend using a high fat Coconut Milk or creamy Hemp Milk.
- Coconut Sugar can be replaced with Brown Sugar
- The Crumb topping can be left off of the muffins, but I strongly recommend it!
Keywords: Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Applesauce, Apple Muffins, Vegan Apple Muffins, Apple Crumble Muffins
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Also is almond milk able to be used instead of soy milk for the butter milk? Or is there any substitute beside soy milk
Sure! It should work just as well. Maybe slightly less thick but it’ll have the same effect.
Can I substitute the flax egg for a really egg?
It wouldn’t be vegan – but yes, one flax egg = an egg.
Love this recipe. I’ve made them several times and with a bunch of different substitutions and it never lets me down. Today I made them but in a doughnut pan as opposed to muffin tins. Had to watch them a bit more as I was guessing on the cook time but they turned out great. Love food that tastes good and makes you feel good!
★★★★★
That’s awesome! Little apple muffin doughnuts! Thanks so much!
I want to make these and am wondering if I could chop the apples up real fine that way the chunks aren’t so big. Do you think that would throw the recipe off by making it too moist? The hubby doesn’t care for apples much but I’d still like to incorporate them because I absolutely love them
If you go the smaller piece route I would just drain any excess moisture!
Hello! I’m about to make these and I’m wondering if I can sub the chopped apples for more applesauce? I’ve got loads of my grandmas applesauce on hand but would that be too moist? I left my apple sauce chunky so maybe it would work?? TIA
I made these with oat milk and half the sugar. I left off the crumb and they were a delicious breakfast muffin. My 1 year old twins also loved them for snack.
★★★★★
Oat milk is the best! So glad that your twins loved them!
going to put these in my rotation of muffin recipes omg so yummy :’)
★★★★★
Yay! So glad you liked them, thank you!
They are deliscious! Can they be frozen?
Sure! most bready items freeze well. Thank you!
If I only have oat flour, how many cups would I use? Still 3? Thanks!
It would be slightly less.. maybe 2 3/4 cups.
These look amazing! I was wondering if I could sub blueberries instead of apples and make blueberry muffins.
Yes, that should be fine 🙂
I just got around to making these today (totally forgot) and my muffins didn’t rise very much and the tops weren’t smooth domes, they were kind of lumpy. I subbed almond milk for soy milk, halved the amount of sugar, and used blueberries instead of apples. Made 12 muffins. What do you think the problem was?
It sounds like the removal of some of the sugar alongside the swap for blueberries may have thrown off the ratios a little too much. Did you compensate for the removal of the sugar in any way, add in more flour?
I really want to make this but live in Australia and can’t find blanched almond flour at my local stores. Can I use buckwheat or oat or all purpose flour to make the crumble instead?
Hi Annabel! That wouldn’t work, as the Almond Flour has fat in it that helps it to crisp up. You can pulse some Almonds in your Blender or Food Processor until they form a fine flour if you’d like!
I’m studying abroad in London so I’m without my blender and no one sells oat flour here. Subbed in 2 cups of whole-wheat flour & a cup of quick oats. Bit too dry think I should have used a bit less flour but they still taste amazing! Thank you for a feel good breakfast recipe!
You’re very welcome, Gretchen!
Most amazing muffins ever! I have made them twice. The second time I made it into a cake/ bread bc I did not feel like portioning them out. I cut the sugar by 1/4 cup and they were perfectly perfect 🙂 Keep the recipes coming!!
Thank you, Stephanie! I plan on it 🙂
I am just awestruck that the muffins are so easy to create! That crumble topping is exactly what dreams are made of. SERIOUSLY. I could sprinkle this crumble on top of oatmeal, baked fruit, sweet potatoes, and so much more. I cannot wait to try these muffins out!
I did not have any applesauce, so I used some mashed banan and that worked to!
These are amazing!! I only had Almond milk, but thankfully they still turned out. These are so moist and delicious!! Great job!!
★★★★★
Delicious and healthy! I didn’t have almond flour for the crumb so used garbanzo flour and turned out crumbly yum!
★★★★★
Good to know that that works too!
Delicious!! I added pecans as well, because I’m obsessed with pecans in baked goods. Thanks, Caitlin!
★★★★★
Sounds delicious!
OMG these are soooo good!!!
★★★★★
Thanks, Debbie!
3 cups of oats or 3 cups of oat flour?
3 cups of oats, blended into a flour will work