• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Zest for Baking
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Membership
  • Classes & Books
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Resources
  • Classes & Books
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Resources
    • Classes & Books
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • How to Substitute Eggs for Applesauce in Baking & Cooking
    • wooden bowl of quinoa
      10 Best Quinoa Substitutes for Cooking, Baking, and More
    • glass bowl of tahini running off a spoon
      Is Tahini Gluten Free? What You Need to Know
    • stack of cassava flour pancakes on a plate
      Cassava Flour Pancakes: Gluten-Free
    • measuring cup of sorghum flour
      Best Sorghum Flour Substitutes for Gluten-Free Baking
    • small glass bowl of agave syrup
      Best Agave Syrup Alternatives for Gluten-Free Baking
    • spoonful of baked bread pudding
      Easy & Delicious Gluten Free Bread Pudding Recipe
    • white bowl with gluten free pudding
      Homemade Gluten Free Chocolate Pudding Recipe
    • glass bowl with flax seed
      Best Flax Seed Substitutes for Gluten-Free Baking
    • chia seed and ground chia seeds on a cutting board
      8 Best Chia Seed Alternatives for Gluten-Free Recipes
    • bowl of millet flour
      Is Millet Gluten Free? How to Use This Ancient Grain
    • plate of gluten free halloween cookies
      Gluten Free Witches Finger Halloween Cookies
    Home » Recipes » Muffins

    Gluten Free Apple Muffin Recipe: Easy & Healthy

    Published: Feb 5, 2020 · Modified: Sep 14, 2023 by Christine · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Kick off your day with this gluten free apple muffin recipe! These warm, fresh from the oven gluten-free apple muffins also make a delicious afternoon snack that everyone will love. And with scrumptious little bits of fresh apples and sprinkles of cinnamon, they’re a perfectly spiced treat everyone will look forward to! Plus there's NO SUGAR ADDED!

    gluten free apple muffins on a serving plate

    Hungry for more gluten-free apple recipes? Check out this gluten free apple pie, this gluten-free apple cobbler, this gluten free apple cake, and this gluten-free apple crisp!

    Jump to:
    • 🍎Gluten-Free Apple Muffin Recipe at a a Glance
    • Ingredients & Substitutions in These Healthy Apple Muffins
    • How to Make this Gluten Free Apple Muffin Recipe
    • Storing Gluten-Free Apple Muffins
    • Pro Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Muffins
    • FAQs About this Perfect Fall Breakfast Muffin
    • More Gluten Free Resources
    • Recipe

    🍎Gluten-Free Apple Muffin Recipe at a a Glance

    Apple muffins that are dairy free, gluten-free AND refined sugar free... and they still taste good? How is that possible?! I promise you any doubts about sugar-free baked goods tasting ‘weird’ or ‘funny’ will melt away after tasting these gluten-free muffins. They are undeniably delicious with a distinct 'apple cinnamon muffin' flavor and use a sugar substitute that isn’t overly sweet.

    For best results, use Granny Smith apples, but during apple season you may have a bigger variety of apples to choose from. In that case, Gala apples, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples are also great options.

    Ingredients & Substitutions in These Healthy Apple Muffins

    gluten free apple muffins ingredients on the counter

    This simple ingredients list for these moist muffins includes:

    • Gluten-Free Flour Blend: This recipe has been tested with the gluten-free flour mix found here. Make sure your flour mix contains xanthan gum. If it does not it will need to be added (see item below). I would not recommend substituting different flours and starches like almond flour or coconut flour as this recipe has not been developed with them.
    • Xanthan Gum: Only add this if your flour mixture does not contain it already.
    • Baking Powder: There is no substitute for the baking powder (find out more about baking powder and gluten-free baking here).
    • Salt: The salt may be reduced or omitted if you are following a low salt diet.
    • Cinnamon: There is no substitute for the cinnamon.
    • Nutmeg: There is no substitute for the nutmeg.
    • Swerve Brown Sugar: Swerve brown sugar can be found here, but instead of Swerve, regular brown sugar or coconut sugar may be used.
    • Almond Milk: Make sure to use unsweetened almond milk. Feel free to use any dairy free milk, including coconut milk or oat milk. Regular dairy milk may be used also.
    • Vegetable Oil: As a substitute for the vegetable oil, melted coconut oil, canola oil or melted butter may be used. A lighter oil like olive oil has not been tested.
    • Egg: A large eggs was used in the recipe. An egg substitute like flax eggs or chia eggs may be used.
    • Chopped Apples: A variety of apples will work in this recipe - my favorite are Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp apples, Pink Lady, and gala apples. It's best to use chopped apples, rather than just apple slices.

    Exact measurements and instructions for making these gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins are in the recipe card below.

    How to Make this Gluten Free Apple Muffin Recipe

    gluten free apple muffins flour mix

    Step One: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients - gluten free flour mix, xanthan gum (if needed, see note in Ingredients section above), baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and Swerve.

    gluten free apple muffins wet ingredients in a glass bowl

    Step Two: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients - almond milk, vegetable oil, and egg.

    gluten free apple muffins mixed in a glass bowl

    Step Three: Stir the muffin batter until combined. Then add ¾ of the peeled, sliced and chopped apple. Set the batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.

    gluten free apple muffins portioned in a muffin tin

    Step Four: Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup or a large spoon and spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle a few leftover apple chunks on top each muffin cup.

    gluten free apple muffins in a muffin tin

    Step Five: Bake these muffins at 375 F for about 25 minutes. Serve warm from the oven!

    Storing Gluten-Free Apple Muffins

    These muffins store well in a well sealed airtight container on the counter for a day. They freeze really well too, so any longer than a day and just place your air-tight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Pro Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Muffins

    1. Room Temperature Ingredients

    Just like in these carrot muffins, these gluten free crepes and this gluten free French bread, room temperature ingredients are a must for gluten free baking. Warm ingredients tend to blend together better than cold ingredients so allow time to take the chill off eggs and milk beforehand.

    2. Measure by Weight

    On most of my recipes, you’ll see a weight measurement and a cup measurement for the dry ingredients. That’s because most of the time, weight measurement is a more accurate way of measuring flour than cup measurement. The reason has to do with all the different kinds of flours that are available. While I buy most of my flours from Nuts.com, Bob’s Red Mill also carries those flours and 1 cup of Bob’s Red Mill white rice flour could actually be 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Nuts.com white rice flour. Weight is a true measurement of how much flour you really need in the recipe.

    A kitchen scale is a low cost solution to the measurement problem. This one from Amazon is an excellent scale and will become an indispensable kitchen tool!

    3. Grated Apple vs. Chopped Apple

    The key to these delicious gluten free apple muffins is nice, big chunks of apples. All they need is a quick peel and then dice these beauties up. Chopped apples maintain a bit more texture when these muffins are baked. Grated apple tends to turn into apple sauce which results in a completely different texture.

    4. What Kind of Apples to Use?

    Wondering what apples are the best for these muffins, and baking in general? My favorite apples for baking are not the typical sweet apples, they are the Granny Smith variety. It’s what I recommend for this recipe and for my apple bread recipe too. They’re firm enough that they hold their shape when baked and they’re super tasty too.

    Look for Granny Smith or even Pink Lady in the grocery store. Granny Smith are the green ones that are super tart if you bite into them. They bake really well and don’t get mushy like others can.

    5. Helpful Tools

    These gluten free apple muffins need just a few convenient items from your baking toolkit:

    • A large bowl – These muffins are just a one bowl prep, so just one large bowl is all you need.
    • A sturdy spoon – I love these spoons!
    • A whisk – A good whisk allows the dry ingredients to fully incorporate.
    • A 12-cup muffin tin – These pans are excellent for baking muffins in – highly recommend them!
    • Muffin scoop (optional) – While you don’t necessarily need a muffin scoop, it makes filling muffin cups a whole lot easier!
    gluten free apple muffins in a baking tin

    FAQs About this Perfect Fall Breakfast Muffin

    What about a crumb topping on these muffins?

    These muffins don't need a crumb topping! Crumb toppings are great for some muffins like these banana oatmeal muffins but in the true spirit of keeping them refine sugar free, no crumb topping is needed.

    Are apple muffins healthy?

    Not all apple muffin recipe are healthy, but these are - being sugar free and low salt and higher in fiber and potassium makes them a winner in healthy muffin recipes.

    How do I use Swerve sweetener?

    If you’re new to Swerve, you are in for a treat. It’s a cup for cup sweetener that functions just like brown sugar or white sugar in recipes. The only real difference I notice is when taken right from the bag, it’s sweeter than brown or white sugar would be. But once it’s baked, there is no difference! Find Swerve here.

    More Gluten Free Resources

    • clear bowl of cornmeal on a counter
      Can You Substitute Cornmeal for Flour? 7 Flour Alternatives
    • bowl of vanilla extract on a white counter.
      Top 10 Brands of Gluten Free Vanilla Extract
    • agar agar powder in a bowl with a measuring spoon nearby
      Top 10 Agar Agar Substitutes for Cooking & Baking
    • brown bowl of coconut sugar.
      21 Best Coconut Sugar Substitutes and How to Use Them

    Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review and star rating rating below! And make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook too!

    Recipe

    gluten free apple muffins on a serving plate

    Gluten Free Apple Muffin Recipe: Easy & Healthy

    Start your morning off right with this gluten free apple muffin recipe! They're dairy-free and refined sugar free too, but you'd never know it!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, bread, Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Low Salt
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Rest time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 muffins
    Calories: 181kcal
    Author: Christine

    Ingredients

    • 325 grams gluten free flour blend about 2 ½ cups
    • 3 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ¾ cup Swerve brown sugar firmly packed
    • 1 cup almond milk
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 large egg lightly beaten
    • 1 medium Granny Smith apple peeled and coarsely chopped

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, combine the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and Swerve. Mix with a wire whisk.
    • Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the almond milk, oil and egg. Using a sturdy spoon, stir the mixture just until combined.
    • Carefully fold ¾ of the apple chunks into muffin batter.
    • Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin. Set aside.
    • Preheat oven to 375 F.
    • Using a large spoon and spatula or muffin scoop, drop the batter into the prepared pan.
    • Add the remaining apple chunks to the top of each muffin.
    • Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
    • Let the baked muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer each one to a wire rack to cool.

    Video

    Notes

    • Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients.
    • Fold in the apple chunks with a rubber spatula.
    • Fill the muffin cups almost to the top.
    • Enjoy these muffins warm from the oven or wait until cooled.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @zest_for_baking or tag #zestforbaking!

    More delicious gluten free quick bread recipes:

    • Heart Healthy Gluten Free Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
    • Gluten Free Potato Rolls
    • Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes
    • Quick Gluten Free Cranberry Bread
    • The Best Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer

      February 06, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      Would it be possible to get recipes for gluten free items that are more than just a regular recipe with "gluten free flour blend" as a substitution? I'm not trying to be snarky, it is just very frustrating.

      Reply
      • Christine

        February 06, 2020 at 8:04 pm

        Hi Jennifer,

        Thanks for asking, but I'm not sure what you mean. I have over 200 recipes and some use my flour blend, some use a combination of flours, some don't use any flour at all. These biscuits for example, https://zestforbaking.com/flaky-buttery-gluten-free-biscuits-recipe are a-mazing and use my flour blend too.

        If you're looking for something in particular, let me know, I'm happy to help!

        ~Christine

        Reply
    2. Lynne

      February 10, 2020 at 9:35 am

      Can I use almond flour?

      Reply
      • Christine

        February 11, 2020 at 1:02 pm

        Hi Lynne,

        Thanks for asking - I haven't tested the recipe with just almond flour though. The flour mix has starches in it too. So I can't say for certain how the results will be. But if you do try it, let me know how they turn out.

        ~Christine

        Reply
    3. Loisyeager

      May 20, 2022 at 3:41 pm

      Is there no xantham gum in the Apple muffins?

      Reply
      • Christine

        May 23, 2022 at 9:45 am

        Hi!

        Right, no xanthan gum!

        Christine

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Christine Brady.

    Hi, I'm Christine, a gluten free baker and baking problem-solver. I love baking breads and sharing best practices so that everyone can bake tasty treats too. Zest For Baking (est. 2013) is where you'll find gluten free (and dairy free) recipes, tips for substituting ingredients, and help navigating the world of gluten free baking.

    More about me →


    Spring Baking

    • inside of a cinnamon roll
      Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls Recipe: Soft & Extra Fluffy

    • gluten free easter bread on a wire rack, overhead shot.
      Traditional Gluten Free Easter Bread

    • basket of gluten free dairy free rolls up close.
      The Best Gluten Free Dairy Free Dinner Rolls: Soft & Easy

    • gluten free hot cross buns on a cookie sheet
      Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns (With Dairy Free Option)

    • slice of gluten free carrot cake on a white plate.
      Gluten Free Carrot Cake: Light, Tender, Crowd-Pleaser

    • king cake sitting on a brown plate, overhead shot.
      Easy Gluten Free King Cake

    More Spring Baking


    2nd Edition! How to Substitute Eggs, Gluten Free Flours, Gums, and Dairy in Gluten Free Baking

    how to substitute ebook cover
    Check it out!

    Gluten Free Baking Help

    • small glass bowl of apple cider vinegar
      10 Best Apple Cider Vinegar Substitutes in Baking

    • cup of coconut flour
      Best 10 Coconut Flour Substitutes

    • wooden bowl of xanthan gum with a spoon
      Xanthan Gum vs Cornstarch: Which One Should You Use?

    • jar of baking soda on a table.
      6 Best Baking Soda Substitutes & How to Use Them

    • glass bowl of corn flour on a counter.
      12 Best Corn Flour Substitutes and How to Use Them

    • hand holding teaspoon of psyllium husk powder.
      6 Best Substitutes for Psyllium Husk Powder

    More Baking Help

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Featured On

    About


    Since 2013, Christine has been helping readers with gluten free baking challenges and substitution issues, all while creating delicious gluten free baking recipes that no one would guess are actually gluten free. Her Zest For Baking recipes have been featured on Beyond Celiac, The Daily Meal, Bloglovin' and Dr. Axe, to name a few. When she's not hanging out on Facebook or sharing pictures on Instagram or pinning on Pinterest, you can find her in her kitchen, creating more ZestForBaking.com recipes!

    Browse


    • Start Here
    • Guide to Gluten Free Flour Substitutes
    • Alternatives to Xanthan Gum & Guar Gum
    • Gluten Free Oat Flour Substitutes
    • Gluten Free White Bread Recipe
    • Soft Gluten Free Breadsticks
    • Gluten Free Dairy Free Dinner Rolls
    • Millet Flour Biscuits
    • Gluten Free Baking Masterclass
    • Classes & Products

    Information


    About

    Contact

    Privacy

    Terms of Use

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2025 | Zest For Baking | Privacy Policy 

    As an Amazon Associate, Zest For Baking earns fees when you click on links within our articles and make qualifying purchases.

    • 96

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.