• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Zest for Baking

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Bagels
    • Biscuits
    • Bread Machine
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Donuts
    • Frostings
    • Muffins
    • Pancakes
    • Quick Bread
    • Rolls
    • Sandwich Bread
    • Scones
    • Snacks
    • Gluten Free Side Dishes
    • Waffles
    • Yeast Breads
  • Resources
    • Baking Tips
    • Gluten Free Flours
    • Using Substitutes
  • About
    • Contact
    • Get 15 Free Gluten Free Bread Recipes!
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
  • Classes & Books
×

Delicious Apple Quinoa Muffins

By Christine June 24, 2013 Updated May 27, 2020 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Quinoa… in a muffin? Yes and yes! You won’t believe how tasty these apple quinoa muffins are! They’re hearty, lightly spiced and incredibly delicious plus they’re packed with good-for-you ingredients without being heavy.

apple quinoa muffins baked on a wire rack

If you are a quinoa fan (and even if you’re not), you need these muffins in your life!

They’re the heartiest, most stick to your ribs muffins ever. And yet they’re so tender and easy to eat. Chock full of quinoa and chopped apples, plus sweet agave nectar, there is nothing boring about these muffins.

Plus it’s a great way to get this seed superfood into your picky eaters (aka almost every toddler out there). Disguised with natural sweetener and chopped apples, they’ll never suspect they’re healthy!

What type of quinoa is best for this recipe?

The quinoa used in the recipe is this Organic Quinoa. It’s certified organic and gluten free – which not all quinoa is. Check the label to make sure it’s gluten free. This is not the quick cooking variety, but it won't take long to cook.

How do you prepare quinoa?

Preparing quinoa takes nothing more than a saucepan and a timer. This recipe needs 1  ¼ cups of cooked quinoa so a heaping ½ cup of uncooked quinoa should come out to 1 ¼ cups cooked. If you have any left over, it won’t be much. Take the quinoa and add it to a medium saucepan and add a cup and a couple extra Tablespoons of water to the pan. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to low to simmer for about 20 minutes.

When almost all of the water is absorbed (or the 20-minute mark), remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

Can I make mini muffins out of these?

apple quinoa muffins on a wire baking rack

Yes! These quinoa muffins make excellent mini muffins – just chop the apples a bit smaller and portion the batter into 3 mini muffin tins. Bake at 350 F for about 10 – 15 minutes. Love mini muffins? Also check out these flourless mini muffins!

Can I substitute some other sweetener?

Agave nectar is fabulous in the recipe but maple syrup is very close and can be used as a substitute with no differences. Honey is also a possibility but not one that’s been tested in the recipe.

What about adding something different, like berries or carrots or dried fruit?

Chopped apples are amazing in the recipe, but if you’d like to change things up, go for it! Dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, even apricots taste delicious too. If the pieces are any bigger than a dried cranberry, chop them into smaller bits.

How do I store these quinoa muffins and how long do they last?

After they’re baked and cooled, store the muffins sealed in a plastic bag on the counter. Any longer than 2 days and you’ll need to stick them in the freezer for longer storage.

Tips for Making Apple Quinoa Muffins

The ingredients

apple quinoa muffins ingredients on a white counter

Start the quinoa cooking in a medium saucepan while getting out the rest of the ingredients. It’s hands-off time for the quinoa so the milk will have time to come to room temperature (which is important for gluten free baking). Chop up the apples or other fruits and portion out the rest of the flours and ingredients.

Mixing the wet ingredients

apple quinoa muffins liquid in a glass bowl
apple quinoa muffins batter in a glass bowl

No mixer needed for this recipe! But you’ll want to be sure to mix the flaxseed and milk in a bowl first and let it sit for a minute before adding in the rest of the liquid ingredients.

Sifting the dry ingredients

apple quinoa muffins sifting

The easiest way to sift these dry ingredients is to place a sifter over a large bowl and add the ingredients directly to it. So add the gluten free flour blend, almond flour, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon. Then just sift them all together.

Folding in the quinoa and apples

apple quinoa muffins batter with apples in it

After adding the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, gently stir in the quinoa and chopped apples with a rubber spatula.

Pro tip: The batter will be thin, so it will be more stirring than folding.

Baking

apple quinoa muffins in a muffin tin

After letting the batter sit for 10 minutes, then it's time to fill up your muffin tin - fill each cup almost to the top with batter. Then pop the muffin tin into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when you test the middle muffin.

Let’s bake some tasty apple quinoa muffins!

apple quinoa muffins baked sitting on a serving plate

Delicious Apple Quinoa Muffins

You won’t believe how tasty these apple quinoa muffins are! They’re hearty, lightly spiced and incredibly delicious plus they’re packed with delicious ingredients without being heavy.
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, bread, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free muffins, gluten free recipes, quinoa recipes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 142kcal
Author: Christine

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup agave nectar
  • ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 175 g. gluten free flour mix about 1 ¼ cups
  • 25 g. almond flour about ¼ cup
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 ¼ cups cooked quinoa
  • ½ cup finely chopped apples

Instructions

  • In a medium size bowl, whisk together the almond milk and ground flaxseed. Allow the mixture to sit for 1 minute.
    apple quinoa muffins liquid in a glass bowl
  • Add oil, agave nectar and vanilla and whisk until mixed.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour mix, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
    apple quinoa muffins sifting
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just incorporated.
    apple quinoa muffins batter in a glass bowl
  • Gently fold in the cooked quinoa and the apples and mix until only the large lumps are gone.
    apple quinoa muffins batter with apples in it
  • Let batter sit for about 10 minutes before filling the pan.
    apple quinoa muffins batter in a glass bowl
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin.
    apple quinoa muffins in a muffin tin
  • Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
    apple quinoa muffins on a wire baking rack

Notes

  • Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
  • The recipe can be used for mini muffins - just portion batter into 3 mini muffin tins and reduce bake time to 10-15 minutes.
  • Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before filling up the muffin cups.
 
Did you make this recipe?Tag @zest_for_baking and use the hashtag #zestforbaking!

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

Here's more tasty gluten free baking recipes to check out:

  • Step by Step to the Best Gluten Free English Muffins
  • Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
  • Amazing Gluten Free Banana Cake
  • Soft Gluten Free Breadsticks
  • Perfect Rice Flour Pancakes
  • Amazing Gluten Free White Bread (Without Xanthan Gum)
  • Cassava Flour Tortillas

Filed Under: Muffins

Reader Interactions

Previous Post Guar Gum vs Xanthan Gum: Which One Should You Use?
Next Post Canary Seeds: the Newest Item to Enter the Gluten-free Market

Comments

  1. Debbie

    May 27, 2020 at 10:25 am

    Can you sub another kind of flour for the almond flour? This recipe sounds delicious but I have nut allergies

    Reply
    • Christine

      May 27, 2020 at 1:29 pm

      Hi Debbie,

      Sure - so oat flour would be a close second to the almond flour. Here's a chart that might help explain why oat flour https://zestforbaking.com/guide-to-gluten-free-flour-substitutes

      ~Christine

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Christine, a gluten free baker living in sunny Texas! Zest for Baking is where you'll find gluten free (and dairy free) recipes, tips for substituting ingredients and help navigating the world of gluten free baking.

Gluten Free Baking Help

brown rice flour in a measuring cup.

Top 5 Brown Rice Flour Substitutes

collection of baked goods pics

Best Gluten Free Baking Recipes of 2021

spoon up close of sour cream

Ingredient Question: Is Sour Cream Gluten Free?

up close shot of xanthan gum in a spoon

Is Xanthan Gum a Substitute for Baking Powder?

jar of gluten free flour

How Long Does Flour Last? {Storage Tips & Signs of Spoilage}

bowl of sorghum flour on a wooden board

5 Reasons Why You'll Love Baking with Sorghum Flour

Start Here

New to Gluten Free?

Gluten Free Recipes

Spring Baking!

4 stacked oat flour brownies on a white plate

Oat Flour Brownies

up close stack of cookies

Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

side shot of bite of pie

Gluten Free Apple Pie {Dairy Free}

up close shot of apple crisp

Gluten Free Apple Crisp {Dairy Free}

side shot of a bite of pie

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie {Dairy Free}

side shot of an unfilled pie

Easy Gluten Free Pie Crust {Dairy Free}

More Baking Recipes

Reader's Favorite Roll Recipes

inside of a cinnamon roll on a white plate

Gluten Free No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

gluten free cinnamon rolls on a white plate

Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls: Extra Fluffy & Extra Easy

gluten free yeast rolls ready in under an hour sliced on a plate

Gluten Free Yeast Rolls in Under an Hour

gluten free potato rolls after baking, sitting in a pan

Gluten Free Potato Rolls

Gluten free crescent rolls sitting in a basket

Buttery Gluten Free Crescent Rolls

gluten free hot cross buns on a cookie sheet

Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns (With Dairy Free Option)

More Roll Recipes

Footer

↑ back to top

Featured On

About

Since 2013, Christine has been creating delicious gluten free baking recipes that no one would guess are actually gluten free. Her Zest For Baking recipes have been featured on 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!

Favorites

  • Flaky Buttery Gluten Free Biscuits
  • Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Artisan Bread
  • The Best Gluten Free English Muffins

Copyright © 2022 | Zest For Baking | Privacy Policy 

  • 83