BEST Maple Glazed Gluten Free Apple Muffin Recipe
My crave-worthy gluten-free apple muffin recipe with an oat & cinnamon crumble and white chocolate maple glaze. Made with apples, applesauce, apple cider, oat flour, almond flour, maple syrup, and cinnamon. They bake light & fluffy with a gorgeous dome-shaped top.
Yes, you can make crave-worthy, healthy apple muffins with my easy Gluten-Free Apple Muffin Recipe. These moist muffins have the perfect texture and ooze with delicious apple flavor. I include four apple ingredients, including freshly sliced apples, applesauce, apple cider, and apple cider vinegar. They’re made gluten-free with oat and almond flour and are naturally sweetened with applesauce, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. They bake with a gorgeous dome top, which is not typical for gluten-free muffins.
I’ve made them the best apple muffins with a simple oat & cinnamon crumble maple white chocolate glaze. With half the sugar of a traditional muffin, they are perfect for easy breakfasts, and snacks, but satisfying enough to be served as dessert. There’s no spec of processed white sugar, powdered sugar, or white flour in sight
Why You’ll Love This Easy Apple Muffin Recipe
- You only need a few simple ingredients.
- It is super easy to make for an impressive result.
- The flavor-rich ingredients make it taste amazing!
- All the ingredients are easily digestible for a gentle tummy.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make the best-tasting maple glazed gluten free apple muffin recipe:
Apples: You can use your favorite kind of apples including honeycrisp apples, granny smith apples or any other sweet apples, If you need to replace the apples, you can use pears or any similar fruit with a similar texture and moisture content.
Applesauce: You can substitute unsweetened applesauce with unsweetened mashed bananas or Greek yogurt for a different flavor and moisture.
Apple Cider: Replace apple cider with apple juice or even orange juice for a different fruity twist.
Apple Cider Vinegar: You can use white vinegar or lemon juice as a substitute for apple cider vinegar. These provide acidity for the leavening reaction in the muffins.
Eggs: For each egg, you can use a flaxseed or chia seed egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seeds mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water), or commercial egg replacers for a vegan option.*
Oil: Substitute light olive oil with canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil, depending on your preferences and dietary restrictions.
Oat Flour: If you don’t have oat flour, you can make your own by grinding rolled oats in a food processor. Alternatively, you can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.*
Almond Flour: Almond flour can be replaced with other nut flours like hazelnut or cashew flour or with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.*
Baking Powder: If you’re out of baking powder, mix 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for each teaspoon of baking powder required.*
Baking Soda: There’s no perfect substitution for baking soda, so make sure you have this ingredient on hand.
Cinnamon: You can replace cinnamon with ground nutmeg or allspice for a different flavor.
Salt: There’s no direct substitution for salt. However, you can reduce it if you’re watching your sodium intake.
Coconut Sugar: Use brown sugar or granulated sugar as a replacement for coconut sugar.*
Butter: You can use dairy-free butter or margarine as a substitute for regular butter if you need a vegan option.
White Chocolate Chips: For a dairy-free option, use vegan white chocolate chips or replace them with a simple powdered sugar glaze made from powdered sugar and a little water or non-dairy milk.
Coconut Oil: Substitute coconut oil with vegetable oil or vegan butter if needed.
Maple Extract: If you don’t have maple extract, you can use vanilla extract or skip it altogether, although the maple flavor will be less pronounced.
*I have not tested this substitution and cannot endorse the result.
How to Make My Apple Muffin with Oat Crumble Recipe
Step 1: Preparation
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with parchment paper muffin or cupcake liners, or grease the cups well to prevent sticking.
Step 2: Making the Muffin Batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients, including applesauce, apple cider, eggs, egg white, olive oil, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup. Whisk until well combined.
Then add the dry ingredients, including the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay.
Stir in the finely diced apples with a spatula.
Step 3: Making the Crumb Topping
In a small bowl, mix together the oat flour, coconut sugar, melted butter, and salt until you have a crumbly texture. Set this aside..
Step 4: Filling the Muffin Cups
Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with the muffin batter. Allow the lumpy batter to mound in the center of each muffin.
Add 5 apple chunks to the center top of each muffin. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the muffin batter in each cup, gently pressing it down in between the apple chunks.
Lightly dust the top of all the muffins with cinnamon.
Step 5: Baking
Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 26-28 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Step 6: Glazing the Muffins (Optional)
While the muffins are cooling, you can prepare the glaze. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the drops of maple extract and white chocolate chips. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the coconut oil until smooth.
Once the muffins have cooled to room temperature on a cooling rack, drizzle the maple white chocolate glaze over each muffin with a spoon. Or, you can pour the glaze into a small snack bag, seal the bag, cut a small triangle out of the corner, and pipe on the glaze.
Allow the glaze to set before serving. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
Enjoy your delicious Maple Glazed Gluten-Free Apple Muffins are now ready to enjoy as a delightful breakfast or snack!
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Apple Muffin Recipe Notes
Gluten-Free Flour: This recipe uses a combination of oat and almond flour to keep the muffins gluten-free. Ensure that your oat flour is certified gluten-free if you have a severe gluten sensitivity or allergy.
Apple Variety: Choose a sweet and flavorful apple variety for the best results. Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala apples work well. You can also mix apple varieties for a more complex flavor.
Maple Syrup: Opt for pure maple syrup rather than maple-flavored pancake syrup for the best flavor. Grade A or Grade B maple syrup will both work, with Grade B offering a stronger maple flavor.
Muffin Liners: Use parchment paper muffin liners or grease your muffin tin generously to prevent the muffins from sticking.
Mixing Wet and Dry Ingredients: When combining wet and dry ingredients, be careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can lead to dense muffins. Mix until just combined, and it’s okay if there are a few lumps.
Crumb Topping: Gently press the crumb topping onto the muffin batter to ensure it sticks during baking. This will give your muffins a delightful, crispy texture on top.
Muffin Size: This recipe is for standard-sized muffins. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full to allow room for rising. If you prefer mini muffins or jumbo muffins, adjust the baking time accordingly.
Baking Time: Oven temperatures may vary, so keep an eye on the muffins while they bake. They should be golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cooling: Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps prevent them from becoming too moist from trapped steam.
Glaze: If you’re using the white chocolate glaze, make sure the muffins have cooled completely before drizzling it over the top. You can also skip the glaze for a less sweet option.
Storage: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Serving Suggestions:
Feel free to add chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans) or dried fruits (like raisins or cranberries) to the batter for extra texture and flavor.
Do you love muffins? Check out more of my easy and nutritious muffin recipes:
BEST Maple Glazed Gluten Free Apple Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup apples finely chopped (1 apple)
- 1/2 cup apples diced small (1/2 apple)
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup oil (light olive oil is my fave)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Dry Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 cups oat flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Crumb Topping:
- 1/3 cup oat flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Maple White Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 2 drops maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with parchment paper muffin or cupcake liners, or grease the cups well to prevent sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients, including applesauce, apple cider, eggs, egg white, olive oil, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup. Whisk until well combined.Then add the dry ingredients, including the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay.Stir in the finely diced apples with a spatula.
- In a small bowl, mix together the oat flour, coconut sugar, melted butter, and salt until you have a crumbly texture. Set this aside.
- Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with the muffin batter. Allow the lumpy batter to mound in the center of each muffin.Add 5 apple chunks to the center top of each muffin. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the muffin batter in each cup, gently pressing it down in between the apple chunks.Lightly dust the top of all the muffins with cinnamon.
- Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 26-28 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- While the muffins are cooling, you can prepare the glaze. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the drops of maple extract and white chocolate chips. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the coconut oil until smooth.Once the muffins have cooled to room temperature on a cooling rack, drizzle the maple white chocolate glaze over each muffin with a spoon. Or, you can pour the glaze into a small snack bag, seal the bag, cut a small triangle out of the corner, and pipe on the glaze.Allow the glaze to set before serving. This will take about 15-20 minutes.Enjoy your delicious Maple Glazed Gluten-Free Apple Muffins are now ready to enjoy as a delightful breakfast or snack!
Video
I made these a week ago, including all the fun toppings. They were amazing! The texture was perfect. I’ll be making them again tomorrow to send with the kids to school this week. And of course, to treat myself 😋 I have made this recipe, the pumpkin muffins, and the banana chocolate chip recipe and they have all been fantastic. Hats off to you for putting out such great recipes 🎉
Hi Suzanne! This makes me so happy 🙂 I love that your family loves these muffins as much as mine does!