Apple Muffins
These healthy apple muffins are soft, lightly spiced breakfast-or-snack muffins made with wholegrain flour, almond flour and wheat bran, loaded with fresh apple cubes and sweetened mostly with applesauce and a spoonful of honey instead of a pile of refined sugar. You mix them in three quick bowls, top each one with a little granola and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, so you end up with a warm, cinnamon-scented treat that tastes like dessert but leans on real fruit and whole grains.
They are the kind of muffin I reach for with morning coffee or pack as an afternoon snack, and the apple and cinnamon combination makes the whole kitchen smell like fall.
My Apple Tree Harvest, Turned Into Muffins
It’s apple season and since this year my apple trees gave me fruit like never before, I decided to make as many apple recipes as possible to enjoy their wholesome gift. I made apple juice, cider and apple vinegar, put grated apples with cinnamon in the freezer for the winter, and now I decided to enjoy some extra-ripe apples in this recipe for apple and cinnamon muffins.
Extra-ripe apples are perfect here, because the softer and sweeter the fruit, the more natural sweetness and moisture they bring to the batter. I hope you enjoy my best apple muffins recipe as much as my family does!
What You Need to Make Healthy Apple Muffins
Everything in these muffins earns its place. Here is what each ingredient does:
- Fresh apples — two large apples cut into small cubes, tossed with cinnamon, honey and a little lemon juice so they stay bright and infuse the batter with flavour.
- Wholegrain flour, almond flour and wheat bran — I chose a combination of wholegrain flour and almond flour for these easy apple muffins, but you can experiment and see what you like best. The bran adds fibre and a tender, hearty crumb.
- Applesauce and olive oil — applesauce keeps the muffins moist while cutting back on added fat, and a tablespoon of olive oil brings just enough richness.
- Honey and a little brown sugar — gentle, mostly-natural sweetness. If you like to keep an eye on sweeteners, my guide to healthy sugar alternatives is worth a read.
- Egg whites — they lighten the batter and give the muffins their fluffy lift. You can swap them for aquafaba to make the recipe vegan.
- Baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla — the warm spice base that makes these taste like autumn.
- Granola topping — a sprinkle over each muffin adds crunch and a pretty finish. If you want to know why oats are such a good breakfast staple, here is why oats are good for you.
Tips for Soft, Fluffy Apple Muffins
The method itself is easy, but a few small habits make the difference between dense and light muffins:
- Add the liquids gradually. Different flours absorb moisture differently, so I advise you to add the liquids gradually until you reach the right consistency — a soft, spoonable batter, not a runny one.
- Don’t overmix. Once the dry ingredients, apples and liquids come together, fold slowly with a spatula. Overworking the batter develops gluten and makes the muffins tough.
- Whip the egg whites well. Mixing the liquid ingredients until slightly foamy with a hand mixer is what gives the muffins their airy crumb.
- Grease the tin. A light brush of olive oil in a silicone muffin tin keeps them from sticking.
- Use the toothpick test. Bake at 190 C (374 F) for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops turn golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Make Them Vegan or Gluten-Free
This recipe adapts easily. For a vegan version, replace the two egg whites with aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas), and swap the honey for maple syrup or agave so the muffins are fully plant-based.
For a gluten-free version, you can also consider coconut flour, buckwheat flour or a special gluten-free flour mix that is designed for baking (I recommend Schar Mix C Patisserie). Keep in mind that gluten-free flours absorb liquid differently, so this is another spot where adding the wet ingredients gradually really pays off. If you bake gluten-free often, my gluten-free diet plan guide has more helpful tips.
How to Store, Freeze, and Serve
Let the muffins cool completely before storing. They keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days, or in the fridge for up to five. To freeze, wrap them individually and store for up to three months, then thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the oven so the granola crisps back up.
I love these slightly warm with morning coffee or tea, but they are lovely alongside other fall bakes too. If you are working through a bowl of apples, try them next to my upside-down apple pie or a slice of fresh apple cake.
More Apple and Muffin Recipes You’ll Love
If muffin baking is your thing, you will find plenty more to try on the blog. A few of my favourites:
- Vegan pumpkin muffins — another cosy, spiced fall bake.
- Vegan lemon muffins — bright and citrusy for a change of pace.
- Mini apple and cinnamon rolls — if you want more of that apple-cinnamon flavour.
If you bake a batch of these apple and cinnamon muffins, I’d love to hear how they turned out. Leave a star rating and drop a comment below to tell me which flour combination you tried!
Summarise & Save This Recipe
★ Add us as a trusted Google source
Apple Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 large apples cut into small cubes
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup wholegrain flour
- ½ cup wheat bran
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 egg whites replace with aquafaba for vegan version
- ¼ brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granola for topping
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 190 C (374F).
- Grease the silicone muffin tin with a little olive oil.
- In a bowl, add the apple cubes, cinnamon, honey and lemon juice. Mix and leave the bowl aside.
- In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients, flour, bran, almond flour, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
- In a third bowl, mix the liquid ingredients, applesauce, oil, egg whites, sugar and vanilla. Mix well until you get a homogeneous, slightly foamy mixture, using a hand mixer.
- Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ones as well as the apple mixture and mix slowly using a spatula, until you get a soft batter.
- Fill the muffin tins with the batter, sprinkle each one with granola and put in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until they turn brown and pass the toothpick test.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are made with wholegrain flour, almond flour and fibre-rich wheat bran, and get most of their sweetness and moisture from fresh apples and applesauce rather than refined sugar. They still include a spoonful of honey and a little brown sugar, so they are a lightly sweetened treat rather than a sugar-free one, but they are more wholesome than a typical bakery muffin.
Yes. Replace the two egg whites with aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, to keep the light, fluffy texture. Because the recipe also uses honey, swap that for maple syrup or agave so the muffins are fully plant-based.
Swap the wholegrain flour for a gluten-free baking mix such as Schar Mix C Patisserie, or experiment with coconut or buckwheat flour. Gluten-free flours absorb liquid differently, so add the wet ingredients gradually until you reach a soft, spoonable batter.
Extra-ripe apples are ideal because they are softer and sweeter, adding natural sweetness and moisture to the batter. Any baking apple works well; just cut them into small cubes so they distribute evenly and cook through in the muffins.
Once fully cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days, or in the fridge for up to five. They also freeze well for up to three months when wrapped individually; thaw at room temperature or warm them briefly in the oven.
The most common cause is overmixing, which develops the gluten and makes the crumb tough. Fold the batter slowly with a spatula just until combined, whip the egg whites until slightly foamy for lift, and add the liquids gradually so the batter is soft but not runny.
