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Vegan Apple Muffins

Name: Vegan Apple Muffins
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups oat flour; 1 ½ cups fine ground almond flour; 4 teaspoons baking powder; 1 tablespoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon sea salt; ¾ cup maple syrup; ½ cup dairy free milk (, I used cashew milk); 1/4 cup apple sauce; 8 teaspoons apple cider vinegar; 1 ½ cups chopped peeled apples; 24 long slices of apple; 8 teaspoons coconut sugar

By Sophia DeSantis, Reviewed by Anjali Shah on May 2, 2025

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These vegan Apple Muffins are so fluffy, and ready in just 30 minutes. I make them with basic ingredients like apples, applesauce, maple syrup, and dairy-free milk. They’re perfect for breakfast, a quick snack, or even a gluten-free dessert my whole family loves.

Hand grabbing a half eaten apple muffin from a pile.

Oh I totally love muffins! They’re the ones I can pack in a lunchbox, hand to my kids on the way out the door, or even pair with a smoothie or some fruit and call it breakfast. That’s probably why I keep baking all kinds of them, like these blueberry sourdough muffins, these savory vegetable muffins for road trips, and of course the Christmas muffins we never skip.

Table of Contents hide

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

🍽 Serving Suggestions

🧊 Storage Directions

❓Recipe FAQs

🧇 More Healthy Muffins Recipes!

📋 Recipe Card

I realized I was missing a solid apple muffin recipe in my collection, and since apples are easy to find year-round, I knew I had to fix that. I’m already making this pumpkin apple pie all the time, so why not add a tasty muffin version to the mix? These turned out so good I couldn’t keep them to myself.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

I’m always baking muffins, so it only made sense to finally give apples the muffin spotlight they deserve. My family loves all things apple: apple pie, applesauce, even plain chopped apples for snack time. So, these vegan apple muffins were an instant win. They’re soft, not too sweet, and perfect for breakfast or packed into lunchboxes. My youngest actually asked for one after soccer practice and called it “the best after-school treat,” which made my day.

I basically use oat flour and almond flour to keep these muffins gluten-free, and with maple syrup and applesauce in the mix, they’re sweet without needing any extra sugar. I chop up some apples and toss them in to elevate each muffin flavor. The cinnamon smell alone gets my kids walking into the kitchen asking what’s baking. And… one bowl and about 30 minutes later, we’re all grabbing muffins straight off the cooling rack.

Of all the muffin recipes I’ve played around with, this apple one might just be my forever favorite. I’ve made them while the kids are brushing their teeth before school, or made a big batch on Sunday so we’ve got snacks for the week. I’ve dropped them off to my neighbor, packed them in my husband’s lunch, and my mom literally called me after the first bite asking how I made them. Ha! Sometimes we eat them warm with a smear of almond butter, and sometimes they don’t even make it to the plate. 😉

🥘 Ingredients

The ingredients in this recipe are simple, easy to find, and made from whole foods. They’re also completely dairy and gluten free. Here’s what I used:

Fruits and Natural Sweeteners: I use fresh chopped apples, applesauce, maple syrup and a little coconut sugar to give the muffins natural sweetness and moisture.

Dry Ingredients: Oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt make up the base and flavor.

Milk and Vinegar: Dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar to make the batter and give it a nice rise in the oven.

🔪 How To Make

Gone are the days of spending hours baking homemade muffins. These gluten-free apple muffins are ready from start to finish in just 30 minutes! Here’s what you need to do for this easy recipe:

Mix the dry ingredients: I add the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl and whisk everything together until it’s nicely combined and there are no lumps.

Top view of glass bowl with flour being whisked

Stir in the wet ingredients: I make a little well in the center of the dry mix, then pour in the dairy free milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. I gently stir it all together until the batter is evenly mixed.

Blue spatula mixing a batter in a glass bowl.

Fold in the apples: I add the chopped apples to the bowl and gently fold them in with a spatula so they’re evenly spread throughout the batter without breaking them up too much.

Batter with chopped apples being mixed in a glass bowl.

Pour into the muffin tin and add toppings: I scoop the batter into each muffin cup, then sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top and place a few thin apple slices for a nice finish before baking.

Muffin tin with batter and sliced apples on the top.

Bake, cool, enjoy: I pop the muffins in the oven for 20 minutes, then let them cool on a rack.

Pile of apple muffins on a piece of parchment on a plate.

💭 Expert Tips

My #1 Secret Tip for making this vegan apple muffins is to use finely ground almond flour and oat flour. I’ve tested and I know that when the flours are ground finely, the muffins come out soft and tender, just the way my family loves them. Coarser flours tend to make the muffins a bit dense, so I always make sure to choose the finely ground versions.

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

Peel the apples first: I always peel them because nobody in my house wants bits of apple skin in their muffin. A veggie peeler makes it super quick.
Chop the apples small and evenly: This helps them cook properly and gives each bite a nice apple chunk.
Don’t overmix the batter: Once the ingredients are combined, I stop mixing so the muffins stay tender.
Let them cool a few minutes before removing from the pan: They firm up a bit as they rest, and that makes them easier to lift out without crumbling.
Grease the pan: If I’m not using liners, I spray the muffin tin with coconut oil so they don’t stick. It saves the muffins and the cleanup.

📖 Variations

I’ve made a lot of muffins over the years, like I mentioned earlier, so I’m always experimenting with new flavors. These are some I’ve already tried and loved!

Make it extra fruity: Sometimes I swap the apples for pears or toss in some blueberries, especially when I’m making these for brunch with friends. My boys still grab two at a time, no matter what fruit I sneak in.

Add a little crunch: I mix in chopped walnuts or pecans when I want a bit more texture.

Sneak in more fiber: I’ll mix in a spoonful of flax or chia seeds when I want to make breakfast stretch a little longer. No one notices, and I get that little mom win first thing in the morning.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

These vegan apple muffins don’t last long in my kitchen, so I’ve learned to plan a few fun ways to serve them! On school mornings, I’ll pack one with a bottle of chocolate strawberry smoothie or a bowl of my vegan smoothie bowl and boom, breakfast is done before anyone can start complaining they’re hungry.

When the weekend rolls around and we’re having brunch with friends or hanging at home, I’ll prepare a tray with these muffins and a warm bowl of vegan tortilla soup or even some leftover vegan broccoli pesto pasta. Sweet and savory in one meal? Yes please!

🧊 Storage Directions

Refrigeration: I store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge if we’re not eating them within a couple days. They stay fresh for up to a week this way.

Freezing: If I make a double batch, I freeze half in a freezer-safe bag or container. They hold up great for about 3 months, and I love having them ready to go.

Reheating: When I want one warm, I just pop it in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds.

❓Recipe FAQs

What kind of apples work best in this recipe?

I like to use firm apples like Honeycrisp or Fuji because they hold their shape well when baked. But honestly, any apple you already have at home will work fine.

How do I know when the muffins are done baking?

I check them with a toothpick, if it comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs, they’re ready. The edges will also look a little golden, and the tops should spring back if you gently press them.

Can I use regular flour instead of oat and almond flour?

I usually make these with oat and almond flour to keep them gluten-free, but if you don’t have those, you can try using all-purpose flour instead. Just keep in mind the texture may be a little different, but they’ll still turn out tasty.

White plate with baked muffins topped with sliced apples.

🧇 More Healthy Muffins Recipes!

Love this plant based breakfast recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating 🌟 in the recipe below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page!

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