Gluten-free apple muffins are soft, moist, and packed with fresh apples and warm cinnamon. Made with gluten-free oats, almond flour, and honey, they're an easy breakfast or snack ready in just 45 minutes.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE RECIPE
⏱️ Ready In: 45 minutes
👪 Serves: 12 muffins
🥣 Main Ingredients: Fresh apples, gluten-free rolled oats, almond flour, honey, eggs, and cinnamon
🎉 Best For: Fall breakfasts, afternoon snacks, lunchboxes, and meal prep
⭐ Why It Works: Four cups of grated apples add plenty of fresh apple flavor, while soaked and well-drained oats help give the muffins a soft texture.
⚠️ What to Watch For: Grate and squeeze/drain the apples before measuring 4 cups, and thoroughly drain the soaked oats so excess moisture doesn't make the muffins too wet.
🔥 Bake Temp: 350°F
I've been making these apple muffins for years. I originally made them for my husband and used to tuck one into his lunch for work.
If you're in the mood for more fall baking, try my Old Fashioned Banana Bread or Banana Muffins with Streusel Topping. My Honey and Oats Granola is another easy breakfast favorite. And if you have more apples to use up, you'll find more apple recipes in my Desserts collection.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- ⭐ Loaded With Apples: Four full cups of grated, drained apples give these muffins plenty of real apple flavor.
- ⭐ Soft and Moist: Soaked oats, almond flour, honey, and grated apples give these muffins a soft texture without using regular flour.
- ⭐ Warm Cinnamon Flavor: Cinnamon and nutmeg give them that cozy fall flavor without overpowering the apples.
- ⭐ Sweetened With Honey: Honey sweetens the batter and pairs especially well with fresh apples and cinnamon.
- ⭐ Great for Busy Mornings: Bake a batch and keep them on hand for breakfast, snacks, or lunches.
Reader Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: "Absolutely delicious! I used deodorized coconut oil as I didn't have enough olive oil, and my homegrown apples. I even managed to get some apple juice from the grated apples that I squeezed!" ~ Emily
Ingredients You'll Need
These gluten-free apple muffins are made with simple ingredients, including rolled oats, almond flour, honey, and plenty of fresh apples.
- Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: Be sure to use rolled oats labeled gluten-free. The oats are soaked in warm water for 5 minutes, then drained well before adding them to the batter.
- Almond Flour: Gives the muffins their soft, tender texture. For best results, use almond flour rather than substituting another gluten-free flour.
- Apples: Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith all work well. Choose a sweeter apple like Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious, a tart Granny Smith, or use a combination.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds moisture and richness. Melted deodorized coconut oil can also be used.
- Honey: Adds natural sweetness and pairs especially well with the apples and warm spices.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Give the muffins their warm apple-spice flavor.
See the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and complete instructions.
Substitutions
Coconut oil: You can substitute melted deodorized coconut oil for the olive oil. Reader Emily tried it and said the muffins turned out "absolutely delicious." If your coconut oil is solid, melt it before measuring.
How to Make Gluten Free Apple Muffins
To make gluten free apple muffins, soak and thoroughly drain the oats, grate and squeeze the apples before measuring 4 cups, combine the wet and dry ingredients, and bake the muffins at 350°F until the tops are set.
STEP 1. Preheat and Prepare the Pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line it with paper muffin liners.
STEP 2. Soak and Drain the Oats. Cover the gluten-free rolled oats with warm water and let them soak for 5 minutes. Drain them well, pressing the oats in a strainer to remove as much excess water as possible. The oats should be softened but not dripping wet.
STEP 3. Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
STEP 4. Combine the Wet Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk #ad together the eggs, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and vanilla until well combined.
STEP 5. Add the Apples and Oats. Grate the apples, wrap them in paper towels, and squeeze out the excess juice. Measure 4 cups of the squeezed apples. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the soaked and drained oats and prepared apples. Mix with an electric mixer until evenly combined.
STEP 6. Bake the Muffins. Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until the tops are set.
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
1-Minute Video Tutorial
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Expert Tips for Apple Muffins
- Drain the oats well. After soaking, press the oats gently in a strainer to remove the excess water before adding them to the batter.
- Squeeze the apples before measuring. Wrap the grated apples in paper towels and squeeze out the excess juice, then measure the 4 cups called for in the recipe.
- Check for doneness. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are set.
- Let the muffins rest. Cool them in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This gives the soft muffins time to set.
Troubleshooting Apple Muffins
- Muffins are too wet: Be sure to squeeze the grated apples in paper towels before measuring 4 cups, and drain the soaked oats well before adding them to the batter.
- Muffins need more time: If the tops aren't set after 25 minutes, give them a few more minutes. Apples vary in moisture, and oven temperatures can vary.
- Muffins don't rise very high: That's normal for this recipe. Almond flour, oats, and plenty of fresh apple make these muffins naturally hearty and moist rather than tall and cakey.
- Muffins are very soft when warm: Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They'll continue to set as they cool.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Make Ahead: Bake the muffins ahead of time and let them cool completely before storing. They're easy to keep on hand for breakfast, snacks, or lunchboxes.
- Room Temperature: Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Freeze: Place completely cooled muffins in a resealable freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze.
- Thaw: Remove a muffin from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature before eating.
Gluten Free Apple Muffins FAQs
Yes. When making Gluten Free Apple Muffins for a gluten-free diet, use rolled oats specifically labeled gluten free to help avoid cross-contact with gluten-containing grains during growing and processing.
Yes. These Gluten Free Apple Muffins are dairy free and made with olive oil instead of butter. The recipe does not contain milk, yogurt, or other dairy ingredients.
Yes. Both gluten-free rolled oats and quick oats work well in these Gluten Free Apple Muffins. After soaking the oats, be sure to press out the excess water thoroughly before adding them to the batter.
More Easy Apple Recipes for Fall
If you've still got apples on the counter, try my Easy Mini Apple Pies, Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake, Homemade Applesauce Without Sugar, or Best Apple Crisp. They're all easy ways to put fresh apples to good use during apple season.
Did you love this family recipe? As a small business, the greatest compliment you can give is a 5-star rating! Tap the ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ directly in the recipe card below. It helps my site grow and helps other home cooks find this nostalgic, comforting meal!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Apple Muffins
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
- rotary grater or box grater
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten-free, soaked and drained.
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups apples grated, squeezed/drained well, then measured
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare the Pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper muffin liners.
- Soak and Drain the Oats. Measure 2 cups of oats, cover with warm water, and soak for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer, pressing out as much excess water as possible.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- Combine the Wet Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and vanilla until well combined.
- 5. Add the Apples and Oats. Grate the apples, wrap them in paper towels, and squeeze out the excess juice. Measure 4 cups of the squeezed apples. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the drained oats and prepared apples and mix with an electric mixer until evenly combined.
- Bake the Muffins.Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until the tops are set. Cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes before transferring the muffins to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Drain the oats well. After soaking, press the oats in a fine mesh strainer to remove as much excess water as possible.
- Squeeze the apples before measuring. Wrap the grated apples in paper towels and squeeze out the excess juice, then measure 4 cups.
- Rolled or quick oats both work. I've made these muffins with both. If you're making them for a gluten-free diet, use oats specifically labeled gluten free.
- Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes. They're soft when hot and will continue to set as they cool.
- Almond flour works best. This recipe was developed with almond flour, which gives the muffins their soft, moist texture.
- Coconut oil substitution: Melted deodorized coconut oil can be substituted for the olive oil. Reader Emily tried it and said the muffins turned out "absolutely delicious."
Emily Collett says
Absolutley delicious, I used deodorised coconut oil as I didn't have enough olive oil and my home grown apples. Even managed to get some apple juice from the grated apples that I squeezed!
Seanna Borrows says
That’s so great to hear! Nice to know the deodorized coconut oil worked well as a substitute for the olive oil. And I love that you used your own homegrown apples! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. It means so much to me. ❤️
Naomi says
I'm disappointed in these muffins! I made exactly as directed, having never made them before. Took about 12-14 minutes longer to bake than noted in recipe. The taste was nonexistent, very flat. Muffins didn't rise much at all. If I make again, I would increase the cinnamon and substitute oil for butter. I also wouldn't soak the oats before using as I found the batter wet; I would just add as-is to the recipe (like for oatmeal cookies). If I make again with these tweaks, I'll let ya know how it worked out. I'm gluten-free due to allergies and had high hopes for this recipe.
Seanna Borrows says
Hi Naomi,
I’m super bummed you were disappointed in the muffins. This recipe was one of the earliest recipes I posted to the website and it could definitely use some updating! I’m so sorry the instructions were not clear enough.
Today, I completely updated the article and recipe card. They’re both re-written. Here’s the link if you want to take a look: Gluten Free Apple Muffins.
The muffins are truly something we have made and enjoyed a thousand times. I developed the recipe for my husband and sent one with him to work as a snack in his lunch every day for a long time. Until he went all keto on me.
I appreciate you letting me know how disappointed you felt. It lit a fire under me to fix it! Hope you’ll give them another try.
Sincerely,
Seanna
Laura says
I love these for breakfast! Yummy cinnamon apple flavor.
Seanna says
Thanks Laura! I am so happy you like them!