Gluten-Free Apple Muffin Recipe

Recipe

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This simple recipe for gluten-free apple muffins is packed with indulgent flavor, and it's easy to make ahead for busy mornings.

Each bite of these gluten-free muffins has a crumbly texture, tender, juicy apple pieces with hints of cinnamon that your taste buds will love.

basket of apple fritter muffins with butter

Apple Fritter Muffin Recipe

These apple fritter muffins are the gluten-free version of my classic cinnamon apple muffins.

It’s the kind of convenient recipe I can bake and enjoy immediately, or prep the batter the night before, and bake quickly in the morning. It transforms the entire house with the cinnamon scent of baked goods!

Ingredients

You’ll need those basic pantry staples you always have on hand: sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder to make the batter rise, milk (or coconut milk), and all-purpose gluten-free baking flour mix that includes xanthan gum (more on this below). For the apple fritter flavor, use any variety of apple and make the topping with brown sugar and cinnamon.

How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Muffins

Beat the sugar and butter until smooth and creamy.
Then, add 1 egg at a time, mix until incorporated, and add vanilla extract.
Sift the flour and baking powder.
This helps dissolve any clumps and get a softer batter. Add the flour to the wet ingredients, and then the milk. Mix until the batter is smooth.
Pour the muffin batter into each lined muffin cup.
Fill them just halfway full, then distribute the apple pieces. Top with additional batter, covering the apples. Sprinkle each muffin with a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon.
Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes.
Or until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Success Tips for Gluten-Free Muffins

Watch the video below to cook these muffins with me and check these tips about the importance of how you measure the flour and the type you use when making gluten-free baked goods:

Measure correctly

Use a spoon to fill your measuring cup so your flour is not packed into the cup. Sweep the top to remove any excess and dump it into the bowl.

Include xanthan gum

Make sure the gluten-free all-purpose flour you use includes xanthan gum. This binds the types of flours used and adds texture.

What 1:1 all-purpose flour mixes to use?

My go-to 1:1 flour mix is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to1 Baking Flour. I’ve made this recipe with King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure, Cup4Cup (blue bag), Pamela’s Gluten Free Pancake & Baking Mix, Namaste Gluten-Free Perfect Flour Blend.

Homemade gluten-free flour mixes

If you make your own gluten-free flour mix, please use one that contains enough starch % to yield a good texture in crumbly baked goods, like quick breads and pancakes and that includes ½ teaspoon of xantham gum for the amount of flour listed in the recipe below.

How to Freeze & Thaw These Muffins

Once the muffins have cooled down, place them on a baking sheet and freeze for about one hour. Store them in a freezer-safe zip bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the muffins on the counter, overnight in the fridge, or microwave them for about 30 seconds to one minute each, and they’re ready to be enjoyed.

You can also freeze the muffin batter in paper liners as shown in this post, and bake them frozen.

Other Gluten-Free Breakfast Options

When following a gluten-free diet, you can still enjoy delicious breakfasts, such as these epic GF blueberry pancakes, these banana almond flour pancakes, and these healthy oatmeal breakfast cookies.

Gluten-Free Apple Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 22

Total Time: 42

This simple recipe for gluten-free apple muffins is packed with indulgent flavor, and it's easy to make ahead for busy mornings.

4.95 from 35 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

For the muffins:

1 apple, any variety, peeled and chopped in small even sized pieces
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened at room temperature (not melted)
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose gluten free baking flour mix*
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup milk

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

⅓ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside.

Make the batter:

In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until smooth and creamy. Add in eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until incorporated; add vanilla extract.
In another bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.
Add the flour mixture slowly to the butter-sugar bowl and combine. Add in the milk and mix until the batter is smooth.

Fill the muffin tin:

Fill each muffin cup with about 2 tablespoons of batter (halfway full) then distribute the apple pieces between the muffin cup. Top with additional batter, about another 1-2 tablespoons, covering the apples.
Top each muffin with ½ to 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar mixture. Using the back of a fork, gently swirl brown sugar and cinnamon mixture into the muffin batter.

Bake:

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 22 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and serving.

Notes

The type of flour mix you use will make a big difference. I have tried this recipe with King Arthur Flour All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour, King Arthur Flour All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour, Cup4Cup (blue bag), Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking Mix (orange bag), Pamela’s All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Mix (blueish/purple bag), Namaste Gluten-Free Perfect Flour Blend.
Please note that if you make your own mix you must make sure you add xanthan gum to help bind your flour starches together (the mixes above already have it). I can’t advise on other blends since I haven’t tried it. If you use another mix successfully, please leave a comment for others to read.