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Home / Breakfast

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Muffins | Gluten Free Option

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These Apple Cinnamon Crumble Muffins are healthy, lightly sweet and completely satisfying. You'll find they are moist and flavorful and taste amazing with a pad of butter while still warm. If you love our popular Pear Muffins, you're sure to love this apple version just as much!

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Apple Cinnamon Muffins full of chopped apples and cinnamon. Deliciously moist muffins that come together in a flash! Use up those extra apples and bake up these family favorites today!
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Apple Cinnamon Muffins full of chopped apples and cinnamon. Deliciously moist muffins that come together in a flash! Use up those extra apples and bake up these family favorites today! #apples #muffinrecipe #cinnamonapples

The best apples for baking in apple muffins

The apples that keep the best "apple-y" flavor are hands down Granny Smith green apples. However, feel free to use up whatever apples you've got on hand. Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jazz, Pink Ladies, etc. (So many fun flavors!) My family LOVES Granny Smith to eat whole, so we buy them by the bushel. Just kidding. I'm from Los Angeles, I don't know what a bushel is. But we buy them in a big bag at the store.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins full of chopped apples and cinnamon. Deliciously moist muffins that come together in a flash! Use up those extra apples and bake up these family favorites today!

Let's talk apple cinnamon crumble muffin ingredients

If you're a fan of our Pear Muffins (you should be, they're super amazing), then we're talking about almost identical ingredients. In fact, you could make a double batch and add apples to one and pears to the other! Now you've got 2 dozen muffins for the price of one. That's kitchen math for ya.

  • All-purpose flour (or gluten free flour blend - more on this below)
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Apples (dice into ½" pieces so there's apple in every bite)
  • Eggs - always at room temperature
  • Granulated white sugar (or coconut sugar-for a low glycemic option)
  • Coconut oil (regular canola or vegetable oil can be used as well)
  • Plain yogurt (or sour cream)
  • Vanilla extract

Optional (but highly encouraged) Crumble Topping

  • All-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
  • Light brown sugar
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Cold butter (chopped into small pieces)
  • Quick oats (or chopped pecans)

Can I make Apple Muffins Gluten Free?

Why yes, yes you can. Simply substitute all-purpose flour for your favorite flour blend. Ours is always King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure. You can read why this is our top pick here. Be sure to substitute the flour in the muffin AND the crumble. It's always best to double-check the label of your baking powder to ensure it is 100% gluten free as well.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins full of chopped apples and cinnamon. Deliciously moist muffins that come together in a flash! Use up those extra apples and bake up these family favorites today!

Hot Tips for ultimate muffin success

  • Optimal Baking Starting your muffins at 425°F and then reducing to 375°F will give you an optimal rise along the sides of your muffins and gets you that elusive and delicious muffin top (I mean, who doesn't love a good muffin top?). 
  • Mixing Do not over mix! Mixing quick breads and muffins as little as possible ensures a tender crumb. If you over mix, it develops the gluten in the flour, making your muffin "breadier" and tough. Basically, you want to mix until there are no more streaks of flour to be seen, using as little stirring motion as possible. I like to use the old "around the outside and through the middle" technique of going around the outside of the bowl and then one pass through the middle. 
  • Adding Fruit Wondering the best way to add fruit so they don't sink to the bottom? Mix them up with a tablespoon of flour and add them in last. This helps suspend the heavier add-ins in the batter and keeps them from starting a party on the floor of your muffin. This is especially true when adding in chunks of fruit, like apples, pears, or cranberries. But I still do it for chocolate chips too.
  • Toppings There are so many amazing muffin toppings to choose from; There are streusels, sugar, nuts, chips, fruit and more. When deciding which topping goes best with your muffin, think about how much sugar is already in the muffin. If there is a lot of sweet fruit, like pear go plain or with a simple sprinkling of sugar. For less sweet muffins, like pumpkin, I like to add a streusel.
Apple Cinnamon Muffins full of chopped apples and cinnamon. Deliciously moist muffins that come together in a flash! Use up those extra apples and bake up these family favorites today!

How to make Apple Muffins the easy way (in less than 30 minutes)

  • Preheat your oven to 425°F. Grease or line a muffin tin and set aside.
  • Peel apples using a vegetable peeler or small knife and dice into ½" pieces or smaller.
  • In a medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add diced apples to dry ingredients and toss to coat. Tossing fruit in the flour mixture ensures your apples don't settle at the bottom of the muffins, but suspend in the batter for even apple distribution. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl combine eggs, sugar, coconut oil (or vegetable oil), yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla.
  • Add dry ingredients in with wet and gently stir until just combined. Do NOT over mix. (Over mixing causes dry, tough muffins.)
  • Evenly divide into muffin tin. Fill each cavity to the top. This recipe makes exactly 12 muffins. Isn't that neat?
  • For the crumb topping: combine flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. Add cold butter and combine with your hands, forks or in a food processor until small crumbs.
  • Evenly divide crumb topping and press into muffins.
  • Bake on center rack at 425°F for 5 minutes.
  • Turn oven down to 350°F and continue baking for 10-12 minutes.
  • Muffins should be slightly browned and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Or I like to press the center and feel it spring back.
  • Let cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins full of chopped apples and cinnamon. Deliciously moist muffins that come together in a flash! Use up those extra apples and bake up these family favorites today!

I love to eat these muffins warm with some butter and a cup of coffee at breakfast, snack, elevensies, afternoon snack, high tea, first dessert, second dessert and midnight snack. What's your favorite time of day to eat muffins?

Love this Apple Cinnamon Crumble Muffin recipe? Try these delicious muffin recipes!

  • Super Healthy Morning Glory Muffins | carrots, apple, nuts, no refined sugar, gluten free and dairy free. Deliciously moist and a perfect grab and go breakfast.
    Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
  • Sweet Donut Muffins made gluten free in this simple one bowl recipe. Why have just a muffin, when you can have a donut muffin? Filled with raspberry jam and relaxing moments. Perfect grab and go breakfast the whole family will treasure.
    Raspberry Donut Muffins | Gluten Free Option

Looking for even more muffin recipes? These are some of our readers favorites:

  • Healthy Banana Muffins
  • Morning Glory Muffins
  • Buttermilk Raspberry Muffins
  • Fluffy Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Easy Pear Muffins
  • Low Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
  • Raspberry Nutella Muffins
Apple Cinnamon Muffins full of chopped apples and cinnamon. Deliciously moist muffins that come together in a flash! Use up those extra apples and bake up these family favorites today!

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Muffins | Gluten Free Option

Sweetly spiced apple muffins with the perfect crumble on top. Kind of like apple pie for breakfast!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 317kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten free flour blend
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups peeled and diced apples about ½" pieces
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated white sugar or coconut sugar
  • ½ cup coconut oil melted and slightly cooled
  • ⅔ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional Crumble Topping

  • ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cups light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 5 tablespoons cold butter chopped
  • ½ cups quick oats or chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease or line a muffin tin and set aside.
  • Peel apples and dice into ½" pieces or smaller.
  • In a medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add diced apples to dry ingredients and toss to coat. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl combine eggs, sugar, coconut oil, yogurt, and vanilla.
  • Add dry ingredients in with wet and gently stir until just combined. Do NOT over mix. (Over mixing causes dry, tough muffins.)
  • Evenly divide into muffin tin. Fill each cavity to the top.
  • For the crumb topping: combine flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. Add cold butter and combine until fine crumbs.
  • Evenly divide crumb topping between muffins.
  • Bake at 425° for 5 minutes.
  • Turn oven down to 350°F and continue baking for 10-12 minutes.
  • Muffins should be slightly browned and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. ENJOY!

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 213IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
Apple Cinnamon Muffins full of chopped apples and cinnamon. Deliciously moist muffins that come together in a flash! Use up those extra apples and bake up these family favorites today! #apples #muffinrecipe #cinnamonapples

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Rachel and Amy

 

Here at The Oven Light, we are always looking for ways to cut cooking time in half (or more!). We use shortcuts that don’t sacrifice flavor, we’re just getting smarter with our time. You won’t find “dump” meals here, but rather an approach to cooking that is mindful and intentional with time AND taste. 

— Amy and Rachel

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