Paleo Apple Muffins (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)
These paleo apple muffins are fuss-free and completely maple-sweetened. They get extra apple flavor from grated and diced apples.
I’ve been wanting to post a paleo apple muffin recipe for a long time. At first, I tried adapting the paleo blueberry muffins I posted recently. They’re my favorite muffin recipe, by far, but that didn’t work out. The cinnamon and spices just made them weird.
So then I tried adapting my paleo apple butter cake, but I wasn’t in love with those muffins, either. I tried some other apple muffins with almond flour and then figured that it’d be easy enough to adapt my grain-free carrot cake cupcakes, which is one of my most popular recipes. People seem to love them, and I hope you all will enjoy these just as much. :)
The carrot cake recipe uses 1/2 cup of grated carrots, and I subbed that with 1/2 cup of coarsely grated apples. I’ve only made these muffins using this extra coarse grater to grate the apples, so if you want to use a fine grater, I have no idea how that’d work out.
I’d be afraid that the muffins would come out too wet. These muffins are already super moist, so I don’t know if they could handle even more moisture!
Another change was the sweetener. I use a lot of lighter colored maple syrup throughout the year as a sweetener in all kinds of different flavored goodies, like these paleo key lime pies or these paleo lemon cookies.
And now that I’m baking with cinnamon, apples, and in a few weeks, pumpkin – I go through about 1 1/2 liters a month! I’m in the mood for maple everything. :)
The carrot cake recipe uses honey, but maple syrup seemed like a much better choice for these autumnal muffins. I used the exact same amount! It’s an easy sub, and I think it blends better with the apple + cinnamon + nutmeg combination than honey does.
You can use any grade of all-natural maple syrup in these. You can’t really taste it through all the cinnamon flavor, so I went with the standard Grade A Medium Amber kind, which is usually sold in grocery stores around here. I save the darker, stronger-tasting, and slightly more expensive Grade A Dark Amber kind for dishes where I want the maple taste to shine.
One tablespoon of cinnamon may seem like a lot for 8 muffins (it’s 3/8 teaspoon per muffin), but I’ve tried these with less cinnamon and they just weren’t very exciting. You need the cinnamon!
I’ve also tried these with a bunch of different apple types, and we could hardly detect there were apples in the muffins – until I made them with Granny Smith. Their tartness helps them stand out more, and together with the cinnamon and maple syrup, creates a truly awesome apple muffin.
Paleo Apple Muffins (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (125 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs 50 grams each, out of shell, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons (70 grams) refined coconut oil melted
- 1/3 cup (106 grams) maple syrup
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut sugar see notes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (90 grams) coarsely grated Granny Smith apples
- 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) Granny Smith chunks about 1/4" in size
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin pan with 8 muffin liners.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (almond flour through nutmeg). Set this aside.1 1/4 cups (125 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour, 2 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, pure Canadian maple syrup, and vanilla.2 large eggs, 5 tablespoons (70 grams) refined coconut oil, 1/3 cup (106 grams) maple syrup, 2-3 tablespoons coconut sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the dry mix to the wet and mix just until combined.
- Gently fold in the grated apples and then the chopped apples.1/2 cup (90 grams) coarsely grated Granny Smith apples, 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) Granny Smith chunks
- Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling them almost full, and bake for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 4.
Notes
- I added the coconut sugar to the recipe in October 2018. Before that, no coconut sugar was listed and the reviewers loved them that way! Only add the coconut sugar if you like things to be on the sweeter side.
- The video shows 3 eggs because the beginning part of the video that shows mixing together the ingredients is taken from the video I did for my paleo apple cake (which uses this same apple muffin recipe, but 1.5x all the ingredients – which is why it shows 3 eggs instead of 2). Sorry for the confusion! I didn’t realize it until it was too late.
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
Is there anything better than fall baking?? you always get me in the mood!
It’s my very favorite! :D
Apple muffins for the wiiiiiiiiiiin! Love this paleo version :)
Thanks!
These look amazing. I adore apple muffins. My sister makes them all the time. They’re just so tasty. These are calling my name. I could eat a million of them.
Give your sister this recipe and tell her to make them for you. :D I bet you’ll both be happy! ;)
We have a loaded apple tree this year – this recipe would be perfect!
I bet it would! And consider me super jealous of your apple tree. ;)
Goodness, I thought I use a lot of maple syrup haha! Then again, I’m not baking that much, either. You always have the best spice mixes – I will definitely give this recipe a try!
I hope you’ll enjoy it! And yeah. I go through an insane amount. Thank goodness for “American week” at Lidl! ;)
I want TWO of these right now! They look sooo delicious!
Only two?! They’re so tiny. Here. Take more. :D
Oh my goodness! These look so moist and delicious, Erin. Looks like you’ve developed the perfect apple muffin recipe here!
I’m pretty sure muffins are the perfect food and your apple muffins look divine! Yummy!
Thanks so much!
Can’t wait to try this! The perfect fall recipe
Alicex
I hope you’ll enjoy it! Thanks for your comment and I hope fall’s arrived down in Munich. :)
These look gorgeous and oh so moist!
They really are! :)
Oh super yum. I’m laughing at you saying the amount of cinnamon sounds like a lot. When I follow a recipe, there are two ingredients, I generally always double – cinnamon and/or vanilla. So that seems like a totally reasonable amount to me!
Haha. Same here! Sometimes even triple the cinnamon. I have no idea what others are thinking sometimes with their 1/2 tsp cinnamon. ;)
wow, these definitely do look super moist – and super delicious! I’m in the mood for apple all the things, so this is going on my must-try list.
I hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
YEH!! Apples finally for Sept. This is apple season here in North GA. We all loved apple goodies with cinnamon. I sure need to try these for the GF,DF folks. Then make some withe white wheat. HA!!
Oops, I would have to use a different recipe since this is almond and coconut flour. But I have one anyway.
I’m excited for apple season, too! :) I have a great whole wheat cinnamon apple muffin recipe if you haven’t tried. I bet you’d love it!
These look so so good but that crumble topping makes it even more scrumptious!
I skipped the crumble topping this time but I’m happy they look like they have it. :D
Considering I am Canadian…I LOVE these muffins! SO perfect for the season..I could eat them for breakfast ALL week long!
Haha. So full of delicious maple! ;)
I love that these are paleo…they look so moist and good.
Thank so much!
I love all of your baked goods, but these muffins seriously blow me away. I love those chunks of apples!
Aww, thanks! I’m very happy to hear that. :)
I could totally go Paleo as long as I had these muffins!
For sure! :)
These muffins are perfect for fall!
Hello, seriously delicious little muffins!