Gluten Free Muffins with Apples and Cinnamon
Senior Editor & Writer
Nicholetta Bokolas
Award-winning food blogger and writer sharing simple recipes, good food, and the stories that come with them.
I LOVE anything with apples and cinnamon, especially once fall rolls around, and this gluten free almond flour muffin recipe delivers big on both. It’s packed with finely diced apples, cinnamon, cardamom and other warm spices, with a crunchy walnut topping that makes them SO good.
I don’t think there’s anything better than having homemade muffins sitting on the kitchen counter. I’ll grab one with my morning coffee, take one when I’m running out the door or have one in the afternoon with a cup of tea. They’re even good as a little healthier dessert after dinner.
These apple muffins are made with almond flour and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, so they’re a little denser and heartier than your typical bakery muffin. I actually love that about them. They’re satisfying, packed with apples and have all those beautiful fall flavours in every bite. Everyone fights over the last one.
At a Glance
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Bake Time: 25–35 minutes, depending on size
- Yield: 8–12 muffins or 6–8 large muffins
- Flour: Made entirely with finely ground blanched almond flour
- Sweetened With: Pure maple syrup
- Texture: Moist, dense and hearty
- Flavour: Apples, cinnamon, cardamom and warm fall spices
- Topping: Crunchy walnuts or pecans with hemp hearts and maple syrup
- My Tip: Use muffin liners and fill them generously for bigger muffins
- Great For: An easy breakfast, snack or healthier dessert
Ingredients:
For the Muffins
- 4 cups blanched almond flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups peeled and finely diced apple, about 4 medium apples
For the Crunchy Topping
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and sea salt until evenly combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, olive oil, Greek yogurt and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Gently fold in the finely diced apples, being careful not to overmix.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. For 6–8 large muffins, fill the liners almost to the top. For smaller muffins, divide the batter between 8–12 cups.
- In a small bowl, combine the finely chopped walnuts or pecans, hemp hearts, maple syrup, cinnamon, cardamom and melted butter. Stir until the nuts are evenly coated.
- Spoon the crunchy topping evenly over the muffin batter and gently press it into the tops.
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 25–35 minutes, depending on the size of your muffins. Smaller muffins may be ready around 25 minutes, while large muffins filled almost to the top may need closer to 30–35 minutes.
- The muffins are ready when the tops are golden and set and a toothpick inserted into the centre shows no wet batter. A few moist crumbs are fine. Keep in mind that hitting a piece of apple can make the toothpick look moist, so don't wait for it to be completely dry.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Allow them to cool further before serving so the almond flour crumb has time to set.
- Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment!
Why Almond Flour Works So Well In These Gluten Free Muffins
This isn’t a traditional gluten free muffin recipe made with all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend.
Almond flour contains naturally occurring fat, which helps give the muffins a moist, rich texture. It also means the finished muffins are denser than muffins made with wheat flour or many gluten-free flour blends.
Just make sure you’re using blanched almond flour rather than almond meal. The finer texture gives you a much nicer muffin.
Lots of Apple in Every Bite
There are 2½ cups of apple in this gluten free muffin recipe, so we’re definitely not being shy with it!
I peel and finely dice the apples so they distribute throughout the muffin batter instead of leaving you with a few enormous pieces. This is especially important in almond flour muffins, which already have a fairly dense texture.
Small pieces soften as the muffins bake and give you apple in almost every bite without making the centres too wet.
And then there are the spices. I didn’t stop at cinnamon. There’s cardamom, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in the mixture, too. Together they give these muffins a warm, almost chai-like flavour that I love with the apples.
Maple Syrup Keeps These Gluten Free Muffins Just Sweet Enough
I didn’t want these gluten free muffins to taste like cupcakes.
Pure maple syrup gives them enough sweetness for breakfast or dessert without overpowering the apple and spices. There’s maple syrup in the crunchy topping as well, which helps the nuts and hemp hearts come together as they bake.
Olive oil adds moisture to the muffin batter, while the Greek yogurt adds a little richness. The large eggs provide structure, which is especially important when you’re baking without traditional flour.
And don’t skip the vanilla. It’s a small amount, but it rounds out all those warm fall flavours beautifully.
The Crunchy Topping Is Worth It
The topping might be my favourite part.
Finely chopped walnuts or pecans are mixed with hemp hearts, maple syrup, cinnamon, cardamom and melted butter. It adds a completely different texture to the soft apple muffin underneath.
Make the topping in a small bowl and spoon it over each muffin before they go into the oven. I like to press it down very gently so it stays put as the muffins bake.
Want Big Bakery-Style Muffins? Fill Them Up!
This is probably the most important thing I’ve learned from making this gluten free muffin recipe.
These muffins are dense. They don’t have wheat flour or baking powder helping them develop the same airy structure you might expect from a traditional bakery-style muffin. Baking soda gives them lift, but they aren’t going to suddenly double in size in the oven.
So if you want big muffins, fill those liners almost to the top.
You’ll get approximately 6–8 large muffins this way. If you’d rather have smaller muffins for snacks or lunchboxes, divide the batter between 8–12 cups.
And definitely use liners in your muffin tin. Almond flour muffins can be delicate while they’re hot, and the liners make getting them out of the muffin pan much easier.
Tips for Gluten-Free Baking
Use finely ground almond flour. Coarse almond meal will give you a much heavier texture.
Bring refrigerated ingredients closer to room temperature. This helps the wet ingredients combine more evenly.
Don’t overmix. Once you add the dry ingredients to the large bowl, stir just until everything comes together, then gently fold in the apples.
Dice the apples finely. This helps them cook through and keeps the muffins from becoming too wet in spots.
Watch the muffins, not just the timer. Your baking time depends on how large you make them. Smaller muffins may be done around 25 minutes, while generously filled muffins can need 30–35 minutes.
Look for no wet batter. A toothpick inserted into the centre may pick up moisture if you happen to hit a piece of apple. That’s fine. You’re checking that there isn’t raw muffin batter on it.
How to Store Apple Muffins
Once completely cool, keep the muffins in an airtight container. Because they’re quite moist from the almond flour and fresh apples, I prefer moving them to the fridge if I’m keeping them for more than a short period.
You can also freeze them. Let the muffins cool completely before wrapping and storing them well to help prevent freezer burn.
When you want one, thaw it and enjoy it at room temperature, or warm it briefly in the microwave.
That makes these especially handy for busy mornings. Make a batch when you have time and you’ve got an easy breakfast or snack ready to grab.
If pumpkin is more your thing, this easy pumpkin muffin recipe is another great one for fall. Unlike my almond flour muffins, this version uses all-purpose flour, but both are simple, no-mixer recipes made for cozy fall baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are almond flour muffins gluten free?
Almond flour itself is naturally gluten free. If you’re baking for someone with celiac disease or a serious gluten sensitivity, check the labels on all of your ingredients to make sure they’re certified gluten free and haven’t been exposed to cross-contact…
Can I substitute coconut flour?
I wouldn’t make a direct swap. Coconut flour absorbs significantly more liquid than almond flour, so substituting it cup-for-cup would change the entire balance of the recipe.
Can I make these muffins with flax eggs?
I haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs, and because four eggs provide important structure to these almond flour muffins, I wouldn’t recommend the substitution without testing it first.
How do I know when the muffins are done?
Look for tops that are golden and set. Insert a toothpick into the centre of a muffin; a few moist crumbs are fine, especially if you hit an apple piece, but you shouldn’t see wet batter.
Can I make the muffins bigger?
Absolutely. In fact, that’s how I love them! Fill the liners almost to the top and plan on approximately 6–8 large muffins. They’ll likely need closer to the upper end of the baking-time range.
Make a Batch and Watch Them Disappear
This is the kind of gluten-free baking I love: simple ingredients, no complicated flour blend and something everyone actually wants to eat.
The combination of apple, cinnamon, maple syrup and warm spices makes these feel like fall in muffin form. They’re hearty enough for breakfast, easy to grab for a snack and just sweet enough that I’ll happily have one after dinner.
Most importantly, they’re just really delicious.
Make a batch, leave them on the counter and see how long they last. Around here, it’s usually not very long.
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Nicholetta Bokolas
Nicholetta is an award-winning food blogger and writer whose work lives at the intersection of food and story. She shares simple, approachable recipes inspired by the flavours she grew up with, grounded in the belief that good food should never be too complicated. She is currently writing a food memoir that traces her grandmother’s journey from Greece to Canada, and the recipes that carried her through building a new life and a successful restaurant. A lifelong home cook, Nicholetta is most at home in the kitchen, cooking for the people she loves and gathering around a table where food is as much about connection as it is about what’s on the plate.
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