Paleo Apple Muffins (Gluten-free, Grain-free)

Paleo Apple Muffins recipe. Light and airy almond flour apple muffins that taste like apple cinnamon donuts! They are made with healthy gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free ingredients like almond flour and olive oil.

These Paleo Apple Muffins have become my new favorite homemade Fall muffin. Besides the fact that they are filled with cinnamon apple flavor, they are also light and airy and almost taste like a donut.

I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but when my husband said that he thought they tasted like a donut too, I knew these gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins were going to be a hit!

They make for a wonderful, snack, dessert, or on-the-go breakfast.

Why I love these easy apple muffins:

• they taste like an apple donut ( an old fashioned one at that)
• they have a delicious crumb/ streusel topping
• they are light and airy
• they taste great with a cup of tea or coffee
• they are made with olive oil instead of butter (if you like muffins made with olive oil check out my pumpkin muffins, banana oatmeal muffins, and chocolate banana muffins)
• they taste like a donut… did I already say that?

Ingredients needed to make these Paleo Apple Muffins:

• almond flour– blanched almond flour works best for baking. It tends to be lighter in texture and color.
• tapioca flour– this balances out the other flours to make it have a muffin-like texture.
• coconut flour– this flour is very absorbent, but paired with almond flour and tapioca flour, it results in a wonderful gluten-free bread texture.
• baking soda– provides a lift to baked goods.
• salt– any salt will do.
• cinnamon– Ceylon cinnamon has a deeper flavor, which is great for baking.
• nutmeg– you can grind your nutmeg yourself or buy it ground.
• olive oil– extra light olive oil is best for baking.
• coconut sugar– you can use this or brown sugar.
• eggs– these are binders in baked good recipes.
• vanilla– with or without alcohol works.
• apples– use your favorite Fall apple. I like using Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples.

Tools needed:

• a cheese grater– you’ll need to use the largest holes of the grator.

Tips:

(1) A combo of shredded and chopped apples leads to the best results.

The key here is using both chopped and shredded apples. This ensures that the apple flavor is distributed but that there are also chunks of apple.

(2) Use an almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour mixture.

The other key ( which comes from my own trial and error research) is a mixture of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour.

This gives these muffins great texture, while being Paleo, Gluten-free, and Grain-free.

(3) Use Fall spices!

Cinnamon and nutmeg spices are used here. These spices pair well with apples, especially when baking is involved.

I always love using Ceylon cinnamon above other types because it has a rich, deep, cinnamon smell and taste. If you have more than one type of cinnamon on hand, try doing a smell test.

Ceylon cinnamon wins every time! Plus cinnamon has antioxidants in it, so… the more the merrier!

FAQs:

Recipe variations:

• add pecans or walnuts to the batter
• top the muffin with pumpkin seeds or chia seeds
• use hazelnut flour instead of almond flour

How to store/freeze these muffins:

• how to store: place in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag and leave at room temperature on the counter for 3 days
• how to freeze: individually wrap each muffin and freeze for up to 3 months

More healthy muffin recipes you may enjoy:

These Gluten-free Apple Muffins from my friend at My Gluten-Free Kitchen are a drool-worthy apple muffin recipe. 

These Chocolate Muffins taste like chocolate cake but made with healthier ingredients. YUM.

These Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins ( GF option provided!) by Food Faith Fitness look like the perfect blueberry muffin.

These Sweet Potato Muffins from The Clean Eating Couple look so fluffy and tasty. YUM.

These Paleo Orange Cranberry Muffins are one of my favorite muffins. The flavor combo of orange paired with tart cranberry is perfect!

Note: this recipe was created in 2018 but the post was updated in October 2022.