Apple Muffins with Oat Flour (Gluten-Free)

These healthy gluten-free oat flour apple muffins are bursting with fall flavors! Apples, apple butter, cinnamon, and other warming spices paired with nutrient-dense buckwheat and oat flour. The perfect healthy fall snack or breakfast!

If you love apple everything you have to try these apple nachos and this super fun and festive caramel apple bar!

Wake up to a cinnamon-spiced apple muffin bursting with fall flavors. You are going to love this easy, healthy, gluten-free muffin recipe. 

Here’s what you have to look forward to!

• EASY, EASY, EASY – seriously this muffin recipe takes 10 minutes to whip up!
• Apple Forward! Glorious seasonal apples are studded throughout the recipe. This is a double apple spice muffin recipe using apple butter AND fresh seasonal apples
• Super moist and tender thanks to the addition of yogurt!
• Super nutritious – oat flour and buckwheat flour are the stars of this seasonal apple spiced muffin recipe

If you are like me and overbuy apples every fall then you need to add this apple recipe to your repertoire! 

Let’s Get Cooking!

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS

Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found within the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Apples – I love a crisp sweet apple, like Fuji, but any seasonal fresh apple will work. 
• Oat Flour – You can easily make your own oat flour by blending rolled oats until they resemble flour, or you can find oat flour in most grocery stores. You can also substitute for all-purpose flour, but I wanted to make this recipe gluten-free and bursting with nutrition from every single wholesome ingredient!
• Buckwheat Flour – Buckwheat flour is one of the most nutrient dense flours on the market but the flavor can be bitter and a bit of an acquired taste. However, when you sub in a small amount of buckwheat flour in this recipe you get the benefit of the nutrition and only a hint of the earthy, perfectly fall flavor. If you haven’t tried baking with buckwheat flour yet I highly recommend trying it, I am loving this brand from Big Bold Health.
• Eggs – Large organic eggs are best.
• Yogurt  – I used a dairy-free yogurt in this recipe but any yogurt would do.
• Almond Butter – Adding almond butter to muffins and quick breads is one of my secrets to creating perfectly moist gluten-free baked goods. Don’t skip this ingredient.
• Maple Syrup – Maple syrup and apples are besties, I love how the maple flavor plays off of the tart and sweet apples.
• Apple Butter – This is a double apple recipe using fresh and seasonal apple butter which is nothing more than cooked down apples with spices. Like thinner applesauce. You can sub in apple sauce, purchase apple butter from your favorite market or make your own with this recipe. 
• Vanilla Extract  – 
• Spices – ground cinnamon and ground cardamom provide that quintessential apple cinnamon fall flavor explosion.

If you’d like to learn more about alternative baking flours you can read my post that outlines every flour I use on this website including why and how I use them. 

TOOLS

• High-Speed Blender or Food Processor (to make oat flour or just purchase oat flour)
• 12 Cup Muffin Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Muffin Cups

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

These muffins are as easy as they are delicious! Follow these simple instructions to whip up a batch and follow the pro-tips below to master this recipe in a snap!

• STEP ONE: Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl and using a whisk blend until well incorporated
• STEP TWO: Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine

• STEP THREE: Combine wet and dry ingredients
• STEP FOUR: Prepare apples by peeling, coring, and dicing. Toss with cinnamon and cardamom.

• STEP FIVE: Fold spiced apples into batter

• STEP SIX: Pour muffin batter into a muffin tray to 3/4 full. Sprinkle top with turbinado sugar (optional). Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Expert TIPS

• GLUTEN-FREE BAKING – I find that using a mix of flours provides the best gluten-free baked good results. In this recipe, I used a combination of oat flour and buckwheat flour.
• MEASURING THE FLOUR – The best way to measure flour is with the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top using a knife. Do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup. This method panks the flour down and you will end up using more flour than what the recipe calls for.
• DON’T OVER MIX – When using oat flour be cautious of overmixing the batter. Oat flour can quickly become gummy and produce a glue-like texture in your muffin. This is not delicious. Mix until just combined.
• DAIRY-FREE BAKING – This recipe is also dairy-free, I used coconut-based yogurt rather than milk-based yogurt. Some of my favorite dairy-free, coconut-based yogurts are Siggi’s Dairy Free, Anita’s Yogurt, CocoYo, and CocoJune.

STORAGE and FREEZING

Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Freeze for up to 6 months.

DIETARY MODIFICATIONS

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy free, and vegetarian

• Vegan – Use flax or chia eggs in place of eggs 
• Low Fodmap – This recipe is low-fodmap friendly if you tolerate apples and maple syrup

For similar tasty dishes, check out my Thanksgiving recipes, healthy fall recipes, gluten-free baking recipes, January recipes and September recipes roundups!

I can’t wait for you to try this Healthy Apple Spice Muffin Recipe! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo! 

If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!