Adapted from a well beloved quick loaf, these spice filled muffins boast of ginger, allspice and cinnamon and are crazy moist thanks to having 2 cups of applesauce in them. Soft and extra yummy with vegan butter, these muffins will be a go-to this fall, whether it’s for breakfast, school lunches or after school snacks. These Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins are free of: wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts. They’re vegan and top-8-free as well making them extra allergy-friendly!
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If you’ve been around the blog for a bit, you’ll notice that these look awfully familiar! First of all–thanks for being here so long. And, secondly–you’ll be so glad that I figured out how to make my Applesauce Quick Bread even faster.
I adored the flavors, but waiting for close to an hour for it to bake doesn’t do a hungry tummy well (or my impatience!).
And, since we all know my obsession with allergy-friendly muffins is it really any surprise I went and made these into muffins?
Not to brag or anything–but I love these more than the bread! I think the texture turns out even better since it’s not as deep and wide to cook through. The texture result thanks to all of the moisture the applesauce provides is an ultra moist muffin.
Another thing I love about these muffins? NO EGG REPLACER NEEDED. I REPEAT: NO EGG REPLACER NEEDED. I feel like when I suggest Ener-G egg replacer, people don’t often have that on hand. And, when I suggest flax eggs, some people are allergic to those. So egg allergic people rejoice and save your egg substitutes for another day! The amount of applesauce in this works over time to give moisture, act as an egg replacer, and of course give that wonderful apple flavor!
These soon-to-be-your-next-fall-favorite are divine on their own thanks to all of the spices. And NOOOOOOOOOO I did not just rely on cinnamon. Ug. Recipes that just rely on cinnamon, COME ON. This has ginger and allspice to really give it a punch. Because, if you’re new here, I REALLY enjoy flavor and these will not be one of those “kind of has a hint of XX”. Nope, the spice totally hits your tongue.
However, I do enjoy a big smidgen of vegan butter spread over it. And no, I don’t feel bad about it because half of these muffins are applesauce for crying out loud and the only fat in it is the coconut oil, so BRING ON THE BUTTA.
Lastly–if you’re not one that loves pumpkin (we can still be friends) this is a great way to ring in the fall season without having to eat more pumpkin spice.
May these allergy-friendly Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins be enjoyed with family–no matter their dietary restrictions this fall. (Be sure to share them with another allergy family you know that might need them.)
See how to make the muffins!
I know how helpful it can be to see how to make the recipe from start to finish, so I made a video. The video should auto populate, but if it doesn’t, it is at the bottom of the recipe card. Or, you can always view it on my YouTube channel.
Try some other delicious gluten-free vegan muffins:
All of these muffins are gluten-free and vegan, just like this applesauce muffins! You’ll love the variety and they’re great for brunch, school lunches, or an afternoon snack!
- Oatmeal Brown Sugar Muffins
- Double Chocolate Muffins
- Cinna Swirl Muffins
- Blender Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- SunButter Banana and Honey Muffins
- Banana Muffins
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze
Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins (Gluten, Vegan, Top-8-free)
Adapted from a well beloved quick loaf, these spice filled muffins boast of ginger, allspice and cinnamon and are crazy moist thanks to having 2 cups of applesauce in them. Soft and extra yummy with vegan butter, these muffins will be a go-to this fall, whether it's for breakfast, school lunches or after school snacks. These Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins are free of: wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts. They're vegan and top-8-free as well making them extra allergy-friendly!
Ingredients
- 2 cups applesauce
- ½ cup melted coconut oil or canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. xanthan gum (if not already included in your all purpose gluten-free flour blend)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- 2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease or line a muffin tin.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add in your wet ingredients: cinnamon applesauce, coconut oil and vanilla. Blend.
- Next, add in your dry ingredients, with the mixer on slow: brown sugar, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, ginger and all spice.
- Finally, add in the flour. Stir until just combined, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Scoop evenly into 12 regular sized muffin tins.
- Bake 15-20 minutes, until the edges have loosened from the sides, and the top springs back when you touch it.
- Turn out the muffins and allow to cool.
Notes
*I've used homemade as well as store bought with no problems. I've also used cinnamon applesauce instead of cinnamon if I was in a pinch.
**If you cannot do coconut, use another baking oil like canola.
Be sure to watch the video below to see how to make it.
*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested frequently, are such that we can go strictly by what's on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. And, products may have changed since the time of publication, so always re-read labels once you have them in hand. I cannot assure you of any ingredient's safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family
**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they're OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you've talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 260mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 2g
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Looking for more allergy-friendly muffin recipes? Check out some of my other favorites:
Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
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Konnie
I am new to gluten and dairy free and was really wanting a healthy treat. These came out amazing and will definitely become a regular in my home. Thank you!
Megan Lavin
Welcome to gluten and dairy free cooking. I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. Thanks for the kind comment.
Barb
I made these with only one change. I used half sugar, half Erythritol and they came out great. I even had enough batter to make 6 mini muffins for a snack. I didn’t use the topping as I am watching sugar but I didn’t miss it. I will make these again.
Megan Lavin
I’m so glad to hear of another way to make them. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Katie
Question: what if I wanted to add some protein to these? How would you do that so that the baking consistency was correct?
Megan Lavin
Hi Katie, I’m sorry, but I’ve never been the type to add protein powder to baked goods. I do protein shakes in the morning and count that, so I don’t have any experience to draw from. Wishing you the best and happy baking–Megan
Elizabeth
I used 1.1 gluten free flour and subbed coconut sugar. These came out terrible, could it be the 1.1 flour? They were dense and gooey even with being baked over the suggested time. The flavor was horrible 🙁
Megan Lavin
Hi Elizabeth. I’m so sorry they didn’t turn out. When subbing in other ingredients into already fickle recipes (gluten free vegan) it can really throw things off. Experimenting is hard, sometimes it works when you make changes and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve definitely had wasted recipes too. If you ever want a for sure fire way would be to follow the recipe exactly. And, make sure that when you measure gluten-free flour (make sure the blend is made of rice/potato/tapioca if it’s store bought blend) that you scoop and level, otherwise you end up getting too much flour/too compact. Also, ovens vary, so go by smell and if it bounces back when you touch it, versus exact baking times. Hope those help!
Lisa L Beaudoin
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been looking for a “base” for non-gluten flour and I love this recipe! I don’t want to use sugar or egg and this is perfect as the applesauce makes them soft, a note though. Because I didn’t use I didn’t fill them very full, about 1/3 of the muffin tin. I think some people probably try to fill the tins full and maybe the problem as then they’d need to bake much longer.
But for me they are perfect! — BUT I did improvise. I did NOT use sugar in the recipe as I used sweetened applesauce so added 1/4 cup more flour…I also put in about 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts in the mixture for those who don’t have allergies which give a bit of crunch and added just a sprinkle of coconut palm sugar and finely chopped walnut on top.
Megan Lavin
So glad you were able to make it work for you. Yes, I love that gluten free flour blend for cookies, bars and muffins. Enjoy!
Melisse
First, I wanted to thank you for having all of these recipes! I’m a new (ish) mom of a one year old with several food allergies, and your recipes have been lifesaving! I really appreciate the time that you’ve put into this! Second, this recipe is soooo good! My son loved them. I’ve made them twice with different tweaks (no sugar/more applesauce, different oils or flours, etc) but they’ve turned out great both times!
Megan Lavin
I’m so glad it’s worked for your family Melisse! Thanks for letting me know.
cindy
omg. just made these today because i had some leftover applesauce i wanted to get rid of, and i am obsessed. i’m bookmarking this recipe and expect to make a batch every single week!
Megan Lavin
Hooray! So glad you love them too. Thanks for the feedback.
erica
So so good! I made these to use to some leftover applesauce and I am so happy how delicious the muffins are! I’ma cc terrible terrible but these came out perfectly.
Megan Lavin
Yay! I’m so happy you liked them. Thanks for the feedback.
Nancy
Didn’t enjoy the flavor or the texture. My son had throat surgery so was hoping these would work for him but all it did was stick to his throat which is already painful.
Claire
Thank you for this recipe! I find baking with an egg allergy to be so daunting.. I don’t want to test substitutes and risk things going wrong.
I made a half batch since I’m baking for just two, but these are so delicious I wish I had of done the full dozen! I used all purpose flour and it turned out great. I used unsweetened plain applesauce, so next time I will add more cinnamon for that extra flavour! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
Megan Lavin
Thanks so much Claire. And yes, every type of recipe seems to require a different kind of egg replacer, so I’m happy I could do do the experimenting for you, so that you can just enjoy a good muffin. Stay safe and healthy.
Hannah
Your recipe looks really moist. I would love to try it but don’t have Xanthan gum or gluten free flour. What can I use to substitute Xanthan gum and how much? Also, would it be just as moist if I use regular all purpose flour?
Megan Lavin
Hi! If you don’t need it to be gluten free, you can simply use regular flour and omit the xanthan. Xanthan gum is a necessity when baking gluten free. I hope you enjoy them!
Zaneh
I added dairy free dark chocolate chips to this recipe and my EOE son loveddddddd them. Thank you so much!
Haleigh
Bummed! On a strict TED due to my daughters allergies and followed this to a T. Low and behold, another recipe that left me with sunken-center mush.
🙁
[email protected]
Haleigh, I’m so sorry to hear that. I hate when recipes flop. As you can see, not only I’ve tested and make this recipe constantly, but so have many other people and they enjoy it. I’d like to ask what brands of flour you’re using (I assume you’re using my blend, since you followed it to a T?) and what brand of applesauce you’re using and if you live above or below sea level?
Christa
I have made these multiple times and every time they are soooo good! They also freeze well! Thank you for a great easy recipe!
[email protected]
Thanks so much! I love hearing feedback.
Lash
These are AMAZING! I upped the apple sauce, lowered the oil, used coconut sugar instead and didn’t add xanthan gum and they came out so moist and delicious. Will be making these again and again!
[email protected]
Thanks for letting us know the tweaks you did!
Lauren
Thank you for your tips! I want to make these tomorrow but don’t have xantham gum on hand, and wanted to use a healthier sugar alternative as well.
Mimi Buckles
Thanks for the info on the subs you made. I try to keep low glycemic and low fat and don’t use refined can sugars so glad they came out well for you!. I had xanthan gum but i hardly ever bake so had to throw it out! I’ll give these a try.
Cindy
Can I use “I cant believe it’s not butter” instead of real butter? My sons gf is allergic to butter too. Thanks!
[email protected]
Cindy, thanks for stopping by! And, good for you wanting to make a safe treat. I’ve never used I can’t believe it’s not butter, so I can’t say from experience. Are you wanting to use that instead of coconut oil? I would assume it’d be fine. If you do try it, please come back and comment, so you can help future readers! Happy baking.
T R
I used this recipe and LOVED my muffins!
It made 12 scrumptious, moist & perfectly risen muffins!
Using ingredients I had on hand, I departed from the recipe when I used olive oil, a little more spices than the recipe called for, and spelt flour. I also used fresh Fuji apples and ran them through my Ninja until smoothly pureed.
To add a bit of texture, I topped the muffins off with a crumb topping and chunks of walnuts. YUM!!!
[email protected]
SOO happy to hear that you enjoyed the muffins. And yes, if we could do nuts–that would be an AMAZING topping. Thanks for the feedback.
Tanya
I can’t wait to bake these today! Wondering the best way to store them. Airtight container?
[email protected]
Hi Tanya! Because these are very moist, I usually just cover them with a clean dish cloth. Mine don’t usually last more than a few hours anyways 🙂