Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins

As we start moving into Fall, I am excited to bring you a refreshed version of these Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins! Made with chia seeds, fresh apples, and olive oil, these muffins are a great school snack!

I also love packing these Spinach Banana Muffins for Toddlers (No Added Sugar!) and these Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins in my kids’ lunch boxes!

*Note: This post was originally published on September 23, 2022, and was updated on September 8, 2023.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

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Refined sugar-free: I love that these eggless apple cinnamon muffins are lightly sweetened with maple syrup, as well as naturally with fresh apples.

Nutrient-dense: These muffins contain chia seeds, which are a nutrition powerhouse! I also mix regular flour with some whole wheat flour to create a healthier muffin, but without compromising flavor.

Kid-approved: My kids LOVE these muffins! Though there is some sugar in them, I still feel pretty good about giving these to my kids versus a regular muffin. And they’re not just kid-approved, they’re adult-approved, too!!

Nut-free: These muffins are nut-free and can therefore be packed in school lunches if your child is in a nut-free classroom or school campus.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffin Ingredients

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Chia seeds: This recipe uses two “chia eggs” to make the muffins vegan. I love how the chia seeds add fiber, protein, and healthy omegas to the muffins!

Flour: Regular all-purpose flour is used for structure. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour instead.

Whole wheat flour: I like incorporating whole wheat flour in baked good recipes as it is better for you and not as processed as regular flour. The flavor is very strong though, so I like to combine a little bit with regular flour so you don’t notice it as much.

Baking powder and baking soda: These are used to help the muffins rise and get them to be light and fluffy!

Cinnamon and nutmeg: for that delicious Fall flavor!

Vanilla: This provides a lovely undercurrent of vanilla flavor to the muffins and complements the cinnamon and apple flavors.

Maple syrup: This recipe calls for 1/3 cup maple syrup resulting in a mildly sweet muffin. These muffins are definitely “healthier” tasting muffins, but I find that they are still sweet enough!

Apples: You can use any apple that you’d like! I leave the skin on the apples when I grate them, but you can peel them if you’d like!

Olive oil: A key ingredient that helps keep the muffins moist! The olive oil gives the muffins a lovely hint of olive oil flavor.

Soy milk: Using soy milk keeps the recipe nut-free, but you can use any plant-based milk or even regular cow’s milk if you don’t want to use soy milk. I have tried it with almond milk and it works well.

How to Make Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins

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STEP 1 – Make the Chia Eggs

Make the chia eggs by combining chia seeds and water. Set aside until it forms a gel-like consistency, about 5 minutes.

STEP 2 – Make the muffin batter

In a large bowl, combine flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Then, in a medium bowl, combine vanilla, maple syrup, shredded apples, olive oil, soy milk, and chia eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine, careful not to overmix.

STEP 3 – Bake the muffins

Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop the muffin batter into a muffin tin lined with muffin liners, filling each one a little below the brim. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, turn down the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for approximately 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean when inserted in the middle of a muffin.

Flour Substitutions

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You can choose to use regular flour in substitution for the whole wheat flour, meaning that you’ll use 1 ¾ cup of regular flour in total. If you’d like to make the recipe gluten-free, you can replace all of the flour with a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill makes.

Muffin Storage Tips

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How to store: You can store these muffins on the countertop for 2-3 days in a ziploc bag or air-tight container. You can preserve them a little longer by keeping them in the fridge.

How to freeze: Allow the muffins to cool completely, remove the liners, and then transfer them to a freezer-safe storage container or ziploc bag and freeze. When you’re ready to eat them, you can heat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or let them thaw on the counter to eat at room temperature. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Muffin Recipes to Try

Spinach Banana Muffins for Toddlers (No Added Sugar!)

Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins

Healthy Sweet Potato Zucchini Muffins

Healthy Vegan Blueberry Muffins

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