Apple Muffins made with whole wheat flour, oil and agave are an ideal fall snack that will satisfy the whole family. They are not overly sweet, yet full of cinnamon and apple-y flavor. Not only are they filling and nutrient-rich, but they’re also bound to impress everyone eating them because they’re as beautiful as they are delicious. Plus, they are ready in under 30 minutes.
I know you all love a good Spiced Apple Bread and the smell that spreads in your home when baking it. We made a similar thing that is healthier and in individual portions this time. If you love muffins for breakfast, give this recipe a try!
One of the most important things we shouldn't forget when things are hectic is not to skip meals, especially in the morning. I love these easy muffins because they make a perfect on-the-go breakfast and keep me going without lots of processed sugar. The fact that they’re great for breakfast, a snack or even dessert is just a bonus.
And if you are into healthy muffin recipes that fit to the fall season, go check out our Healthy Banana Muffins and Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins.
How to Make
This healthy no butter apple muffin recipe is an eternal favorite because it requires very little work and almost no kitchen equipment. Two bowls, a whisk, a muffin tin and a grater will suffice. As with many similar recipes, the method used here combines all the wet ingredients in one bowl and all the dry ingredients in another before mixing them together. Make sure that you add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, rather than wet to dry, to help evenly incorporate everything and avoid lumps of flour in your muffins.
About The Ingredients
- Sweetener: This recipe uses agave instead of granulated white sugar as a sweetener which has the advantage of having a lower glycemic index. If you prefer to use another sweetener, brown sugar (as we did in the video below), coconut sugar, honey or even maple syrup can be substituted to make these easy apple muffins.
- Flour: The recipe also uses whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour, which will help keep you full longer and adds a depth of flavor. What's more, olive oil and grated apple will help these apple cinnamon muffins keep moist.
- Oil: We use light olive oil in this recipe because we find it lighter than butter in baked treats. If you don’t like the flavor of olive oil, you can prefer coconut oil or sunflower oil which are even lighter and not that noticeable in terms of flavor.
- Flavorings: There are two main ingredients that give a nice flavor to these dairy-free muffins: Apple and cinnamon. We grate the apples before adding into the batter and it works almost like applesauce. If you want to feel the texture of apples, you can fold in some extra diced apples right before pouring it into the liners. In addition to apples, we use cinnamon as a flavoring. These two complement each other wonderfully.
In addition to the ingredients above, you can fold in some nuts as well. Walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts would be our choice.
Tip: Use the juiciest apples you can find so that you won’t need any other wet ingredients. That’s how we don’t use any milk, buttermilk or yogurt in these muffins. If the apples you use are not fresh and juicy enough, your muffins won’t turn out soft and moist.
What Type Of Apples?
FFeel free to use any type of apple, but a crisp red variety, such as a honeycrisp, is ideal. A great rule of thumb is that if you like to eat the apple, you’ll also like it in baked goods. I prefer to leave the apples unpeeled when I grate them as I find that the skin adds a little bit of texture, but you can peel them before grating for a smoother consistency. Just remember to core them as no one likes apple seeds in their breakfast muffins! The same goes for the apple slices on top of the muffins.
Is this a dairy-free recipe?
Yes, the apple muffins are 100% dairy-free because they are made without milk, buttermilk, yogurt or butter. So it is very easy to turn them into vegan muffins. The only thing you need to do is to substitute flax eggs for eggs in this recipe. Don’t know how to make a flax egg? Go check out our Zucchini Bread With Flax Eggs
Regardless of the substitutions you make, these apple muffins are out of this world and will hopefully keep you fueled up for the busy season coming. Let me know how you made them!
More Apple Desserts
- Compote Apple
- Healthy Baked Apples Stuffed With Walnuts
- Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices In Oven
- Turkish Apple Cookies
- Easy Apple Plum Cake Recipe
- Apple Brownie Recipe
- Apple Cupcake Recipe
- Cinnamon Apple Bars
More Fall Muffin Recipes
PrintNo Butter Apple Cinnamon Muffins
So refreshing, soft and light apple muffins without butter and sugar. Made with whole wheat flour, these keep you full for a long time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 15 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup agave (maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 and ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup apple, grated (I used 2 apples)
- 2 apples, thinly sliced for topping
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Mix eggs and agave until smooth.
- Add in olive oil and continue mixing.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Add these to the wet mixture and mix with a spatula.
- Fold in grated apple.
- Share batter into muffin liners, top with thin apple slices and sprinkle cinnamon over them. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Check if they are done with a toothpick.
- Remove the muffin tin from oven and let it cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 8.3 g
- Sodium: 54.4 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.4 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 37.2 mg
Keywords: apple muffins, apple cinnamon muffins, healthy apple muffins
This post was published in 2013 and has been updated with new pictures and additional information.
ummuRayna says
I was looking something special with cinnamon for a special friend that is in love with cinnamon.I think i find it,thanks to you dear 🙂 Greetings from Albania 😀
★★★★★
Louise says
Easy to make, easy to bake, lovely texture but I won't be making them again, serious lack of flavour even though they have a ton of sugar in them (almost 5 oz) the consensus of opinion of the tasters all said they were plain, no depth to the flavour, sorry.
★★
Becky Flammang says
What is the hamur kabartma kozu? I don't see it in the recipe. Can't wait to try this recipe.
Zerrin says
It is baking powder.
marla says
Beautiful muffins Zerrin!
Zerrin says
Thank you Marla!
Samah@Good Cooks says
So delicious and sure light, I like when add olive oil in the batter instead of butter just to make more healthy too.
Simply Tia says
These muffins look divine. I could imagine how the house smelled as they were baking. YUM!
Zerrin says
Hi Tia! Thank you! Our home was smelling so good that we thought even our neighbors felt it!
Rosalie says
What temperature? They look delicious!
Zerrin says
Hi Rosalie! Thanks for asking, I forgot to add it! I've just added in the recipe that you need to bake it at 170C.
Monet says
How did you know I had a whole bunch of apples that needed to be baked into something delicious? I love muffins, and I'm always eager for a new recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Zerrin says
Glad to hear that Monet! I know you love baking and this is really a good way to use the apples in hand!
Cristina says
Luvin' this recipe, Zerrin. Uses olive oil and lemon (yum!) and best/most of all...they're muffins. Like that scalloped muffin pan you're using. Of all things in baking, I love to bake up muffins! Savin' this recipe to make for sure. 😉
Zerrin says
Hi Cristina! Olive oil and lemon make these muffins wonderfully light!Hope you love these as much as my colleagues when you try!
the food dude says
Wow, the apple tarts look delicious! Great photos too!
Zerrin says
Thank you! They really were! Still trying to improve the photography here and my husband generally takes the role of shooting.
Reeni says
These are gorgeous Zerrin! How lucky your colleagues are to enjoy your delicious baking! Hope your week is going good!
Zerrin says
Thank you Reeni! I felt so proud when I heard all those positive feedbacks! The best part of cooking and baking, right?
TasteofBeirut says
we have so many apples in the veggie bin and I often want to make something with them so this is a perfect option! thanks!
Zerrin says
Hi Joumana! These are great to use apples waiting to be eaten!
Rosa says
Lovely muffins! They must taste really good. Apples pair so well with cinnamon.
Cheers,
Rosa
Zerrin says
Thank you Rosa! Cinnamon definitely goes perfect with cinnamon.
Alex says
Zerrin those apple muffins are delectable, more with the perfect and heavenly pictures. The first image deserves to be hung as a work of art on the wall 🙂
And yes, I want to have a bite!
Zerrin says
Thank you Alex! They were so good that one bite will never be enough!