Paleo Apple Muffins
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Busy mornings call for quick and healthy breakfasts like these paleo apple muffins! They're packed with protein, subtly sweet, and full of cinnamon and apple flavor. They're easy to make, they freeze well, and kids love them too!
For more delicious paleo muffins made with almond flour, try our paleo breakfast muffins and paleo blueberry muffins.
We should start by saying that you don't need to be paleo to enjoy these delicious paleo apple cinnamon muffins. They're what we make when we need a healthy handheld breakfast or snack for busy days. They're hearty enough that you can wrap up ba couple and put them into a backpack or purse for some high-quality nourishment you can feel really good about.
Ingredient notes
This paleo muffin recipe is full of healthy ingredients, and you're likely to have most of them in your kitchen. They also happen to be dairy-free, gluten-free, and grain-free.
- Applesauce: applesauce is basically a 1:1 substitute for oil, and it adds natural sweetness. You can use store-bought applesauce, or try making your own! We typically use bananas to sweeten paleo muffins but applesauce is a delicious swap.
- Coconut oil: we use coconut oil but you can also use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- Almond flour: almond flour (or almond meal) is nutritious and makes a great gluten-free and grain-free alternative to wheat-based flours. For the best results, look for a fine-ground almond flour.
Other ingredients you need for this recipe are eggs, honey, vanilla, spices, sea salt, baking soda, chopped apple, walnuts, and paleo chocolate chips.
How to make paleo apple muffins
These easy paleo apple cinnamon muffins are perfect for meal prep and make convenient breakfasts for busy mornings. Here's how we make them in a couple of simple steps:
- While your oven preheats, line your muffin pan. Start by whisking the eggs in a large bowl, then add in the applesauce, honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla.
- Next, add the spices, sea salt, almond flour, and baking soda. Stir in the diced apple, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Hooray for using just one bowl!
- Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, and pop them in the oven. Let them cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
What to serve with paleo apple muffins
Pair these paleo apple cinnamon muffins with a green breakfast smoothie to keep you fuelled all morning long. These muffins also make a tasty addition to a brunch spread, and they taste great with a coconut turmeric latte or cup of tea.
Also, try this paleo pumpkin bread!
Recipe FAQs
How long do they keep at room temperature?
These muffins are quite moist so we recommend storing them in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. If you store them in the fridge, they'll keep for an extra day or two.
Can I freeze these muffins?
Absolutely! Store them in an airtight container or resealable bag in your freezer for up to a month.
Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?
Yes! Pure maple syrup makes a great substitute for honey.
Can I make these muffins vegan?
We haven't tested making this recipe vegan. If you'd like to try, swap the honey for maple syrup and use flax eggs instead of regular eggs.
What's the best type of apple to use?
You can use any variety of apples. Just keep in mind some apples like Macintosh will be softer when baked, while others like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp will be firmer.
Paleo Apple Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- Ā¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Ā½ teaspoon EACH: ground ginger, cloves, and allspice
- Ā½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Ā½ cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 apple (cored and diced small)
- Ā½ cup EACH: chopped walnuts and paleo chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the apple sauce, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla and whisk again. Add the spices, sea salt, almond flour, and baking soda and whisk thoroughly. Stir in the diced apple, walnuts, and chocolate chips.4 large eggs, 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce, Ā¼ cup honey, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, Ā½ teaspoon EACH: ground ginger, cloves, and allspice, Ā½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 Ā½ cups almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 apple, Ā½ cup EACH: chopped walnuts and paleo chocolate chips
- Add the spices, sea salt, almond flour, and baking soda and whisk thoroughly. Stir in the diced apple, walnuts, and chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, filling them to the very top. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan and letting them cool completely on a cooling rack ā see notes.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our paleo recipes!
I love this muffin recipe! They are wonderful without the honey and less applesauce. I add chai and flax seeds as well and only do half the batch with chocolate chips for my son. Iām not a big fan of spice so I havenāt tried it with those. Thanks for sharing this!!!
Love theseā¦ā¦best gluten free muffins ever. Great combination of spices, super moist. My husband had no idea that they were free of gluten and cane sugar. I added a little extra dried fruit ā¦ dried apricots and unsweetened cranberries instead of the chocolate.Ā
I love them. I just leave out the spices and add it afterwards if I am in the mood for cinnamon.
It is just as delicious afterwards or without at all.
They are simply Delicious.
Best paleo apple muffin recipe I have tried, ever. Thank you š
These were great! Ā I will try cutting the honey in half next time, just to cut back on sugar calories for breakfast ! Ā Did not use nor miss the chocolate chips. Ā Love the idea of adding coconut and /dried cranberries. Ā This is a real winner!
Can’t wait to try this! Can I use a loaf pan instead of muffin pan?
I followed the recipe to the letter and they never finished cooking all the way. š It was like batter in the middle. I used mini muffin pans and the rest I put into a loaf pan and cooked it for an hour. Still not done. I’m not sure what went wrong?? I guess I can put a slice in the toaster oven to try and make it edible.
Cooking anything in a loaf pan takes MUCH longer to cook through. For reference, regular muffins take about 20 minutes vs 1 hour in a loaf pan. It sounds like they need to go back into the oven. š
Kristen, thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
And thank you more for the ‘scale 1x 2x 3x’ what a great idea.
I’ve made the muffins more than three times.
Delicious!Ā
Today, I went over-the-top..hehe..and made the 3x!!!
I filled up a dozen muffin liners (what a pain these liners, even with pam, they
keep sticking all over, I ordered some non-stick liners from Amazon. We’ll see)
and 2 loaf pans!!!
The kitchen, already smells marvelous.
Thank you again.
Try parchment paper liners… theyāre the best!
Try getting new nonstick muffin pans.
My muffin liners never stick and I just simply put them in.
No spray or anything
Any chance these could be made without the honey? Ā Iām eating Whole30 right now and canāt have honey. Ā Just wondering if the texture would be off. Ā I think the applesauce would keep it sweet enough. Just curious! Ā Thanks!
This recipe is very flexible so I think it will work just fine without the honey. š
I stopped adding the honey and instead add dried fruit like raisins or dates and it tastes great. This has become a go to recipe
That’s such a great idea!
Made these today and they were delicious! I omitted the chocolate chips as I wasnāt really feeling for them. They were moist, flavorful, and yummy š
I recently made a very similar recipe using white whole wheat flour and they came out dense and dry, not light and airy like these! Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that the recipe as a hit!