Oat Flour Apple Muffins (Cinnamon)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Nov 6, 2018 (last updated May 12, 2026) Made with fresh apples, applesauce, and apple cider, these oat flour apple muffins come together in one-bowl with no mixer. Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, with no refined sugar required!
My Favorite Apple Cinnamon Oat Muffins
These oat flour apple muffins have been on rotation in my kitchen for years, and are definitely a family favorite! The oat flour gives them a hearty, tender crumb that lasts for days and the three sources of apple really bring the flavor: fresh chopped apple folded through the batter, applesauce in place of half the oil, and apple cider added with the wet ingredients.
And a generous tablespoon of cinnamon ties it together into a warm, spice-forward muffin that tastes like the fall in every single bite. Folding the chopped apple in at the very end keeps the pieces distinct rather than smashed into the batter, and dicing them small (about ¼ inch) means every bite gets a piece of fruit without any single bite being all apple.
Serve these apple muffins warm with a smear of butter, alongside coffee for an easy fall breakfast, or packed into lunch boxes for an afternoon snack. They keep at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, and freeze beautifully for up to 3 months in a sealed bag. And when you want the same warm cinnamon-spice profile in dessert form, my healthier old-fashioned apple crisp is the natural next stop. Or, for another one bowl muffin in the same wholesome family, reach for my almond flour pumpkin chocolate chip muffins!
Testing Tips for Moist Flourless Apple Muffins
- Use a firm, tart-sweet apple variety like Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp for the chopped apple folded through the batter. When I tested with Granny Smith, the diced pieces held their shape and gave the muffins distinct tart-sweet bites throughout.
- To make your own oat flour, use whole rolled oats (not quick oats or steel cut) and blend in a high-speed blender or food processor until a fine, even flour forms. For a gluten free version, look for oats specifically labeled gluten free!
- If apple cider isn’t available, apple juice works as a 1-for-1 substitute, though the flavor will be a touch milder
- Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack before transferring them to a sealed container. Oat flour bakes absorb moisture as they cool, and sealing them warm traps steam that softens the tops and shortens their fridge life. A full 30 minutes on the rack is the safe window!
Oat Flour Apple Muffins (Cinnamon)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup melted refined coconut oil, or other neutral flavored oil such as avocado or canola
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 2 ⅓ cups oat flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup finely chopped apple
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and cider.
- Add the oat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir until well incorporated.
- Add the chopped apple, stirring until just combined.
- Fill each section of a 12-section greased or lined muffin tin with roughly ¼ cup batter.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if using, then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely in the pan, then serve or store for later.
Notes
- For gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free oat flour.
- These muffins are super tender, so be sure to grease or line the muffin tin, and allow to cool completely for easy removal.
- Not a fan of chunks? Try grating the apple for a smoother consistency.
I just finished making these on a rainy afternoon in November and they are delish! A perfect balance of sweetness and apple – I followed the recipe exactly and used oat flour that I blended up myself. Great texture, I must say. I’ve been using a lot of almond flour lately, and find it expensive and oh so dense in when used in muffin recipes. I will definitely be making these again! Thanks so much! 🙂
Mary, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one! And I agree, oat flour is such a nice alternative to almond!
Can you make a suggestions for substituting the oil. It has been recommended to me that I do not add oil to may food at this time.
Thank you,
Janet
Hi Janet, I don’t have much experience with oil-free baking so I can’t offer substitutions on this one. You could certainly try this recipe without the oil–I imagine it will be drier and more crumbly, but the almond flour might help keep it moist…
I was tired when I made these and read the recipe wrong, I used apple apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider. Oops! Guess what, they still turned out great! This recipe is really nostalgic for me as my mum & I used to make apple spice muffing together from a mix when I was a child. Thanks Robyn!
Freya, thanks for the report back! So happy to hear you enjoyed these and that they brought back happy memories. Cheers!
Just made these and they’re delicious! I only had 1/3c of applesauce so subbed avocado oil for the rest. Also realized I didn’t have any apples when I got to the apple step (doh!) so subbed a pear. Definitely super delicate when warm (who can wait for the muffins to cool all the way before trying one?!) but they came out fine once cooled. The taste is amazing!
Stephanie, yay, glad these came out with the substitutions. Pear sounds like a lovely option. Yum!
Made these with local apple cider and apples and homemade applesauce. So good! I think my kids would prefer I skip the chopped apples next time, but my husband and I loved them with. I warmed one up with a little butter one morning and it was yummy.
Robyn, ohhhhhhh, local apple cider and apples is the absolute best. YUM! Elle’s the same way about the chopped apple. 🙂 Sometimes I do them in just half. I’ve also thought about grating them instead of chopping to avoid the chunks. Might be worth a try? Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This is a TOTAL winner! I added chopped walnuts. Love the chunky bits of apple.
Lorrie, ohhhh, I love the idea of adding chopped walnuts. I’ll definitely be doing that next time! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
These are delicious!!! Made two weeks in a row, and devoured them FAST! I didn’t have apple cider so I swapped for oat milk. The muffins were a little crumbly but could be because of the difference in liquid. Still, recommend making!
Glad you were able to make these with what you had on hand, Teresa. So glad you enjoyed. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Hello, thank you for this great recipe.
Q. : if I wanted to bake these in a mini-muffin tray mold, what would you recommend decreasing the time to? Assuming it would be the same heat(?)
You’re so welcome, Jacinta! For mini-muffins I’d shoot for 12-15 minutes. I hope you enjoy!