Healthy Apple Muffins (No Added Sweetener, Paleo)

Healthy Apple Muffins are grain-free and naturally sweetened with fruit. This paleo apple muffin recipe is oil-free, dairy-free and contains no added sweeteners!  Light, fluffy and warmly-spiced with cinnamon, this delicious apple cinnamon muffin recipe is a lovely breakfast or snack!

As you may have seen in my Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Brownies and Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Muffin Cups, I’ve been using ripe bananas for sweetening baked goods. 

Depending on what else is in the treat, sometimes the banana flavor peeks through and sometimes it doesn’t at all!

In the case of these muffins, you do get both banana and apple flavors shining through with that warm cinnamon for a cozy, comforting fall treat.

Even more intriguing is the fact that only 6 ingredients are needed for these luscious babes! PLUS, you’d never know they’re all-things gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and nutritious.

Let’s discuss these healthy apple muffins further, shall we? You can find the full list of ingredients at any grocery store.

Ingredients for Healthy Apple Muffins:

Ripe Bananas: These apple muffins are entirely sweetened with fruit! Two ripe bananas and one apple to be specific. Be sure your bananas are plenty ripe, with a lot of brown spots. This signifies they will be very sweet and moist.

The moisture and creaminess of ripe bananas help make a baked good extra tasty. When mashed, the bananas should measure out to 1 cup.

If you don’t like bananas or are allergic, I provide a banana-free version of this recipe below.

Fresh Apples: One medium-sized apple gets peeled then grated up for both sweetness and apple flavor. You can use your favorite apple, but I typically go with gala apples, pink lady apples, or fuji apples. Granny smith apples are customary, because they bring tart flavor to this healthy apple muffin recipe.

Large Eggs: Used for holding the muffins together and making them nice and fluffy, we use a couple of eggs. 

Almond Flour: The grain-free flour of choice in these paleo apple muffins is super fine almond flour. Almond flour makes the texture nice and light. It contains healthy fats, fiber, and a small amount of protein.

Ground Cinnamon: Making the muffins taste like fall exploded all up in them, ground cinnamon gives warm flavor and enhances the apple experience as well. If you have apple pie spice, use it here instead!

Baking Powder & Sea Salt: Baking powder helps leaven the muffins and sea salt brings out the flavors. It also makes the muffins taste sweeter without the need for added sugar.

Optional Add Ins: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, raisins, and/or top with unsweetened shredded coconut! 

Recipe Adaptations:

• Use hazelnut flour instead of almond flour. Don’t replace the almond flour with coconut flour because coconut flour requires more eggs and liquid than almond flour, so the whole recipe will require adjustments.
• Add 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for a nutty crunch.
• For sweeter muffins, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or your favorite granulated sweetener.

Let’s bake a batch!

How to Make Healthy Apple Muffins:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tray with 9 paper liners.

Mash the bananas in a measuring cup until very creamy. Be sure you have around 1 cup of mashed banana. 

Transfer the mashed banana to a mixing bowl and add the eggs and grated apple. Whisk the wet ingredients together until very well-combined.

In a separate bowl or measuring cup, stir together the almond flour, sea salt, baking powder, and ground cinnamon until the dry ingredients are combined.

Transfer the flour mixture to the mixing bowl with the banana-apple mixture and stir well until combined.

Fill the muffin holes up ¾ of the way full with muffin batter. Feel free to sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on tops of the muffins.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and feel firm when gently poked. Insert a digital thermometer into the center of one of the muffins. They are ready when they are 190 degrees F or higher in the middle.

Allow muffins to cool at least 30 minutes in the muffin tin before unwrapping and eating.

Enjoy a muffin warmed up with melted butter and some Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for a balanced breakfast. 

Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

And that’s it! These almond flour apple muffins are a good choice for those who love a sweet treat but like keeping it mindful.

More Healthy Muffin Recipes:

• Grain-Free Morning Glory Muffins
• Avocado Chocolate Muffins
• Gluten-Free Blueberry Sourdough Muffins
• Paleo Butternut Squash Muffins
• Coconut Flour Cranberry Orange Muffins
• Paleo Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Paleo Hummingbird Muffins

Healthy apple cinnamon muffins for life!

Healthy Apple Muffins

4.47 from 49 votes

Grain-free apple cinnamon muffins with no added sweetener! These moist and delicious apple cinnamon muffins are the perfect breakfast or snack.

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Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 9 muffins

Equipment

• Muffin Tin

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized ripe bananas 1 cup mashed
• 1 medium-sized apple peeled and grated
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups finely ground almond flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour optional*
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tray with 9 muffin papers.
• Mash the bananas in a measuring cup until very creamy. Be sure you have around 1 cup of mashed banana. Transfer the mashed banana to a mixing bowl and add the eggs and grated apple. Whisk everything together until very well-combined.
• In a separate bowl or measuring cup, stir together the almond flour, sea salt, baking powder, and ground cinnamon until combined. Transfer the flour mixture to the mixing bowl with the banana-apple mixture and stir well until combined.
• Fill the muffin holes up ¾ of the way full with muffin batter. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and feel firm when gently poked. Insert a digital thermometer into the center of one of the muffins. They are fully cooked if they are 190 degrees F or higher. Allow muffins to cool at least 30 minutes before unwrapping.

Notes

*While the tapioca flour is not mandatory, it results in a more traditional muffin texture. Without it, the muffins are a little grainy, and with it, they taste like they are made with regular flour.

 

For sweeter muffins, add 1 to 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, maple sugar, or coconut sugar to the recipe.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1of 9 · Calories: 197kcal · Carbohydrates: 16g · Protein: 7g · Fat: 12g · Fiber: 3g · Sugar: 8g

Author: Julia

Course: Breakfast, Muffins, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond flour, banana bread, breakfast, dairy free, grain free, healthy, oil free, paleo

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I Make These Muffins Without Banana?:

You certainly can! If you aren’t into banana, don’t have any on hand, and/or are allergic, no sweat. Omit the bananas and replace them with 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled) and 1/4 cup pure maple syrup. Keep everything else in the recipe the same.

What are the best kind of apples for these healthy cinnamon apple muffins?

Any type of apple works here! I personally love sweet apples like envy apples, honeycrisp apples, and fuji apples. Tart apples work great too, as they tend to add more of a classic apple flavor. Use the apples you love most during apple season.

Can I do apple chunks instead of grating the apple?

Yes, absolutely! Simply chop the apple into very small pieces. Mix in the chopped apples, just as you would the grated apple. 

Can I use AP flour?

Yes. If you prefer baking with regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour, use 1 1/2 cups instead of the almond flour. White whole wheat flour works too for whole grains. If you prefer baking with oats, make my Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins.