Apple and cinnamon dairy-free muffins, made from scratch. Soft and sweet, they are full of warming cinnamon and tender pieces of apple, all topped with crunchy raw sugar. Featuring healthier ingredients like applesauce, oats and coconut oil, they are the perfect dairy-free and egg-free treat for morning or afternoon tea or adding to lunchboxes.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Soft and moist – you don’t have to worry about these muffins being dry. They are light and fluffy on the inside and ultra-moist, thanks to the applesauce, oil and vegan buttermilk.
- LOADS of apple flavour – each bite is filled with fresh apples. There are three kinds of apple here for maximum flavour and just the right amount of sweetness.
- Perfect to enjoy any time – perfect for an easy breakfast, morning tea, lunchbox treat or anytime snack.
- One bowl recipe – for minimal mess and clean up!
- Dietary restriction friendly – made without milk or eggs, this recipe is vegan, dairy-free, refined sugar free and nut-free.
- Freezer-friendly – make a double-batch in the freezer for easy snacks, any time!
Ingredients you will need
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Milk of choice – use whichever type of dairy-free milk you prefer. I like to use rice milk or oat milk, but any plant-based milk will work well. Almond milk can also be used if you don’t need them to be nut-free.
- Vinegar – is added to the milk, to curdle it slightly and make vegan buttermilk. Alternatively, lemon juice can be used.
- Self-raising flour – is plain flour with an added rising agent like baking powder. Also called self-rising flour, it can be found in any supermarket. Or, make your own by adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder for every 1 cup of plain flour and mix well.
- Oats – regular, rolled oats are added for texture and fiber.
- Granny Smith apples – or any variety of baking apples! You will need about 5-6 medium-sized apples for this recipe. Granny Smith apples are perfect because they hold their shape and don’t become mushy when baked. And they have a lovely tart flavour that is perfect in baked goods. Jonathan or Pink Lady are also great additions.
- Applesauce – is used instead of egg, to help bind the muffins together and provide moisture. And it adds even more apple flavour! Use any type of store-bought or homemade applesauce/apple puree.
- Maple syrup – these muffins are not overly sweet. They get their sweetness from the apples and a little maple syrup. The flavour of the maple syrup beautifully complements the other flavours in this recipe. Rice malt syrup can be used instead of maple syrup.
- Coconut Oil – melted or liquid coconut oil is used in place of butter and provides moisture to the muffins. You can also swap for a neutral oil like vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil.
- Raw Sugar – coarse, raw sugar is used only to sprinkle over the top of the muffins before baking. This is optional, but gives them lovely, crunchy tops.
How to make dairy free buttermilk
One of the ingredients that adds moisture and helps the muffins become so fluffy and tender is dairy-free buttermilk. Just like regular buttermilk, this dairy-free version is made by mixing any type of plant-based milk with an acid like white vinegar or lemon juice.
When the vinegar mixes with the milk, it will start to curdle and look a little lumpy. Buttermilk will give the muffins a pleasant tang and the acid will help to tenderise the gluten in the flour, giving them a softer texture.
To make dairy free buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 cup of your preferred dairy free milk. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, until it has curdled. That’s it!
Step by step instructions
Step 1. Make the buttermilk.
To start, we first need to make our “buttermilk”. Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into your milk of choice, stir and set aside to curdle while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients;
Mix the flour, oats, and spices in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Step 3. Mix the wet ingredients;
Squeeze and discard about half of the liquid from the grated apples.
Mix the homemade buttermilk, grated and chopped apple, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla into a large bowl and stir to combine.
Step 4. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients;
Stir until just combined, but don’t over-mix!
Step 5. Bake;
Using an ice-cream scoop, divide the mixture to 12 large or 18 medium-sized muffin holes, sprinkle with a little raw sugar and extra oats. Bake until cooked through (around 12-15 minutes).
Tips for success
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing will give you gummy and dense muffins.
- The diced apple should be cut into very small pieces. Large chunks of apple won’t cook through completely.
- The grated apple will be very wet and hold a lot of liquid. Before adding it to the muffin mixture, gently squeeze about half of the liquid from the grated apple, without draining it completely. It should still feel wet, but not be dripping.
- This recipe makes 12 large muffins, but for smaller lunchbox snacks, the batter can be divided into smaller muffin trays to make 18. Cooking times will vary slightly for smaller muffins.
- For extra texture and flavour, sprinkle the muffin tops with a little raw sugar and a few extra oats before baking.
- You can remove the peel from the apples if you prefer, but leaving it provides extra nutrients and texture.
- I find that using an ice cream scoop is the easiest and neatest way to get the batter into the muffin holes. This way, you can also ensure that all of the muffins are equally sized.
FAQs
When it comes to finding the best apple for baking, choose a crisp, tart variety like Granny Smith. They have a strong flavour and a texture that holds up well in baking. Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Honey Crisp or Pink Lady apples also work well.
Store these muffins at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 24 hours or in the fridge for 5 days.
Rice milk, oat milk and soy milk all curdle well, but almond milk, cashew milk or any other type of non-dairy milk can be used, depending on preference.
Dairy-free muffins can be be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag and stored for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave them at room temperature for an hour, or place them (covered) in the refrigerator overnight.
Related recipes
If you’re loving the look of these healthy apple muffins, check out these other healthy muffin recipes;
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Dairy Free Muffins – Apple and Cinnamon
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk of choice I used rice milk, but soy milk or any other plant-based milk will work.
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¾ cups self raising flour white or wholemeal (whole wheat).
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ½ teaspoon ginger ground
- 900 grams apples About six medium apples. No need to peel. Grate some of the apples to make 1 cup (firmly packed) and then finely dice the remaining apples into very small pieces.
- ¾ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup liquid coconut oil or canola/vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or essence
Optional
- raw sugar, to sprinkle over the top
- extra oats to sprinkle over the top
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180 °C/356 F and grease or line muffin trays (18 holes for medium sized muffins, or 12 holes for larger muffins).
- In a cup or small jug, stir your milk of choice and vinegar together and set aside for a few minutes to curdle while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir all of the dry ingredients (flour, oats, cinnamon, ginger) together until combined.
- Using your hands, squeeze and discard about half of the juice from the grated apple and mix the wet ingredients (buttermilk, grated apple, diced apples, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla) together in a bowl.
- Add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently stir until just combined.
- Divide the mixture between the 18 (or 12) muffin holes. Top with a sprinkle of raw sugar (optional) and/or extra oats and bake for around 12-15 minutes for medium sized muffins, 15-18 minutes for large muffins, or until the muffins are cooked through, fluffy and lightly golden.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and gently place them on a wire rack to cool completely. Handle with care, as they will be soft when fresh from the oven. Enjoy!
Notes
- When it comes to finding the best apple for baking, choose a crisp, tart variety like Granny Smith. They have a strong flavour and a texture that holds up well in baking. Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Honey Crisp or Pink Lady apples also work well.
- Use whichever type of dairy-free milk you prefer. Rice milk, oat milk and soy milk all curdle well, but almond milk, cashew milk or any other type of non-dairy milk can be used, depending on preference.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing will give you gummy and dense muffins.
- The diced apple should be cut into very small pieces. Large chunks of apple won’t cook through completely.
- The grated apple will be very wet and hold a lot of liquid. Before adding it to the muffin mixture, gently squeeze about half of the liquid from the grated apple, without draining it completely. It should still feel wet, but not be dripping.
- This recipe makes 12 large muffins, but for smaller lunchbox snacks, the batter can be divided into smaller muffin trays to make 18. Cooking times will vary slightly for smaller muffins.
- For extra texture and flavour, sprinkle the muffin tops with a little raw sugar and a few extra oats before baking.
- You can remove the peel from the apples if you prefer, but leaving it provides extra nutrients and texture.
- I find that using an ice cream scoop is the easiest and neatest way to get the batter into the muffin holes. This way, you can also ensure that all of the muffins are equally sized.
- Storage; Store these muffins at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 24 hours or in the fridge for 5 days.
- Freezing; Dairy-free muffins can be be frozen in an air-tight container or freezer bag and stored for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave them at room temperature for an hour, or place them (covered) in the refrigerator overnight.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the batter being divided into 18 muffin holes, with one muffin being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional add-ins or sides served with the muffins.
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Nutrition
For more healthy lunchbox recipes, tips and inspiration, check out my ‘60 Healthy Lunchbox Recipes’ ebook‘.
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Update notes: This recipe was originally published in July 2020, but was re-published with new information and photos in March 2022.
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