Vegan Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins

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Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins — These apple cinnamon muffins are studded with BIG chunks of apple! They’re so easy to make and are perfect for a quick snack or breakfast to-go.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins recipe

Easy Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I’m on a muffin kick the past couple weeks. First pumpkin, now apple. How’s that for seasonally-appropriate? Both are vegan, but you’d never know it because they sure don’t taste like health food. I love it when I don’t have to compromise on taste or texture, even without using eggs or butter, and can create a healthier-than-the-originals recipe.

They’re full of chunky apple pieces and are spiced with cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg, which gives them a nice pop. I’m a cinnamon fan, so I used 3 teaspoons. It’s not over-powering and I think apples can really stand up to spices. In fact, I’d probably use more next time.

These vegan muffins are fast and easy to make, you don’t need a mixer, and ready in under a half hour. To replace the egg, I used one large banana. Bananas, pumpkin, and avocado are workhorses in vegan baking for the moisture, richness, and softness they help create.

These apple muffins are springy, bouncy, soft and fluffy, with the right amount of density. Light enough, but not airy. The smell while they bake is heavenly, from the cinnamon, nutmeg, apple, banana, and coconut oil. Your house will smell like a fall-scented candle, minus the candle.

If you’ve ever forgotten to pick up eggs or ran out of butter, don’t worry. You won’t miss them in these apple cinnamon muffins. 

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins on countertop

What’s in Apple Cinnamon Muffins? 

For this vegan muffin recipe, you’ll need: 

  • Apples
  • All-purpose flour
  • Cinnamon
  • Banana
  • Granulated sugar
  • Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • Coconut oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Baking powder
  • Salt

Vegan Apple Muffin cut in half and stacked on itself

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Muffins

To make these vegan apple cinnamon muffins, you’ll first need to dice the apples and toss them with a little cinnamon and flour. This gives the apples a little flavor and prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins while they’re baking. 

To make the muffin batter, simply combine the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, then combine the two. Gently fold in the diced apple, and divide the batter between 12 greased muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle the top of each muffin with turbinado sugar and additional cinnamon before baking. 

These muffins need to bake until they’re domed on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let them cool in the muffin pan for roughly 15 minutes before removing them and allowing them to cool on a wire rack. 

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins on plate

Is There a Banana Substitute I Can Use? 

The banana flavor isn’t noticeable, but it adds fluff to the batter like an egg would. Applesauce could likely be substituted, although I haven’t tested it. I suspect the muffins won’t be as soft and tender with applesauce as with a banana.

Is There a Coconut Oil Substitute I Can Use? 

These apple cinnamon muffins don’t taste like coconut, and even if you don’t like coconut, I suggest using coconut oil anyway. It adds a flavor undertone you can’t put your finger on, and lends a subtle richness that’s so comforting. Sub with canola or vegetable oil if you must.

two vegan muffins stacked on top of each other

Can I Make This as a Quick Bread? 

I suspect this apple muffin recipe would work as mini-loaves, adding about 5 minutes to the baking time. It likely would work as one large 9×5 loaf as well, and would probably take 45 to 60 minutes at a reduced oven temp of 350F, but I haven’t tried it myself. 

What Are the Best Apples for Muffins? 

You can use any apple you’d like in these apple cinnamon muffins! I used a large Fuji apple, but any crisp apple will do. Other great baking apples include Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Crispin, and Jonagold. 

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffin cut in half

Can I Use Another Type of Milk? 

Yes, any milk (non-dairy or cow’s milk) will work in this recipe. Just note that you should use an unsweetened milk, otherwise your apple muffins will turn out far too sweet. 

Can I Make These Muffins Gluten-Free? 

I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure. However, some readers have reported success making these muffins with a one-to-one gluten-free flour substitute. Give it a try, it might work! 

three Vegan Apple Muffins stacked on top of each other

Can I Double This Recipe? 

Most likely, yes. Just keep in mind that you’ll want to actually measure out the mashed banana and diced apple, as too much moisture in the batter can make it runny (it’s easy to mess up the batter when doubling a recipe!). 

Can I Use Another Type of Fruit?

You may be able to add diced pears or another fruit with a similar consistency to apples, but generally I would stick to using apples for this recipe. If you’re looking for more fruit muffin recipes, check out my muffin recipe archive for some great ideas! 

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffin

How to Store Apple Cinnamon Muffins

These vegan apple muffins can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. You’ll need to keep them in a cool spot in an airtight container. 

You can also freeze these muffins quite easily for up to 6 months. Just let them cool completely before sealing them inside a freezer bag or another freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen apple cinnamon muffins, either let them come to room temperature on your countertop, or microwave them for 15-second intervals until they’re heated through. 

stack of Vegan Muffins

Tips for Making Apple Cinnamon Muffins

When making the batter, you may need to add extra flour if the batter looks a little runny. Depending on how juicy your apples and mashed banana are, your batter may look perfect, or it may be a little thin. If it seems too runny, add the extra flour in a tablespoon at a time until your batter seems right. 

Also note that when making the batter you’ll want the milk (whatever kind you use) to be room temperature. If the milk is too cold, it may cause the melted coconut oil to re-solidify, and you’ll wind up with chunks of oil in the batter. 

Lastly, after scooping the batter in my muffin pan, I topped each muffin with a few reserved apple chunks because I wanted the visual appeal of seeing hearty apple pieces crowning the soft muffins. The apples soften while baking, and take on a chewier texture, but still have some snap and faint crunch. Their juices release, and it helps the muffins stay soft and moist.

Vegan Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins - You'll never miss the eggs or butter in these easy, healthy muffins loaded with apples & cinnamon!

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Yield: 12 muffins

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Vegan Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins

These apple cinnamon muffins are studded with BIG chunks of apple! They're so easy to make and are perfect for a quick snack or breakfast to-go.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

Apples

  • 1 1/2 cups apple, diced small + 1/4 cup apple, diced small, reserved for topping (I used 1 large unpeeled Fuji, and it yielded about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Batter

  • 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (other milks may be substituted including coconut, soy, rice, cow), at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (vegetable or canola oil may be substituted)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste
  • pinches turbinado sugar, optional for sprinkling
  • pinches cinnamon, optional for sprinkling

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan very well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan; set aside. (I don’t prefer the cosmetic look of muffin liners and I am not sure if the paper will stick to the muffins).

Prep the Apples

  1. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups apples, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and toss to coat. The flour helps prevent apples from sinking during baking; set aside.

Make the Batter

  1. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
  2. Add the sugar, milk (room temp milk will prevent coconut oil from re-solidifying; if it does anyway, some small clumps are okay), oil, vanilla, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, and whisk until combined.
  3. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix. Batter is quite thick and if yours is seemingly too thick, add a tiny additional splash milk to thin it.
  4. Fold in 1 1/2 cups apples and any loose flour in bottom of bowl.
  5. Divide batter equally among the cavities of the prepared pan. Each cavity will be about 3/4 full. Spraying a one-quarter cup measure with cooking spray so the batter slides right off is handy here.
  6. Using the reserved 1/4 cup diced apples, top each muffin with a couple pieces, divided equally.
  7. Optionally add a pinch of turbinado sugar and pinch of cinnamon to each muffin top.
  8. Bake for about 17 to 18 minutes, or until tops are domed, puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs dangling but no batter. Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 10 to 15 minutes before removing and placing on a rack to cool completely.

Notes

Muffins will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 93mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 1g

More Vegan Muffin Recipes: 

Fluffy Vegan Coconut Oil Banana Muffins — These Vegan Banana Muffins are extra fluffy and moist thanks to the combination of coconut oil and ripe bananas in the batter. This is a quick and easy muffin recipe you’re bound to love!

Fluffy Vegan Coconut Oil Banana Muffins averiecooks.com

The Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins — These are the BEST blueberry muffins I’ve ever had, vegan or otherwise. An avocado replaces the butter (and much of the oil) you’d typically add to muffin batter.

The Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Trail Mix Muffins — These muffins are hearty, sweet enough without being too sweet, and full of tons of chewy texture in every bite from the raisins and oats.

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Trail Mix Muffins

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins – Fast, EASY, one bowl, no mixer muffins!! You’d never guess they were vegan!

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins – Accidentally vegan muffins that are bursting with authentic carrot cake flavor!

Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins

Skinny Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins – One bowl, no mixer muffins that are on the SKINNIER side!! Loaded with CHOCOLATE in every bite!

Skinny Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins — These are some of the best pumpkin muffins I’ve ever had, vegan or not, and I’ll put them up against muffins made with eggs and butter.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

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Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. I made the apple muffins. Usually, I don’t like vegan baked goods, but these came out really well. Using banana as the ‘glue’ works so much better than ‘flax eggs’. Plus, they have a cinnamon-y yumminess.

    Rating: 5
  2. Thank you for the recipe, those muffins are soooooooo good I ate three in a row.I changed the recipe a bit to make it more healthier so instead of using white sugar I used raw cane sugar, and I mixed whole wheat and all purpose flour. The original recipe included bananas but I didn’t have any so I used a homemade apple sauce.I garnished some of them with diced small apples and some cinnamon (just like what suggests in the original recipe), some with whole oats, and some with shredded almonds.I really loved this recipe the muffins were flavorful and they were crunchy outside and moist on the inside, a perfect combination. :) Thanks again,Zainab

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that applesauce worked rather than bananas and that you love the muffins!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it came out great with soy milk, avo oil, and no salt!

  3. Just made these and they turned out great! Nice texture and flavour.  I used parchment muffin liners and they didn’t stick at all.

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and good to know they didn’t stick at all with parchment liners.

  4. I made this using 1/2 cup of applesauce as I didn’t have any bananas and they turned out amazing! Still nice and moist on the inside but a bit crispier on top which I love. I also used coconut sugar instead as it’s a bit less sweet which I prefer.

    Rating: 5
  5. So yummy! These muffins are fluffy, moist, and not dense like a lot of vegan goods are. Super flavorful but not too sweet. Will definitely make again.

    Rating: 5
  6. Super amazing apple muffins! Glad I could find a really solid vegan recipe (just getting into vegan baking). Made these for work and then for a camping weekend, everyone loved them, tons of compliments. Definitely very moist & delicious. I followed the recipe as is, except I shook the cinnamon & (to a lesser extent) nutmeg shakers w/reckless abandon, which probably added much more than what the recipe called for but made it extra tasty in my opinion. Oh, and instead of full size muffins, I made mini muffins at 375 degrees for about 10 ish minutes, just because I like how snackable mini muffins are. Can’t wait to try the pumpkin and blueberry versions!

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I glad these are getting tons of compliments and I totally agree, mini muffins are sooooo snackable!

  7. I just made them for my sister’s birthday tomorrow and they turned out very well!I used gluten-free flour and 1,5 tbsp apple sauce instead of the banana because I don’t like the banana taste in baked goods. Also I didn’t have almond milk so I used rice milk instead.I put the leftover apple slices on top of the muffins and sprinkled them with brown sugar to get something like a caramelized taste + look and it worked out very well!After ~20mins in the oven I took them out and they were soft with a slightly crunchy top (due to the sugar + apple slices) which I really like!Great and easy recipe for cinnamon-lovers, not too unhealthy like cupcakes e.g. and still you can make them look very nice and not basic at all!I sometimes find it hard to bake vegan muffins/cakes since the texture and/or taste often don’t fit my expectations, but these apple-cinnamon-muffins definitely did!Easy, tasty, cruelty free, I love it!

    Rating: 5
      1. My family loved them too, even my picky grandma! ;-) They asked for the recipe immediately! <3

  8. These were delicious – thank you! I didn’t have a banana so I used flaxseed meal and a few tablespoons of chia seeds. I add light brown sugar instead of white sugar as well. They turned out super moist and delicious.

    Rating: 5
  9. I made these muffins and they turned out quite well! I added 1/2 cup of rolled oats to mine because of concerns for thin batter, and I used applesauce (no bananas on hand). Admittedly, I forgot to coat the apples with flour, but they were still well distributed. Thank you for the recipe, it’s excellent!Just a note, I calculated the calories per muffin (assuming one makes 12 total muffins) and I got about 160 calories apiece (175 with oats), which is much lower than the calculated value from the Nutrition Information button. Did I miscalculate something?

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you loved the muffins!

      The nutrition stats listed are a computer generated program and not always perfect.

  10. They are in the oven, the batter was very very thin. I am kinda worried these will never firm up. The batter tastes amazing though!

  11. Hi Avery! Thanks so much for this delicious recipe. I have the triple-challenge in baking in my kitchen: high altitude (5000+ ft), celiac disease (so everything gluten-free) and now we have chosen to go with a primarily plant based diet. I made this quickly this morning using less baking powder for the altitude (1-1/2 tsp), and GF flour for the all-purpose flour. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry and forgot my go-to baking trick for GF baking and they turned out gummy in the center… totally my fault. But even so, THEY TASTED AMAZING and no one is complaining about the texture. Next time I will use 3/4 cup GF flour and 1/4 cup almond meal (that’s my trick that has so far worked every time for changing a non-GF baking recipe successfully). I will try them again next weekend with that adjustment and let you know how it goes (for any other vegan celiacs 🙂). Thanks again!

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this recipe fits the bill for you and yes you do have a triple baking challenge going on but glad these work for you. Thanks for sharing what you did, I’m sure others reading it will find it helpful.

  12. These were very easy to make and absolutely delicious! I didn’t have bananas on hand so I subbed 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and they are perfect for fall! Also I used vegetable spread instead of coconut oil to make it less greasy, lower calorie, and to prevent that unfortunate solidification while I’m trying to mix up everything! They make great muffins and you’ll probably want to double the recipe otherwise you’ll eat them up before you know what happened! Last time I tried doubling and used the other half to make a loaf of bread instead and it was heavenly! 10/10 would recommend this recipe to Anyone!

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for saying that these are a 10 out of 10 for you! Glad that you were able to make bread from the recipe as well!

  13. I sibbed out the banana with applesauce and it worked just as well! Super soft and delicious! My baby is going crazy for them!

    Rating: 5
  14. Hello! I’m keen to try this recipe, but I have a friend who is allergic to banana. Would a chia egg work in this case? Or would you recommend I use avocado? Another friend of mine who will eat this is allergic to nuts (I know, I know) so I wanna use coconut milk. Would it make the muffin taste too, er, coco-nutty? Thanks, from a vegan cooking newbie x

    1. I have only made the recipe as written and the only way to know if something will work when baking is to try it out. Good luck!

    2. I know it’s way too late, but for all the people who ask themselves this question to come: 1,5tbsp apple sauce works great as a substitute for the banana.

  15. Hi Averie! Just wanted to let you know what I made this recipe last night, and my husband and daughter absolutely love the muffins! My daughter said they are the best I’ve made so far.

  16. This recipe is delicious. It bake time I needed was 25 minute. I can’t share enough how yummy I find it. Thank you.

  17. Modified the recipe to substitute aquafaba for the banana and milk. It was a little too wet, so they didn’t form a great muffin top, but the cake was beautifully moist and scrumptious! I’ll play around with the portions to make it better, but it’s really satisfying to finally have a good vegan muffin recipe?

    1. Sounds like you were still successful! I have never made anything with aquafaba (read lots about it) so good for you for trying!

  18. Great muffins. My family really enjoyed them. Next time I make them I will put less nutmeg. As it seem to take over all the flavors.

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! Some brands of nutmeg can be very intense, I know what you mean, so just scale it back a bit.

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that you’ll make it again!

    1. It’s not a typo. When baking with fruit, no two apples or whatever it is will be the exact same in size, juiciness, etc. and if you need a touch more flour to get the batter to the right consistency, then add it based on your common sense.

  19. I needed a vegan muffin that was kid-friendly for a family brunch and these were perfect!  They were so soft, and I loved the big chunks of apple.  They were a hit with everyone!

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that they were a hit with everyone!

  20. Hi, love the sounds of your muffins but I am wondering if you tried subbing coconut sugar for granulated for a healthier alternative, would it effect the flavor? Or even brown sugar, I don’t keep white sugar in the house. Thanks!!

    1. I haven’t tried making any substitutions but you could probably use brown sugar noting that it’s moister than white sugar so you may need to adjust the baking time and/or dry ingredient ratios.

  21. I doubled this recipe, and I’m 98% sure I didn’t miss anything, but my batter was super runny. It was not because of the apples since it was runny before I added them to the mix. Maybe the bananas, maybe I put a little bit more than necessary? I baked the muffins anyway, and they are really good, love the strong cinnamon and nutmeg taste. They were a bit too sweet I think, a bit oily, and definitely overly moist – next time I’ll add more flour if I see the batter is runny, I’ll try to put a little less coconut oil, and skip the turbinado on top or put less sugar in the mix. But still, one pan was sent to my daughters’ school, and one pan was devoured in seconds. :0)

    1. Sometimes doubling isn’t always as easy as ‘just double it’ and that could be one thing but also if you think the banana was over-added a bit that could do it and extra ripe bananas are also sweeter and runnier and so maybe that was the case with the batter and the sweetness. But overall if a double batch is devoured in seconds, I call that a success!

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and they freeze beautifully!

  22. Just made these, they are in the oven. My mixture was really runny too, so added more flour so it could be spooned in. I am going to try swap out some of the flour for wholemeal or add some bran next time!! 

    1. Apples can really vary in their moisture content and sometimes they leak quite a bit of moisture into the batter right away, and I would say you just had some juicy apples and that yes, next time if you feel like the batter is on the thin side, just add more flour or dry ingredients and you should be all set!

  23. I made the apple muffins and my batter was super runny. I added more flour and some oats to get the consistency I wanted and they were delicious.

    1. Good job tweaking on the fly. Not sure why it was runny but all ingredients vary and glad you got it to the right consistency and they turned out great!

  24. These muffins are very good. I made them when a friend who is vegan was visiting. Everyone enjoyed the muffins, even the nonvegans.

  25. Hi Averie,

    I just wanted to let you know that I tried out this recipe and posted about it on my blog. They tasted great although they didn’t look as pretty as your turned out. Oh well, I can’t say I’m all that great of a baker.
    I will be back to test out more of your recipes. They all look and sound delicious!

    xoxo
    Ana Luiza

  26. The tablespoon measures should be exact and not approximate as there are supposed to be 16 tablespoons in a cup. ;)

    But, oh, eggs! Yes, eggs are hard to divide and can never be perfectly precise. What I do to quarter an egg is beat the egg and split it between two identical plastic cups, and then I eyeball it and pour from one to the other until they seem even. I then pour one cup into a small bowl and split the other half between the cups to get quarter-eggs. One quarter goes in the bowl with the half-egg (which then gets microwaved and eaten. Nothing goes to waste!) and the other quarter goes into the recipe.

    So, yeah, eggs have to be eyeballed so their measurements are approximate. But then again, even with whole eggs it’s not exact since eggs are never exactly identical, are they?

  27. Wow, what great flavor! I quartered the recipe and made a few muffins and ate them all warm. That was my dinner. (Very healthy, I know . . . but I also ate the rest of the apple (I’d used about half) and half a green pepper while these were baking.) Anyway, they were delicious! Perfect little autumn muffins. And mine came out so wonderfully moist, too!

    Thank you for sharing.

    1. That’s great you were able to quarter the recipe! And that you had muffins for dinner. I love the way you think and I see it as far better than say…a big baked potato. And so glad you tried them & told me you were able to really reduce the batch size. I will keep this in mind for others who ask!

      1. I’m just by myself so I’m always majorly scaling everything down. :D It does get confusing if you’re not used to it, though. For instance, sometimes cups have to get changed to tablespoons because you can’t exactly work with 16ths of cups. So in this recipe (quartered), 3/4 cup of sugar becomes 3 tablespoons and 1/3 cup of oil (I used canola) becomes 1 1/3 tablespoons, in case anyone wants to know the conversions.

        Oh, and a tablespoon of vanilla becomes a 1/4 tablespoon, a measurement for which there is no measuring spoon as far as I know. One could be exact with 3/4 teaspoon if desired, but as I don’t think vanilla has to be exact I just used a teaspoon and didn’t fill it up all the way. ;)

      2. Wow that is so informative and helpful, and I applaud you for doing that. There are so many times where I halve recipes, and it gets tricky when there’s partial eggs, and things like 1/3 cup or 3/4 cup when you’re trying to quarter them, like you did. Better to start thinking of things in the approx number of tablespoons and start halving or quartering mentally that way – I agree! And you can never have too much vanilla :)

  28. These are incredibly good! They have a fabulous, light texture! No one would ever guess that these are vegan. This is going in my favorites box.

  29. Would the banana be a replacement for one or two eggs? I don’t have any bananas on hand. I am not vegan but I am lactose intolerant, so I’m excited to try this recipe because most apple muffins seem to be made with sour cream…

    1. I would say go with 1 egg and if the batter seems overly thick, toss in a 2nd egg. LMK what you end up doing and how it works!

  30. I made these tonight as mini muffins (about 10 min bake time). Mine didn’t look the same, they are more speckled? But they are so delicious! Thank you!

    1. Speckled – maybe the way your apples reacted with the baking powder and/or spices? Hard to say when baking with fresh fruit but glad you love them!

  31. I am eating one of these right now and it is so good!!
    I didn’t have any ripe bananas. Since I assume it was doing a binding job, I replaced it with oats that I soaked in a little extra almond milk (all up 1/2 cup.) They worked a treat!
    I also used whole wheat flour and it went perfectly.
    The batter was the perfect amount for my 12 muffin cups.
    Thanks!

    1. The banana was there to do a binding job and a little bit of fluff and lightness to the batter like an egg would. Very good call on soaked oats with almond milk. And that you used whole wheat flour – wow, very impressed that you got a good rise with wheat flour, oats, and no banana. That’s awesome and thanks for sharing!

      Both of these recipes use oats in the dough and are amazing. Not sure if you make bread but if you do, highly!! recommend either. Both are vegan.
      https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/05/soft-and-chewy-coconut-milk-bread.html
      https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/04/soft-and-fluffy-sandwich-bread.html

  32. Hey Averie – Not sure if you remember me (we were supposed to go to Joy’s workshop together), but I randomly stumbled across this recipe googling for a vegan apple muffin recipe for my son and I to make this afternoon, and I realized it was you! I was totally drawn to the gorgeous pictures and the muffins were AMAZING! Thank you for sharing :)

    1. Hi Jenny I definitely remember you! When I realized that food/blogging/and food photography/cookbook writing was the direction my life was headed, I pulled out of that workshop. Kind of wish I had gone b/c she kept ALL of my money and would not give any back (shady!!) but such is life. Anyway – wow, SMALL world! That is awesome that you were going to make vegan apple muffins for you son. What a lucky guy! Thanks for saying hi, Jenny!!

  33. Just pinned this! These look so pretty and tasty!! Can’t wait to bake these and enjoy with a cup of coffee this weekend! :) Thanks Averie!

  34. I am so happy I found you via Love Grows Wild linky party! I love Vegan recipes!
    I have shared via Google+, tweeted, Stumbled, Pinned. I am now following you on all of your Social Networks!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Lisa @PrincessMouseyCards

    1. Thanks for finding me and all the follows! I don’t even know what linky party that is?! I’ll google it and see if I can figure it out. Thanks for stopping by and the great comment & support!

  35. I made two mini loaves. Wonderful texture! Moist with a nice crust. I forgot the sugar and they came out great still. Very sweet. My oil did solidify when I added the cold milk. The result? Nice cinnamon chunks in the bread. Not bad at all! Seriously loved this and will make often. Great snack.

    1. Depends on how sweet your bananas and apples are I guess. Mine were sweet, but not overly. Glad you liked them! And yes, room temp milk will prevent the clumping up but hey, I love the idea of the visible cinn chunks in the bread!

  36. Hi Averie, I made these today and…wooooooow!!! They also became part of my breakfast routine together with your vegan blueberry muffins!! But I will admit it, these ones are even easier to make, as I don’t have to worry about finding the perfect avocados! They are so soft, moist and tasty..amazing!! :)

    1. Glad you love them and I agree – even easier than the bb/avo muffins because of the avo situation. Have you tried the vegan pumpkin choc chip ones yet? I LOVE those too! And super easy! You can use pureed squash if you can’t get canned pumpkin (in the US, canned pumpkin is really canned squash many times! but people don’t even know it..ha)!

  37. Making these now, they look so good, and I have everything on hand. Just a note to those who don’t always plan ahead (like me) – the melted coconut oil solidified when it hit the mixture with the cold almond milk in it! Bring it all to room temp.! I’ve got the mixture near the oven waiting for it to liquify again. Pretty sure I should know better. Looking forward to trying them, thank you!!! I feel silly!

    1. Coconut oil liquefied again, muffins finished, and everyone loved them! Be careful, they’re addictive. Thank you again for the great recipe! I’m making more for a party tomorrow! :)

      1. Thanks for trying them, Debbie, and yes, if your milk is very cold and your coconut oil is freshly warmed, the cold milk can cause it to solidify but I find that vigorous whisking smooths it out and if you have a few pebble chunks, not a biggie. But yes, room temp ingredients are always best.

        So glad you loved them enough to make more tomorrow for a party!

  38. These look delicious but can they be made without the sugar? I don’t eat sugar. Could I perhaps substitute organic raw honey or pure maple syrup ? Wonder if that would alter the taste at all? And I love cooking/baking with coconut oil but my picky son says it tastes funny to him Thanks!!

    1. “Wonder if that would alter the taste at all?” <--- of course if you remove all the sugar YES the taste will be altered. That would be the case with any recipe; if you remove an ingredient of course the results will vary. You could sweeten with raw honey or maple if you want to compensate by bulking up the dry ingredients/flour and are experienced in the kitchen to do so. But as you are aware, I'm sure, honey and maple are forms of sugar and the body really treats them as sugar, when it comes right down to it. I say make the recipe as written!

  39. Averie these look so good and remind me of an apple muffin recipe I made last year and HAVE to make again. I just bought a few huge Heney Crisps and am dying to bake with them. :)

    I love all of those huge apple chunks tucked inside of every bite and that you snuck banana and coconut oil inside. This is the perfect autumn breakfast or snack. I love apple baked goods so much and am glad you share that love!

    1. Just like I figured I had better hop to it with the pumpkin recipes, the apple ones, too. Does the world need another apple muffin recipe? No. But I tried to make it unique with the coco oil, vegan, etc. Your apple muffins are a work of art. Love them!

  40. Hi Averie–I am most definitely on board with the seasonal kick, but (after reading some of your replies to other comments) am simply in love with what you have created here at your blog. Five years already–how time flies! As someone who has already managed to go through so many experimental phases in blogging in just a year, getting a feel for what works for me and what doesn’t, I just wanted to take out a moment to say that posts like these are a total inspiration to keep experimenting and adventuring in blogging. THANK you, Averie!

    1. Thanks for the lovely comment and yes, my blogging continues to evolve. I try to post what I love, what I know readers want, or think they want, and try to find a balance of healthy, vegan, versus totally…not so much either of those things :) It’s all a balancing act and some weeks and months there’s a great mix; other times, not as much and it’s nice to post a few vegan recipes in a matter of a week and have people say they appreciate them! :) And that this post is appreciated – thank you!!

  41. I am beginning to love vegan muffins even more than regular muffins – they are so delicious! This look like no exception!

  42. Apples in muffins are my all time favorite, the chunk apples with just a little bite are the best!! I love that they are vegan too, I need to start cutting back on things, especially since it’s not sweatpants weather here..yet ;) I am jealous of you being a bit cooler than us!!

    1. Not really any cooler down here in 80F San Diego than in the OC I don’t think :) But the rest of the country isnt having our typical hot/warm Sept weather so I made these. As I sweated while they baked :)

  43. I am all about vegan muffins! Especially when they look *this good! Love all those gorgeous apple chunks, too

  44. Keep the vegan muffins coming! Maybe it will be a healthy fall! This look fantastic, I love the chunks of apples inside and on top!

  45. YUM! I adore using mashed banana in place of eggs in my recipes. It keeps everything together, tastes delicious, and keeps everything moist!

  46. Yay for muffin kicks! I love your take, and I especially love that they’re vegan – it’s just not easy to find good, moist vegan muffins these days. Thank goodness for ripe bananas and almond milk! :)

  47. I love muffins with big chunks of fruit in them – so good! I’ve been using coconut oil a lot lately – it imparts such a lovely flavor to everything. Thanks for sharing this!

    1. Thanks, Donalyn, and yes I love baking with it and use it whenever possible lately rather than canola. I even cream it like butter (in it’s solid state) for cookies. The flavor is excellent!

  48. I love all the apple recipes I’m seeing, and this one looks chalk full of them! Nice and healthy and delicious, too. Pinning!

  49. Oh wow. Those look amazing. Love the visible apple chunks – talk about a fantastic mouthful of textures and flavors.

  50. These muffins have everything I love about the fall! Apples, cinnamon, the fragrance, the color! I love it when you can make such beauties with no eggs!

  51. I just got a bunch of apples in our CSA delivery, so this looks like a perfect recipe to show them off. Pinning!

  52. These muffins look like my ideal kind of muffin, both in taste and preparation! I’m new to your website but I’m really loving your recipes! My goal is to make your healthy fudge bites (the ones with sprinkles) this week. Your photography is awesome and so alluring!

    1. Thanks, Alex, for the lovely compliments on my recipes, site, photography – and for stopping by and commenting! The healthy fudgy brownie bites with the sprinkles. Funny you should mention those! I have a recipe similar to those coming on Thursday! Stay tuned :)

  53. I adore fresh apple treats and chunky muffins.(We are on the same page lady–just shared my chunky banana muffin recipe on my FB page this morning!) I can’t wait to try your apple version and need to bake with coconut oil way more. Thanks for the idea and Happy Fall Averie!

  54. Had to try this pronto because I had everything I needed for a mini loaf. A little “lunchbox” sized apple and one of those cute mini bananas. Great texture and still can’t get over how well it rose. These vegan recipes are so easy to cut in half and bake in my toaster oven. I added just enough sugar for a bit of sweetness and had some for breakfast…..still a little warm with a smear of almond butter! Very good!!

    1. That’s amazing that you halved it, baked it in your toaster oven, and did it within hours of the post going live. LOVE THAT!!!

      I loved the texture, too, and was pleasantly surprised with how well it rose, too. I spent alot of time testing and trialing muffin recipes for another big project I am working on and realized that I could veganize many of them as it seemed less and less important to have the eggs. And while you do have to be careful with baking powder so it doesnt dry everything out, it does give enough lift in many recipes – minus the eggs!

  55. These look wonderful! I agree, the more cinnamon the better. Especially with anything that contains apple.

    Also, love that these are a bit on the healthier side, gives me an extra excuse to eat one or two more :)

    1. And yes with the extra cinnamon. I could have probably (for me personally) doubled what I wrote here. I love a nice POP. But not everyone is quite that into it…LOL

  56. I love these vegan muffins that don’t look the slightest bit vegan. All those apple pieces and cinnamon sound fab!

  57. Love these! I could use one of these amazing muffins as I am in coooold Chicago right now. They would warm me right up! :)

  58. Sometimes there’s nothing better than the classic apple cinnamon flavor combination, especially as the weather is getting crisper and cooler every day. It’s nice to see another lovely vegan recipe on the blog, with beautiful photos to accompany it! Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Averie!

    1. Thanks, Jodye. After staring my blog 5 years ago and only posting vegan food for a few years, it’s nice to try to post a few vegan recipes when I can now -knowing that most people have all the ingredients for something like this and it’s not a big ‘stretch’ for them. Thanks for the photography compliments, too!

  59. Perfect healthy apple muffins, Averie! I love baking with coconut oil and it pairs so well with cinnamon. Your photography is excellent here showing off those pretty apple chunks! I appreciate how you are always mindful of those on special diets and are inclusive by sprinkling these recipes in from time to time. Thanks for sharing, m’lady!

    1. Thanks for the compliments, and for noticing both my photography and trying to include a few more vegan recipes lately :)

  60. Kind of loving those huge chunks of apple! These look so delicious, and it’s great that they’re vegan!

  61. I saw this post wehn I was UNiveristy but I could not comment!! I was so excited to see you are doing more vegan stuff because I tried your last muffins and they turn out great. I am even inspired to take a vegan cake! Totally loving the fall flavours and apple bits. They look so good, I can taste them from Australia!

    1. When I started my blog 5 years ago, I was vegan/GF and although I cook with butter and eggs, I am vegetarian and aside from butter and eggs in baking, that’s the only non-plant based foods I consume. I hate to say “vegan, except for eggs/butter”, but that’s what I am :) Most people don’t want to be showered with vegan recipes so my blog has ebbed and flowed through the years but it’s nice to post things like this.

      I didn’t know you tried my other muffins – thanks for LMK!

      And vegan cake when it uses pumpkin or banana is easy and almost always a success. I have a feeling this cake could be made without the eggs and increasing the amt of baking soda https://www.averiecooks.com/2012/10/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bundt-cake-with-chocolate-ganache.html & that it would be great!

      1. Wow! Such a long history! No wonder you are so good now. I actually do not mind vegan food, as long as it taste good I am going to eat it. Even some now vegan bakery items sometimes taste worse than the vegan alternative.
        Your Welcome! they came out great! I used a mix of pumpkin and sweet potato, really lovely
        It is funny that you say that because I have bunch of roasted banana puree that I need to use up! I think I give your recipe ago and try it vegan.

      2. roasted banana puree sounds amazing! Wow, I could eat that by the spoonful I bet!

        And yes, my blog has ebbed and flowed and no one wants to hear about kale salads every day (well, my audience didnt) and so I started baking with eggs and butter in an effort to make life easier on me and others reading – but when I can post a vegan recipe that tastes 100% as good as a non-vegan one, I do!

        What you said about vegan bakery items – oh boy I know. I have paid ridic amounts of money for some ‘high end’ specialty vegan baked item and in reality, the things I make that are vegan or even accidentally vegan https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/06/chewy-peanut-butter-and-chocolate-cereal-bars.html things like that – that I will take ANY DAY over some highbrow, dry, overpriced thing in a bakery. LOL

  62. Such cuddly little muffins! I’d like to try them with smart balance instead if coconut oil (so I don’t have to go buy anything else).
    Perfect fall snack.

  63. I love seeing the little apple chunks showing from the muffins. Me too, cinnamon is so delicious and it made me happy when I smell it from baked goods. My vegan friend will love this recipe!

  64. Your description of coconut oil in baked goods is so spot on! The texture is just….hard to describe. And you know i am not a coconut fan, but I haven’t bought (or missed) butter in a couple months now. I’m actually running low on coconut oil!

    I am going apple picking with my class of students in a month or so. And AppleFest is here in 2 weeks. I need to start an apple board on Pinterest.

    1. And remember when you were about to start giving your coconut oil away? Crazy how times change! I have so.much. that I may never get thru it all LOL but it will be fun to try :)

      I actually am part of an apple board on Pinterest. I need to pin this to that one!

  65. Yes, there is something about baking with apples that shows the move to the cooler season and it makes me feel so homey and want to curl up with a blanket and book and light a fire. I love baking with apples. These muffins look great and when I try them I think I will substitute the applesauce for the banana because Seraphim reacts to banana now too. Ah well. As I scrolled through your related recipes, they all look so delicious. I love the apple crumble for one at the last. One of my favorite treats before I discovered I was sensitive to oats was granola with chunks of apple, dates, cinnamon and toasted walnuts, served with warmed almond milk and drizzled with maple syrup. Oh my. That STILL would put a big smile on my face! :-)

    1. I can’t believe how sensitive your son is -gah! Well if you try w/ applesauce, LMK how they come out!

      Last nite, I did have that glass of champs, and thought of you as I was doing it. You’re amazing!

  66. I love all your muffins recipes!! They are all perfectly baked and of course the flavors are always spot on! I did apples today too, but not vegan and I used buckwheat flour (my new favorite)! ! So excited for fall apples and apple recipes! Oh and I love all the cinnamon. I am cinnamon, pumpkin and apple addict this time of year!

  67. Beautiful photos, Averie. I’m loving all these vegan muffin recipes, it’s sure the perfect time to bring on the muffins since they make such easy on-the-go snacks. But so many muffins are so unhealthy for you (even homemade) and I love that I can always count on yours to turn out. Your Banana Yogurts are still my fav but I’m gonna try these next!

    1. IMO, many muffin recipes I see these days are really cupcakes, going by the name if muffins. And while they don’t have frosting, they have enough add-ins that they may as well. I’m not trying to pull these off as a ‘skinny’ recipe and havent even checked the stats, but they’re better than many, i.e. those cupcake-muffins I see everywhere :)

  68. LOVING the new vegan recipes! (Not that I’m vegan, but I always have almond milk in the fridge and it’s convenient when you don’t have eggs.)

    I just posted egg-free Double Chocolate Zucchini muffins on my site today! Great minds.

    1. When I started my blog 5 years ago, I was vegan/GF and although I cook with butter and eggs, I am vegetarian and aside from butter and eggs in baking, that’s the only non-plant based foods I consume. I hate to say vegan, except for eggs/butter, but that’s what I am :) Most people don’t want to be showered with vegan recipes so my blog has ebbed and flowed through the years but it’s nice to post things like this. Just saw your muffins and they’re gorgeous. Can’t believe you’re a baker at work – and then you come home..and bake!

  69. Oh boy oh boy!! These look like a perfect way to start off apple season! (: Can’t wait to make them!! Mmmm! :) So sweet!