Healthy Apple Muffins
Amazing, healthy apple muffins made with maple syrup and whole wheat flour! No one will guess that this simple cinnamon apple muffin recipe is healthy, too.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Itโs apple muffin time! You all really seem to love my banana muffins, pumpkin muffins and carrot muffins and the blueberry muffins in my cookbook. Today, apple muffins are joining the club.
Like the others in the bunch, these muffins are made with 100 percent whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey. They are nice and fluffy, with just enough sweetness to be irresistible.
Granted, I already have an apple oatmeal muffin recipe on the blog from four years ago, but I have significantly upped my muffin game since then. These muffins are the better of the two, by a long shot.
I based these healthy apple muffins off my carrot muffins, replacing grated carrots with fresh apple, and replacing half of the Greek yogurt with applesauce.
These muffins contain apple, three ways: freshly grated and chopped apple for the perfect texture, and applesauce for infused apple flavor. Theyโre the best apple muffins Iโve ever had.
Healthy Apple Muffin Notes
- These apple muffins taste even better after resting for a few hours, if they last that long.
- I particularly enjoy them with a spread of peanut butter.
- Check my recipe notes for how to use honey instead of maple syrup, and some ideas for how to make the muffins vegan.
I think itโs time for another! Please let me know how you like these muffins in the comments. I love hearing from you.
Baking Tips for Success
How to Measure Flour
How you measure your flour is important. Why? If you measure incorrectly, you could end up with up to 50 percent extra flour, which will make your muffins dense, dry and flavorless. Use the spoon and swoop method:
- Gently stir your flour to loosen any clumps.
- Spoon your flour into the measuring cup with a big spoon or a flour scoop. Do not scoop up the flour directly into the measuring cup.
- Level off the top of the cup with a knife. Repeat as necessary.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda Are Not the Same Thing
โฆand they are not interchangeable. Both are leaveners that help your baked goods rise (baking powder contains some baking soda, but thatโs a long story).
This recipe relies on a combination of baking powder and baking soda to produce light and fluffy muffins. For ideal results, always follow the recipe and measure carefully.
How to Stir Your Batter
This muffin batter is super simple to stir together by hand, and thatโs how I recommend making these muffins. Why? Whipping your batter will make the flourโs gluten protein too strong, yielding tough muffins.
I know it can be tempting to use a stand mixer or hand mixer when itโs within reach. Please donโt! Follow the instructions below and youโll end up with light, fluffy muffins.
Watch How to Make Apple Muffins
Healthy Apple Muffins
Amazing, healthy apple muffins made with maple syrup and whole wheat flour! No one will guess that this simple cinnamon apple muffin recipe is good for you, too. Recipe yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- 1 ยพ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup grated apple
- 1 cup apple diced into ยผโ cubes
- โ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- ยฝ cup maple syrup or honey*
- 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- ยฝ cup plain Greek yogurt (I used full-fat but any variety should do)
- ยฝ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar), for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups on your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and doesnโt require any grease).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Blend well with a whisk. Add the grated apple (if it is dripping wet, gently squeeze it over the sink to release some extra moisture) and chopped apple. Stir to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil and maple syrup and beat together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the yogurt, applesauce and vanilla and mix well. (If the coconut oil solidifies in contact with cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30 second bursts.)
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). The batter will be thick, but donโt worry! Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar. Bake muffins for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my healthy carrot muffins.
*If you are baking with honey: Honey tends to brown quickly, so to avoid overdone muffins, bake muffins at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 23 to 25 minutes.
Make it vegan: Replace the eggs with flax eggs and replace the yogurt with vegan buttermilkโtry mixing 1 ยฝ teaspoons vinegar with a scant ยฝ cup non-dairy milk. Let it rest for 5 minutes before adding it to the other liquid ingredients. (You could also try using more applesauce in place of the yogurt but Iโm not sure itโs acidic enough to counteract the bitter taste of the baking soda.)
Make it dairy free: See โbuttermilkโ option above.
Make it egg free: Use flax eggs instead of regular eggs.
Make it gluten free: Bobโs Red Mill or King Arthur Flour make gluten-free all-purpose blends that work well.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I just wanted to double check the baking temp. It is in fact 425? I have never made muffins on this high of a temperature before.
Thanks!
Hi Lorena, the temperature is correct.
Hi Kathryne,
I never leave comments but your recipe has made me!
We thought our homemade muffin recipe was the best until I came across your Healthy Apple Muffins Recipe. Best Muffins ever!
I did make 2 changes: replaced the Greek yogurt and doubled the apple sauce. Then I caramelized several old apples with maple syrup, butter and about 5 tablespoons of cinnamon. Wowsa big flavour! Cheers
Iโm happy you finally did, Maddy! I appreciate you sharing your feedback.
Lovely, delicious apple muffin recipe! Also, a very forgiving recipe as I made a blunder by adding melted coconut oil to the dry ingredients instead of mixing it separately with the wet. Yikes! But, in the end, they were as delicious as the first time I made them (without the blunder)!
Another great recipe, thank you. I used vanilla yogurt since that was what I had, omitted vanilla. Next time I think I will add walnuts and chia seeds and call them breakfast.
These are delicious! I just had 2 fresh out of the ovenโฆloll only changes I made were lessening the maple syrup to 1/3c since I was using gala apples. Also used unsweetened/no sugar added applesauce.
Thatโs great, Roop! Thank you for sharing.
I only have one apple so may add a little more apple sauce? Am also going to make bread so I think Iโll try your banana bread instructions in terms of baking. Will let you know how it goes!
Hi! Changing the ingredient list will impact your results. More applesauce wonโt likely get you the same result.
Has anyone made these in cake form? They are my favorite muffins ever and I am interested in making them in a loaf pan instead. Looking for help with cook temperature and timeโฆ
Hi Becca,
I made them in cake form โ I just baked at the same temperature for ~30 minutes, checked for done-ness (with a fork in the middle), and kept baking in 5 min increments.
What kind of cake pan did you use? Do you think I can use an upside down cake pan? Or?
Thanks!
Rachel
I love your recipes so very much. Thank you for sharing them all!
Youโre welcome, Cara! Thank you for your review.
Your muffin recipes are the ABSOLUTE BEST. I follow them to a T. The pumpkin one is my familyโs favourite and I bring it to all my friends houses and they love it. Thank you!!
Just made these for my little one, added shredded carrots to the batter and omg. Amazing!! So moist and flavorful! I ended up eating a few right from the oven. Yum!
Im planning on trying these for my littles! May I ask how many shredded carrots you added in???
I would like to make these muffins tomorrow. Do I need to use Granny Smith apples, or a sweeter one?
Hi! You can use the apple you prefer. That will work just fine.
Even with all of my probably ill-advised modifications, this came out so so good. Thank you for another amazing recipe!
I would like to use monk fruit as the sweetener instead of honey/maple syrup, do I need to add more liquid in another format to do so?
Hi Kinga, Iโm not familiar with it. I believe its a dry sugar and you need a wet one here. Sorry!
Monkfruit makes a maple syrup as well. I use it all the time in baking recipes. It tastes the same just no added sugar.
I think 425 degrees was too hot. The bottoms of my muffins were very dark, almost too dark to enjoy after just 12.5 minutes
Hi! Iโm sorry to hear that. Does your oven seem to run hot? How did you have your oven racks placed?
I just made them today at 425 and they came out perfect. I have an electric ovenโif that makes a difference.
Wondering if anyone has made these without applesauce? I know it will change my results but wonder if they still taste good! Thanks
Hi Julia! To guarantee these results, you really need the applesauce. They may not turnout since baking is so precise.
I just made these without applesauce, as I didnโt have any. I subbed mashed banana and they are delicious!!
How much mushed banana did you use?
These muffins are really delicious! Best apple muffins I ever made! I used 1/3 cup of maple syrup and unsweetened applesauce. We loved them!
If I want to use organic all purpose white flour โ do I still use the same amount of flour?
Thank you!
Rose
Hi! It should work with the same ratio.
These muffins are delicious! Best apple muffins I ever made!
If I want to use organic all purpose white flour, do I use the same amount as the recipe says?
Thank you
Rose
Iโm glad you love them! Typically AP flour amounts are the same, but types can vary. Let me know how it turns out!
Deliiiciooous!
Hi Kate,
Just discovered your muffin recipes recently. Thanks, they are delicious!
I am American now living in London for years. When I first moved here I was frustrated by how many recipes called for things in weight (mostly metric which was even more confusing). Also, the British cup is slightly more than an American cup by 10ml which is not a huge amount but for baking can make a difference. I now, however, have a small kitchen scale (grams, ounces, kg, lbs) and Iโm a complete convert ESPECIALLY with baking. You donโt have to worry about stirring flour or doing anything special to get the correct amount if you know the weight as volume has no effect. If you do happen to try it out, it would be great to have weights of ingredients in your recipes. If not, Iโm still happy that you share your recipes as I can convert myself. :)
Hi. Yay! liquid sugar:) Iโd love to make these but canโt do the buttermilk or yogurt. Would apple cider or oat milk work? Thanks!!!
Also Iโm adding in protein powder. Iโm assuming itโs ok to do a straight switch with the flour?
Hi! See the vegan recommendations for milk. I havenโt tried protein powder myself so Iโm not sure.
I know itโs been 9 months, but for anyone still wondering, I have made this recipe with oat milk yogourt and almond base yogourt. I was amazing!!! You can also add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to a plant based (non-dairy) milk if you donโt have yogourt.
Used this recipe with slight modifications with excellent results: added half a cup of oats, no honey or maple syrup was used , used only 1 tablespoon of olive oil, used one and a half cups of homemade applesauce and added one cup of walnuts and raisins. Healthy and no sugar. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing, Anil! I appreciate your review.
Hi! Is the nutritional value based on coconut oil? Do you know what it would be if I used olive oil instead?
Hi! Itโs based on the first ingredient listed if there is an or in the ingredient. I donโt have the other value. Sorry! You can always input your specific ingredients into a nutrition calculator if you like.
Amaaazzziing!!! New to the site and what a great first recipe to land on! Shredded 2 gala apples and squeezed lots of juice out! Didnโt have plain Greek yogurt so added a dollop of sour cream. So tasty!! Canโt wait to make again and try more! Thank you!!
Welcome, Whitney! I do love muffins, so this one is a great one to start with. Thanks for your revewi!
Hi!
Iโve made this recipe before (followed it exactly) and these muffins were great! Just a quick question, would using 2 or 3% regular yoghurt work out ok? The Greek yoghurt is the only ingredient I donโt usually have on hand.
Thanks!
Hi Lav, I didnโt have great results as it tends to react differently. What did you decide to do?
I ended up just getting the Greek yoghurt โ turns out my family will eat it if itโs in the fridge!
Thatโs great to hear, Lav! Thank you for your review.
These muffins are ridiculously delicious! They are our new favourite!
Hi Kate,
Can I use Almond flour? If I can is the measurement the same?
Thank you
Hi Christy, Almond flour doesnโt make a good sub as too much would need to be adjusted if it does work. Oat flour would work well!
These came out delicious. I might add some nuts next time for some extra texture. Itโs definitely loaded with apples and the turbinado sugar on top provides a nice crunch sweetness. Love it!
Made these today โ they just came out of the oven! Looks and smells amazing :-)
I tried this recipe today. They were a hit, moist and delicious. I substituted apple sauce for mashed ripped banana and used bourbon maple syrup. The baking time was a bit longer around 22 minutes. Thank you for sharing, I will make them again.
Iโm glad they worked with just a little more baking time. Thank you for your review, Marรญa!
Made these with whole wheat spelt. They were amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
Iโm glad they worked with spelt, Carol. I appreciate your review!
Great apple muffin recipe .. using 1/2 amount of honey since I used Greek yogurt with honey, used 2 cups of apples diced in small pieces only, and tossed in some chopped up walnuts and a few raisins baking at 425 โ turned out beautifully! Tasted even better the next day after warming lightly in the microwave oven. Will be making another batch!
I LOVE THESE MUFFINS! My inconsistently picky toddler loves them, too! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing.
I have two questions:
1. Can I freeze the batter in muffin cups ahead of time, to bake at a later date?
2. What is the measurement of flour in grams? (I always spoon the flour into the measuring cup, like you say, but I donโt always get the same result, so I think Iโm bad at it LOL)
Iโm glad your toddler loves them, Rachel! Yes, these freeze well. I donโt have metric conversions, sorry! I know others have used an online converter
Sorry if I wasnโt clear; I was actually wondering about freezing the raw batter in muffin liners and about measuring the flour by weight instead of volume. For the second question, I discovered that the flour I use has it right on the bag (face palm!), so I can use my kitchen scale instead of measuring cups. Itโs 113 grams per 1 cup, if anyoneโs interested :)
I would freeze baked, freezing the batter wonโt likely get you the same result. Thanks for sharing your measurements!
Hello!
Can I use plain low-fat (non-Greek) yogurt? Trying to use whatโs in my fridge! :)
Greek yogurt works best, sorry!
We absolutely love this recipe โ thank you for making it!
Do you think these would work in a mini muffin form? If so, should I adjust the time and temperature? Thank you!
Hi! Yes, just reduce the time to half and keep an eye on them. Enjoy!
Overall a good recipe, but I have comments on possible improvements that worked for me. I always lower the temperature to 400 or 375 and cook for 20+ minutes, sometimes 30. These muffins are wet and the batter is heavy, so the edges brown too much before the center is done if cooked at 425 (I never bake muffins that high). I have a convection/fan oven though so the lower temperature makes sense for me. I also make 18 muffins instead of 12 muffins โ the batter is too wet/moist to make big muffins. The recipeโs flavor is good by itself but adding 1 Tbs. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg makes a huge improvement to the flavor. I have the same issue with wet/dense batter for the authorโs whole wheat carrot muffins, as did other commenters. My toddler loves them and my husband likes them, but prefers the carrot muffins.
Iโm sorry you didnโt find this recipe worked well for you as written. Unfortunately, there can be variability in oven temperatures. Iโm glad you have found something that works for you.
Hello! Your muffins are amazing! My daughter made this ones with but of help and also Spelt wholegrain flour andโฆ just delicious! Thanks
Youโre welcome, Marina! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Hi! I want to try these as mini muffins. Any recommendations for temp and time?
Hi Annie! No need to change the temperature. Just reduce the time to half and keep an eye on them.
please put the recipie at the top i would choose to go some where that does put it at the top as i know how to cook and bake i do not need 3 pages of instructions to make these i just need the recipe and i am on satellite internet witch is very costly i sure do not want to waste my data with full instructions (that i do not need) nor do i wish to scroll through and have to wait and wait and wait for my slow internet to download (no offence) all the bla bla bla that i do not need great recipe when i finally got to see it
Hi Barb, thank you for your feedback. Based on feedback over the years, the layout has been the most ideal. However, you can use the jump to recipe at the top of the page to get there quicker than scrolling to the bottom. I hope this helps!
Had a load of red apples hone too far to eat so found this recipe great. Used all the apples as made the apple sauce for it. I accidentally used a cup of apple sauce so left out higher and they worked really well. Will now be our go to fruit muffin! Baked on 210C for about 20 to 25 mins rather than higher temp.
Yum! These are absolutely delicious! I made these with 1c almond flour and 3/4c of oats! So so so good! And they smelt amazing while baking! All the muffins I have made from you have been a huge hit in our house! Thank you!
Iโm happy you liked them, Mel! Thank you for your review.
These muffins are DELICIOUS but beware that theyโre more calories than the nutrition facts state. I input all the ingredients into my macro/recipe calculator and it ends up being 318 calories per muffin not 192. (I used Honey rather than Maple syrup but that shouldnโt be too big of a differenceโฆ)
The calorie difference is a big deal when youโre counting macros and you scarfed down 3 muffins in 2 minutes โ half of my calories for the day without much to show for it, ack! (But they are so good!)
I made these today and they are SO good! I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup of oat flour and they turned out so moist and delicious. The oat flour was a great substitute as you can really taste the oatmeal flavour. What a great recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Lissa!
I love these muffins and make them all the time. Now I have an abundance of rhubarb and wondering if I could use this same recipe but substitute the apples for rhubarb?
Hi Cara, sorry I donโt know if a 1:1 replacement will work here as moisture level can vary.
Hi Kate, do you think i could use a vegan yogurt, like almond and cashew based yogurt in this recipe?
Thanks in advance!
See my vegan notes in the section below the recipe!
These muffins are excellent! I used maple syrup in mine and they turned out great! donโt leave recipe reviews but this one deserves 5 stars!!
Why is there no nutritional information or have I missed something?
Hi Isabel, the nutritional information is located below the notes. You need to click to expand.
Iโve made these and your banana muffins in the past week. The first time, I thought I had whole wheat flour, only to discover that I didnt. I improvised and used 3/4 cup dark rye and 1 cup all purpose white and they came out moist, a nice texture and delicious. I used olive oil both times and once honey and once maple syrup. Thank you for the recipe.
Iโm happy they turned out with your changes, Heidi! I appreciate your review.
Made these muffins this afternoon with my four year old granddaughter. Have made these and your other muffins and they are always a big hit with young land old. Only things I do differently is adding nuts, using avocado oil and using two grated apples and omitting the applesauce and they are still delicious and moist.
Hi! Can I do half maple syrup and half honey, or will this not work for the texture?
Hi, you need to full amount of liquid for this to turn out. I hope you try it and like it!
I just baked these โ I havenโt tried one yet (theyโre still cooling) but my apartment smells amazing, and they baked exactly like the directions! :)
I hope you loved them, Erica!