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Coconut Flour Apple Cinnamon Muffins Recipe (Grain Free)

October 17, 2018 by Katie Wells
gluten free apple cinnamon muffins recipe
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins: A Break from the Norm
  • Apple Cinnamon ... or Whatever Flavor You Desire!+−
    • The Recipe
    • Missing baked goods? Try these other favorite grain-free breakfast recipes:
  • Coconut Flour Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I discovered this grain-free apple cinnamon muffin recipe out of desperation, really. (Isn’t it so true that necessity is the mother of invention?)

On this particular morning I realized I only had five eggs in the fridge — not even close to enough to feed us all, especially when each kid could easily eat three each! I had coconut flour, homemade applesauce, and coconut oil on hand, so I mixed them and … voilà!

The kids requested them every day at breakfast for a week straight, and a great go-to (and also “to-go”) breakfast recipe was born!

Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins: A Break from the Norm

I’ll be real here… I haven’t always been a great baker, which I guess makes sense considering we don’t often eat grains. Still, being grain-free can mean a lot of scrambled eggs for breakfast, and we all have those days when only baked goods will do.

It always feels great to get it right and hit on a recipe that makes both mom and kids happy.

If you haven’t had coconut flour muffins before, know that they turn out a little smaller and denser than your typical muffin. Still, they have that bready texture and aroma. They’re full of protein and fiber that really satisfy, not to mention all the great health benefits of coconut since these muffins use both coconut flour and coconut oil.

These apple cinnamon muffins stay in regular rotation at our house and even kick off the breakfast section in my Wellness Mama Cookbook. As with almost all of the recipes in my cookbook, this muffin recipe takes 30 minutes or less to make, uses real food ingredients, and doesn’t generate a lot of dirty dishes to wash up afterward.

If you have to be careful and rotate recipes for allergy reasons or are just looking to get more variety at breakfast, check out the Real Plans meal planning tool for more help.

Apple Cinnamon … or Whatever Flavor You Desire!

I chose this applesauce and cinnamon combo out of convenience, but these muffins are incredibly versatile. I even discovered with a few simple modifications I could turn this recipe into these coconut flour apple cinnamon pancakes!

Using either the muffin or pancake recipe as a base, try these mix-ins to change things up from time to time:

  • Reduce the applesauce by ¼ cup and add an overripe banana before blending
  • Stir in ½ cup toasted chopped nuts, such as walnuts, by hand
  • Mix in ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries
  • Add ½ cup chopped apples for a little extra texture
  • Add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder to make almost cupcake-like muffins
  • Top with shredded coconut before baking for extra crunch
  • Skip the apple and make them lemon blueberry muffins!

The Recipe

gluten free apple cinnamon muffins recipe

Coconut Flour Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Katie Wells
Hearty breakfast muffins that can be personalized to your specific tastes.
4.28 from 130 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Breakfast
Servings 12
Calories 129 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • 2-3 TBSP cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 2 TBSP honey or other sweetener of choice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Grease a muffin pan with coconut oil or use silicone muffin cups like these.
  • Mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl with an immersion blender or whisk until well mixed. I prefer the immersion blender so the coconut oil mixes evenly even if cold/hard.
  • Let sit 5 minutes. This helps the coconut flour absorb moisture and creates a better texture in the finished muffins.
  • Use 1/3 cup measure to scoop into muffin tins.
  • Bake 12-15 minutes until starting to brown and not soft when lightly touched on the top.
  • Let cool 2 minutes, drizzle with honey (if desired) and serve.

Notes

If you frequently need breakfast to-go, try making a large batch of these and freezing them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 129kcalCarbohydrates: 12.9gProtein: 3.7gFat: 7.4gSaturated Fat: 5.2gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 130mgFiber: 4.9gSugar: 5.1g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Easy Coconut Flour Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Missing baked goods? Try these other favorite grain-free breakfast recipes:

  • Almond Flour Pancakes – Easy to whip up for a crowd and only takes 3 or 4 ingredients!
  • Grain-free Flatbread With Spinach and Egg – Missing toast? Try this!
  • Grain-free Pumpkin Pancakes – This budget recipe skips alternative flour using egg and pumpkin as the binder.
  • Coconut Flour Biscuits – Indulge in sausage gravy and biscuits again, or top with eggs and hollandaise sauce for grain-free eggs benedict!

Have you ever tried making grain-free muffins? What other variations can you think of? Please share below!

Related Posts

Other grain free alternaties to almond and coconut flourGreat Alternatives to Almond Flour and Coconut FlourUses and Benefits of Coconut Oil101+ Best Coconut Oil Uses and Benefits for Home and BeautyCoconut Oil Secret and Natural Remedies12: Coconut Oil Secret & Natural RemediesThe real problem with grainsThe Real Problem with GrainsHow to make coconut milk kefirCoconut Milk Kefir RecipeCoconut Flour Banana Bread or MuffinsBanana Bread Muffins Recipe (Grain Free)
Category: Breakfast Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Recipes, Snack Recipes

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder and CEO of Wellness Mama and Co-Founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (331 Comments)

  1. Karen

    April 14, 2011 at 12:32 AM

    It also helps to add salt.

    Reply
  2. Sam Thomason

    April 11, 2011 at 10:24 PM

    These sound great, but Im wondering, does anyone know the rough calorie count and other nutrition information. I swear, if I make something labeled “healthy” my husband thinks that means he can eat double to balance it out 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      April 11, 2011 at 10:25 PM

      They are low in carbs and high in protein, so he will probably find
      he gets full before be can overeat them! If weight loss is a concern,
      these shouldn’t raise blood sugar enough to cause weight gain.

      Reply
    • Nell

      March 1, 2015 at 8:09 PM

      5 stars
      168 calories per muffin

      Reply
      • Jayne

        February 12, 2016 at 1:05 PM

        Thank you! Does anyone have a carb count? I am diabetic and need to count these.

        Reply
  3. Kara baker

    April 5, 2011 at 2:35 PM

    Any one try these with almond four?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      April 5, 2011 at 3:08 PM

      I haven’t yet… I’m hoping to be able to buy some almond flour
      really soon. I’d think you’d have to adjust it some, since almond
      flour acts a little more like wheat flour, and coconut flour is much
      more dry. I’d think you’d have to add closer to 3/4 or 1 cup, but as
      long as the consistency is right, it should work.

      Reply
    • Hoy

      August 7, 2011 at 2:25 AM

      I did this morning.  Cut the eggs down to three, and ended up tripling the flour (1.5 c) as the almond flour is not nearly as dry.  I also added a tsp. of cider vinegar to activate the soda.  Only 1.5 tbsp of oil just to cut back.  They were marvelous and with company over didn’t make it past noon 😉

      Reply
      • Rainah Ness

        February 8, 2016 at 7:08 PM

        5 stars
        I wondered if I was the only one thinking about vinegar in response to the baking soda. Thanks for posting your experience! I’m looking forward to doing the same!

        Reply
  4. Abby

    April 3, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    Delicious!!! And great texture too! I didn’t have any applesauce, so I used my food processor to shred two medium apples. Then switched to the blade attachment and added everything else and blended it all together. I think the apples make them sweet enough I didn’t even need to add any honey! Can’t wait to try a banana nut version next….

    Reply
  5. Julia Benson

    April 1, 2011 at 11:55 PM

    Love. Love. Love this recipe. Just made my second batch of the week. Satisfies the craving for sweet and bready! I miss Panera bagels!!!

    Reply
    • Lissa

      September 4, 2016 at 6:18 PM

      I tried these and these were awful!! Not sure why but all I can taste is egg.

      Reply
      • Amy

        February 9, 2017 at 10:51 PM

        I was wondering about that. 5 eggs seems like a lot, can you make with less?

        Reply
        • Beatriz

          June 3, 2017 at 12:51 PM

          I have been makingg these for some time now and yes, definitely only 4 eggs is better. Otherwise it is too eggy

          Reply
      • Melissa

        April 19, 2018 at 2:39 PM

        I agree. I made them one time and they smelled delicious so I couldn’t wait to try them. We all took a bite and looked at each other. Almost everyone was sure that I left something out because they tasted terrible. I may try them again with less egg and maybe some honey added in?

        Reply
  6. Audrey 'Huss' Charba

    March 30, 2011 at 8:27 PM

    I’m going to try this in the morning. Do you make raw or cooked applesauce? I’m wondering if my raw applesauce will have too much moisture…

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      March 30, 2011 at 8:52 PM

      I’ve always just used my homemade canned applesauce, so I’m not sure.
      Raw applesauce may have too much moisture, but you may be able to
      just use a little more coconut flour or a little less applesauce. The
      consistency you are going for is thicker than pancake batter but
      thinner than peanut butter. I used a small measuring cup to scoop
      into the muffin tins. I would think as long as you can get the
      consistency right, it should work.

      Reply
      • Shelly

        September 9, 2012 at 3:25 PM

        I hope someone can give me some pointers. I didn’t know where else to ask for help. I have a traditional mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffin that my son just loves. He has given up wheat with us, but this is one he is missing. How do I go about adapting or changing it to make it healthy?
        Shelly

        Reply
        • Wellness Mama

          September 10, 2012 at 10:03 AM

          You could sub pureed pumpkin for the applesauce in this recipe, add pumpkin pie spices to taste and chocolate chips, and it should be somewhat similar.

          Reply
        • Kris

          March 9, 2014 at 1:53 PM

          Elana’s pantry has lots of grain free recipes. I have gotten a good pumpkin one there if you don’t find one here.

          Reply
        • Belle

          June 19, 2015 at 4:02 PM

          Try part oat flour and part brown rice flour in your recipe. I make pumpkin cranberry muffins with brown rice flour.

          Reply
        • Mari

          November 9, 2015 at 4:58 PM

          4 stars
          I substituted almond meal for some of the coconut flour. And I cut out an egg and added 1 tablespoon flaxseed meat mixed with a little water for added omega 3’s and fiber.

          Reply
        • Tammie Wright

          April 12, 2016 at 8:56 AM

          5 stars
          You can throw oats in the blender & turn it into flour. I make banana chocolate chip muffins with it. My recipe uses 2 cups. Add in a tsp. of xanthum gum for stickiness since there’s no gluten.

          Reply
  7. Chica

    March 30, 2011 at 1:04 AM

    Isn’t coconut oil high in cholestrol?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      March 30, 2011 at 1:11 AM

      As long as coconut oil is not hydrogenated and is in cold pressed,
      extra virgin, unfiltered form, it actually has a good effect on
      cholesterol. The medium chain fatty acids and lauric acid are great
      for the body and don’t raise cholesterol at all. check out this
      article if you are interested in reading more: https://wellnessmama.com/health/coconut-oil/

      Reply
      • Samantha

        February 13, 2017 at 7:11 PM

        1 star
        This is the first recipe from your book I made . Measured carefully and double checked all ingredients. Definitely only made 9 muffins! I even put a little less than one-third cup in each. Kind of disappointed

        Reply
    • Anita

      July 2, 2014 at 11:50 AM

      coconut oil is soooooooooo good for you…………………people are so misinformed. Dr. Mercola is my favourite site. Here is a great article.
      https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/22/coconut-oil-and-saturated-fats-can-make-you-healthy.aspx

      Reply
    • Libby

      March 14, 2015 at 9:32 AM

      Dietary cholesterol does NOT raise blood cholesterol! carbs do!

      Reply
      • Jody

        December 29, 2015 at 6:08 AM

        Not ALL and ANY carbs raise cholesterol. It’s the bad carbs, aka the simple carbs that can raise cholesterol. Complex carbs can actually lower cholesterol. What else raises cholesterol? Animal protein (if eaten too often). I suggest reading the fabulous and research based book called “The China Study” by Colin Campbell. It’s so informative.

        Reply
        • jenn

          January 26, 2016 at 2:36 PM

          https://chriskresser.com/rest-in-peace-china-study/

          Reply
    • Josh Gitalis

      December 7, 2015 at 8:30 PM

      Coconut oil has no cholesterol. Cholesterol is something that only animals make, thus it’s only in animal foods and animal products. In addition, the idea that cholesterol is bad for us, has been disproven.

      Reply
    • Jason

      December 16, 2015 at 9:54 AM

      Coconut oil has zero cholesterol, not that it matters anyway. After more than a decade of research confirming that dietary cholesterol intake does not contribute to blood cholesterol levels, the world health organization finally acknowledge the same. Coconut oil is high in a healthy type of saturated fat called medium chain triglycerides. It is not only a healthier alternative to other oils, but actually a fat that you should try to intentionally get in your diet.

      Reply
  8. Julia Benson

    March 29, 2011 at 1:41 AM

    I tried this recipe tonight! Pretty tasty and much better than the attempt I made using an incomplete recipe from elsewhere on your site last night!

    Reply
  9. Allison

    March 28, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    Those sound so yummy! One question – do you melt the coconut oil before mixing it in?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      March 28, 2011 at 10:09 PM

      Nope, just mix it in and blend with the hand blender.

      Reply
      • Kaye

        March 15, 2015 at 4:46 PM

        Thank you for that clarification! I get confused with some of the baking recipes and never know to melt or not to melt!

        Reply
      • Danielle anderson

        September 17, 2016 at 11:02 AM

        5 stars
        I mixed everything on low in my Vitamix, made it super easy to pour into muffin tins as well.

        Reply
    • Dawn MH.

      April 11, 2014 at 10:33 AM

      That was the same question I had too! It was unclear if you needed to melt or measure at solid. ALSO…. It says to use an immersion blender or whisk but I am guessing I can do this with a hand mixer as well??

      Reply
    • Kerry

      February 25, 2017 at 9:47 AM

      I melted it first, came out fine.

      Reply
  10. Michelle

    March 28, 2011 at 3:41 PM

    These look wonderful, I can’t wait to try them out! I’ve been making wheat blueberry muffins lately, but I like the idea of using coconut flour and coconut oil even more!

    Reply
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