• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Loving It Vegan

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Ebook
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Breakfasts

    Vegan Apple Muffins

    Published: Jun 3, 2022 Updated: Jun 3, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Apple Muffins

    These vegan apple muffins are soft, fluffy, moist and loaded with chunks of fresh apple. Perfect for breakfast or dessert.

    Vegan apple muffins stacked up on a wooden board.

    These vegan apple muffins were pretty much guaranteed the moment I made a vegan apple cake. 

    That cake was so good, I knew the recipe would have other uses. 

    So of course I adapted it for muffins. And these vegan apple muffins are amazing!

    Brown sugar sweetened, cinnamon spiced and packed with whole apple pieces. Truly divine. 

    They’re perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast, snack or dessert.

    Ingredients To Make These Muffins:

    Ingredients for vegan apple muffins.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Granny Smith apples – are the perfect apples to use in these muffins. They are deliciously sweet with a hint of tart and bake up really well.
    • Canola oil – can be switched for vegetable oil.
    • Vegan buttermilk – we use our recipe for homemade vegan buttermilk, which is a mix of lemon juice (or vinegar) with soy milk and it curdles into buttermilk. Soy milk works the best for vegan buttermilk but you can use another non-dairy milk like almond milk, or another plant milk, even if it doesn’t curdle.
    • Applesauce – is used in a small quantity to add extra moisture without weighing the muffins down. You can use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce, whatever you have on hand.
    Vegan apple muffins and apple slices.

    How To Make Vegan Apple Muffins

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl. Add light brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix together.
    Dry ingredients added to mixing bowl and mixed.
    • Prepare the vegan buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the ¾ cup line (180ml). Let it curdle into buttermilk. 
    • Add vegan buttermilk, canola oil, vanilla extract and applesauce to the mixing bowl and mix into a thick batter. Don’t overmix.
    Wet ingredients added to dry and mixed into a thick muffin batter.
    • Add peeled and chopped apples and fold them in. 
    Peeled and chopped apple added to muffin batter and folded in.
    • Divide the batter evenly between the muffin partitions of your muffin tray. Add a few extra pieces of peeled and chopped apple directly to the tops of the muffins.
    • Place into the oven and bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes.
    Vegan apple muffins in a muffin tray before and after baking.
    • Let the muffins cool in the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
    Vegan apple muffins on a wire cooling rack.

    Baker’s Tips

    Cut the apples up fairly small. If the pieces are too big they will be too bulky for these muffins. 

    The batter is thick. A thick batter works great for muffins in general. But it’s also important here because if your batter is too thin then your apple pieces will be more inclined to sink to the bottom of the muffins.

    Measure the flour correctly. Since the batter is already thick, if you use too much flour, you won’t even be able to mix it. So make sure you measure your flour correctly. Ideally weigh it out on a food scale, but if you don’t have a food scale, then use the ‘spoon and level’ method. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the top with a knife.

    Don’t overmix the batter. Mix the batter until just mixed and then stop mixing. Don’t worry if there are tiny lumps.

    Vegan apple muffins on a wire cooling rack.

    Make Them Gluten-Free

    If you’d like to make these vegan apple muffins gluten-free you can use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend.

    Vegan apple muffins stacked up on a wooden board.

    Storing and Freezing

    Keep them covered in an airtight container at room temperature where they will stay good for around 3-4 days. Or store them in the fridge in a covered container for up to 7 days. Give them a quick 15-seconds in the microwave to heat them up before enjoying.

    They are also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight and bring them up to room temperature on the countertop or heat them up for 15-seconds in the microwave.

    Stack of two apple muffins with the top muffin broken in half.

    More Vegan Muffins

    1. Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
    2. Vegan Banana Muffins
    3. Vegan Zucchini Muffins
    4. Vegan Blueberry Muffins
    5. Vegan Chocolate Muffins
    6. Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
    StStack of vegan apple muffins with the top muffin broken in half.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan apple muffins on a wire cooling rack.

    Vegan Apple Muffins

    These vegan apple muffins are soft, fluffy, moist and loaded with chunks of fresh apple. Perfect for breakfast or dessert.
    4.88 from 41 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 201kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
    • 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (200g)
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
    • ¾ cup Vegan Buttermilk (180ml) 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + soy milk up to the ¾ cup (180ml) line
    • ¼ cup Canola Oil (60ml) or Vegetable Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 2 Tablespoons Applesauce
    • 1 cup Chopped Apple (125g) Peeled, plus more to add directly to the tops of the muffins before baking.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a muffin tray with non-stick spray.
    • Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl. Add light brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix together.
    • Prepare the vegan buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the ¾ cup line (180ml). Let it curdle into buttermilk. 
    • Add vegan buttermilk, canola oil, vanilla extract and applesauce to the mixing bowl and mix into a thick batter. Don't overmix.
    • Add peeled and chopped apples and fold them in.
    • Divide the batter evenly between the muffin partitions of your muffin tray. Add a few extra pieces of peeled and chopped apple directly to the tops of the muffins before baking.
    • Place into the oven and bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
    • Let the muffins cool in the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    1. Measure the flour correctly. This is a thick batter, so if you use too much flour, you won’t even be able to mix it. So make sure you measure your flour correctly. Ideally weigh it out on a food scale, but if you don’t have a food scale, then use the ‘spoon and level’ method. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup. 
    2. Vegan buttermilk – we use our recipe for homemade vegan buttermilk, which is a mix of lemon juice (or vinegar) with soy milk and it curdles into buttermilk. Soy milk works the best for vegan buttermilk but you can use another non-dairy milk like almond milk, or another plant milk, even if it doesn’t curdle.
    3. Granny Smith apples – are the perfect apples to use in these muffins. They are deliciously sweet with a hint of tart and bake up really well.
    4. Cut the apples up fairly small. If the pieces are too big they will be too bulky for these muffins. 
    5. Don’t overmix the batter. Mix the batter until just mixed and then stop mixing. Don’t worry if there are tiny lumps.
    6. Gluten free: If you’d like to make these muffins gluten-free you can use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend.
    7. Storing: Keep them covered in an airtight container at room temperature where they will stay good for around 3-4 days. Or store them in the fridge in a covered container for up to 7 days. Give them a quick 15-seconds in the microwave to heat them up before enjoying.
    8. Freezing: They are also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight and bring them up to room temperature on the countertop or heat them for 15-seconds in the microwave.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Muffin | Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan

    *This recipe was first published in January 2019. It has been updated with new photos and extra tips.

    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!
    « Vegan Shakshuka
    Lentil Ragu »
    4.0K shares

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lindsey says

      October 09, 2021 at 1:36 pm

      Really tasty muffins came out perfectly will definitely make again. I wonder if you have to use light brown sugar or could you sub with caster sugar?5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 09, 2021 at 2:31 pm

        Hi Lindsey! So happy you enjoyed them! You could sub caster sugar, I just find the brown sugar flavor complements the apple flavors, but caster sugar will definitely work.

        Reply
    2. Rochelle says

      September 21, 2021 at 2:49 am

      Really good and easy to make. Love how the tops are crunchy on day 1. I really enjoy baking using weight. The recipes always turn out much better.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        September 21, 2021 at 2:42 pm

        So happy you enjoyed them Rochelle and I totally agree, it’s much more accurate to weigh the ingredients! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Dawid de Greeff says

      July 14, 2021 at 9:51 am

      Awesome Alison!! These came out beautifully, even with 50% gluten free flower substitution and half the sugar (I used palm sugar). I also mixed in fresh Ginger pieces with the apple pieces … Put a BIG smile on my family’s faces, thank you very much!!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 14, 2021 at 10:21 am

        Awesome Dawid, thanks so much for sharing! The fresh ginger addition sounds wonderful.

        Reply
    4. Liebling Fanella says

      July 02, 2021 at 2:07 pm

      Hi Alison,
      Can i substitute applesauce with sweet passionfruit juice.
      Just adding 1Tbsp sugar to 1/4 cup passion fruit juice.
      Please reply….planning to make this lovely recipe.
      Take care and stay safe.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 02, 2021 at 2:37 pm

        Hi there, I’m not sure if that will work, but if you do try it then use 2 Tbsp in total as the applesauce is only 2 Tbsp in this recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Mel says

      May 31, 2021 at 2:04 am

      I make these once a week now! They’re my go to muffins! Absolutely love them. I usually use coconut sugar for the sugar but ran out so used maple syrup (same measurement) and they came out great! They are always great!! Thank you for these !5 stars

      Reply
    6. Karla says

      May 23, 2021 at 4:54 am

      absolutely love these muffins!! so delicious and fluffy, they came out perfectly and my non-vegan family enjoyed them just the same! my only improvement for next time is to chop the apples smaller and add more into the batter 🙂4 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 24, 2021 at 10:04 am

        So glad they came out perfectly! Thanks for sharing Karla!

        Reply
    7. Fiona Lown says

      April 10, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      Hi Alison, I can’t thank you enough for all your wonderful recipes I have used many over the past Year.
      You have made my first year of vegan eating much easier than I could have imagined.
      THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH XX5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 12, 2021 at 11:47 am

        You’re so welcome Fiona! So happy to hear the recipes have helped! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Sara Matuszak says

      January 06, 2021 at 3:00 pm

      Oh my gosh, these muffins were amazing! My whole family loved them. We are a gluten free household so we subbed the flour with Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose flour and added xanthum gum otherwise, followed recipe to a T. So, so good. Thank you for posting!

      Reply
    9. Barbara says

      October 18, 2020 at 10:23 pm

      DELICIOUS!!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 19, 2020 at 9:28 am

        Thank you so much Barbara! xo

        Reply
        • carla says

          November 20, 2020 at 11:19 am

          ow yeah superdeliszzzzzzzzz! made them many times…thank you!!!5 stars

          Reply
          • Alison Andrews says

            November 20, 2020 at 11:35 am

            Awesome! Thanks Carla!

    10. Yvonne says

      October 02, 2020 at 7:51 pm

      Your recipes have not disappointed to date, and this recipe is no exception! Thanks for another great one. I reduced the sugar by 1/4 c., substituting the same quantity of applesauce instead. I also baked the batter in a loaf pan for 50 minutes instead of a muffin tin (laziness on my part, I suppose). It is absolutely delicious, and such a pretty dark golden brown color throughout. I will be making this throughout the fall!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 03, 2020 at 10:10 am

        Wonderful! Thanks so much Yvonne!

        Reply
    11. Anne says

      September 20, 2020 at 12:18 pm

      Nice texture but too sweet for us so will be cutting back on the sugar content next time.4 stars

      Reply
    12. Roseanne says

      June 11, 2020 at 5:58 am

      oh wow these are so yummy! thank you

      Reply
    13. Laura says

      May 24, 2020 at 8:53 am

      Well I managed to leave out the salt, vinegar and vanilla and they turned out pretty good. I imagine they’ll be great when I make them next time and remember to include all the ingredients!!4 stars

      Reply
    14. Amy says

      May 16, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      I forgot to rate the recipe so commenting again with 5 stars!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 18, 2020 at 9:50 am

        Thanks so much Amy!

        Reply
    15. Amy says

      May 16, 2020 at 5:01 pm

      These are delicious! Going to make some more very soon. Thank you.

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Comment Policy: Your feedback is really appreciated! Please do us a favor and rate the recipe as well as this really helps us! The most helpful comments are the ones that give useful feedback for others who might make the recipe, tell about substitutions you made or adjustments you made and how it turned out, or assisting other commenters. Rude or insulting comments will not be accepted.

    Leave A Comment & Review Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

    More about me →

    Popular Posts

    • Vegan Tuna
    • The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese (Classic, Baked)
    • Vegan Burrito
    • Super Eggy Vegan Tofu Scramble
    • Sliceable Cashew Cheese
    • Homemade Vegan Butter

    Outdoor & Grill

    • Vegan Broccoli Salad
    • Vegan Chicken Salad
    • Vegan Kebabs
    • Vegan Baked Beans

    See ALL Outdoor and Grill Recipes →


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In

    Press logos black and white

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Follow Us

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Loving It Vegan

    Get 10 fabulous dinner recipes!
    Absolutely free! Sign up below!
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!