Vegan Apple Oatmeal Muffins
These Apple Oatmeal Muffins are naturally vegan and absolutely full of apple flavor from sautéed apples, apple cider, and applesauce! These healthier muffins are sure to be a breakfast favorite.
Fluffy, soft, flavorful: these Apple Oatmeal Muffins are truly so fantastic. Their perfection is in their simplicity. I mean it when I say these muffins are super addicting, flavorful, and delicious.
I first made these as an excuse to bake for a school project for my social entrepreneurship class. My group and I had to participate in a business plan competition as part of the class. So, of course, when I heard that people got to vote for the people’s choice award, I knew I had to bake something to help sway people’s votes my way.
My business plan revolved around providing wider access to affordable, healthy produce, so I aimed to create a baked good that centered around being easy, hearty, and delicious, to reflect the business I presented. For the night of the competition, I ended up making this recipe 5 times because I kept thinking I didn’t have enough mini muffins.
Over the course of those 5 times, I made little tweaks and edits to the recipe to get to the fluffy, flavorful, and easy-to-make muffins that you see in front of you. The version that has landed below is my favorite version. Sautéing the apples isn’t totally necessary, but it sure is delicious! The sauteed apples add an extra dimension of flavor to the apple oatmeal muffins.
As for how they went over…people were raving over these vegan apple oatmeal muffins. One guy stopped by our table and ate six right in a row. He continued to pop another in his mouth every time he walked by. Something about them was just addicting. After the event (p.s. I lost the people’s choice award, but my business plan won 1st!), we had a bunch left over (remember those 5 batches…?) and my housemates and I devoured them in no time.
These apple oatmeal muffins are so flavorful from the applesauce, cider, and chopped apples. They are full of great texture from the oats and so soft and sweet from all those things combined.
You will totally have NO idea that these are dairy-free and vegan. These are a perfect on-the-go snack, they’re lunchbox ready, or pop them in the freezer and microwave one for breakfast! Enjoy!
Want more vegan apple recipes?
- Paleo Vegan Apple Crumble Pie
- Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp
- Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Cinnamon Scones
- 10+ Apple Dessert Recipes
Apple Oatmeal Muffins (Vegan)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Apple Oatmeal Muffins are naturally vegan and absolutely full of apple flavor from sautéed apples, apple cider, and applesauce! These healthier muffins are sure to be a breakfast favorite. Gluten-free & refined sugar-free options!
Ingredients
For the apples
- 1 medium apple, peeled and chopped into 1/4” cubes
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, replace both flours with oat flour to keep gluten-free
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup refined coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup apple cider or non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
- In a small saucepan, saute the apples, brown sugar and cinnamon for about 5 minutes over medium heat. The apples should begin to soften and caramelize slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Stir together flours, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Add in the applesauce, vegetable oil, and cider or milk. Stir until just moistened. Fold in chopped apple. Fill muffin cups ¾ full.
- Bake for about 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Congrats on winning first place on your business plan. I’m a bit shocked you didn’t take People’s Choice home with the edible incentive. I sure hope Sticky Fingers McMuffin voted for you. These look great btw. :-)
Thank you!! The guy who won people’s choice had a prime location and got all the other football players to vote for him, but I don’t mind…since I won! Love your nickname for him, haha :)
How do you store these? Air tight container or refrigerator?
Hi Susie, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for two days, in the fridge for five days, or in the freezer (well-wrapped) for about 3 months. Enjoy!
I LOVE the addition of the apple sauce and cider in these. It probably gives such a rich flavor. Love these. Pinned.
Bringing baked goods to class is a sure way to swing votes your way. These muffins look gorgeous! And I love that they are vegan too.
Yay for your business plan! That’s amazing! And these muffins sound absolutely fantastic!!
Thanks so much, Phi! :)
These sound so hearty and delicious :) I love a good apple muffin! Can’t wait to try these!
Just made my first batch and have to say awesome goodness. The kids will enjoy them. Thank you !
So glad you’re loving them!!
That’s such a fun story about the history of these muffins!! It’s always so rewarding when someone comes back for seconds — let alone fifths and sixths. They must be the best apple muffins! And no, they don’t sound boring at all. Fruit-filled muffins are always one of my favorites! :) Pinned!
Thanks so much, Amy! Yeah, the best compliment is when someone can’t stop devouring something I make. Thanks for the pin!
Rachel, these muffins look incredible… not boring at all. I love the apple + oatmeal combo and am SO going to give these a try. yum!! :)
Love that you baked these to go alone with your project, that’s such a wonderful idea! And these muffins sound absolutely delicious, I love making a batch of healthier muffins and eating them throughout the week. These are on my list to try!
Haha, I use any excuse to bake, especially if it could help my grade, haha! Thanks so much, Danielle!
These look fantastic! And I think sauteing the apples make them non-boring :)
Thanks Kathleen! Sauteing the apples does add a delicious twist :)
Congrats on getting 1st for your business plan! Delicious muffins are never boring! :)
Yay for vegan apple muffins! Yay for apple muffins! Yay for muffins! I love everything about this post… especially the apple + oatmeal combo :) So yum!
Yummmmmm! Delicious vegan food is one reason why the number of vegans has doubled in less than 3 years. Here’s a video to help everyone understand why so many people are making this life affirming choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr4HZ7ukSE
Join the revolution! http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/step-by-step-guide-how-to-transition-to-vegan-diet/
Congrats on your business plan! These muffins sound like a huge hit. I’m so happy for you!
I am totally going to jump on the oatmeal muffin bandwagon after seeing, Rachel! Love the apple flavors. Such a fantastic grab ‘n go breakfast or snack!
Oh wow!! These look so good!! I love love LOVE apples! I need to make muffins soon :) Great recipe!! SO tasty!
I’m not sure how you wouldn’t win everything with these beauties! I did a lot of bribing, er, feeding people with baked goods in grad school. It is a good lesson to learn ;)
What a cool project! I loved that you made this, and won 1st place…I think we can generalize the statement “the best way to a man’s heart is through is stomach” to everyone (: And they are certainly not boring to me! Congrats!!
First of all, these muffins do NOT sound boring! And second, your class sounds so fun! Or at least you have fun projects that involve baked goods. That’s awesome y’all won, get it girl! :)
Thank you!! Yeah, it was an awesome class, and though baking was certainly not necessary…I tend to involve them where I can. Gotta flaunt my strengths, right? Haha!
They sure do look flavorful! Apple and oatmeal is such a stellar combination. I would totally vote for you if these muffins were included :)
These muffins look so good! And they are vegan? I love it!
I don’t think these sound boring at all! I love the combination—and the fact that they’re vegan, Yum!!
these are delicious! Just made them with my son for school snack!!! We used coconut oil! Thank you!
So glad you liked them. Thanks for sharing, Evie!
These are terrific. I used to turn up my nose at the idea of vegan baked goods. Now my teen daughter is a vegan so consequently, we’re all eating vegan. These muffins are so moist and sweet and flavorful. There is no need and no room in them for eggs or dairy! Thanks!
I’m so glad you loved these muffins, Martha, and they they’ve helped turn you into a vegan baked good convert :) I used to be the same and turn my nose up at any baked goods that were remotely healthy, but with the right recipes, you can’t even tell. Thanks for sharing!
These are absolutely amazing!!!
I made these for a breakfast treat and they were amazing! Even my non-vegan picky roommate liked them. I omitted the granulated sugar altogether but added chia seeds, raisins, and extra cinnamon. I used coconut milk as the non-dairy milk and it made the muffins so silky and rich tasting. I definitely will make these again, thank you so much for an easy yet tasty recipe!
I made these today for breakfast and they were AMAZING! my whole family loved them. Thank you!
So glad they were a hit! Thanks for sharing your feedback, Hannah :)
I recently became vegan and have had a hard time finding recipes that have simple, readily available ingredients. I made these tonight but instead of applesauce replaced it with 1/4 cup of smashed banana and 1/4 of oil- they turned out beautifully! I think the banana is a great twist and totally willing to try if you want to mix things up :) thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Ellie – I actually adapted this recipe from my vegan blueberry muffin recipe, which uses banana to replace the egg! Great minds think alike :) so glad you enjoyed the muffins. Hope you can find some more simple vegan recipes on my site that you enjoy as well.
Hey, I was just curious could I substitute the applesauce for vegan coconut milk yogurt?
I’ve never used coconut milk yogurt, so I’m not sure how it would work in baking. Texture wise, it should work though! I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a go, Olivia.
This is the best base muffin mix ever! I like to add ingredients like flax seed, chia seeds, ground nuts; or change the fruits up. I have not made this recipe with the apples, instead using dried fruits. But they are always extremely moist and simply delicious!! And vegan❤️! Thanks so much!!
I’m so happy to hear that, Julie!! Glad to know it works for all the muffin varieties you can dream up :) thanks for sharing your feedback.
I made these today. They were delicious and looked even better than the picture. I am surprised that no one contacted you about the lack of white sugar in the list of ingredients but included in the directions and no mention of baking soda in the directions. After tasting the batter I decided to add 2 Tbsp. white sugar and the baking soda with the rest of the dry ingredients. When there are discrepancies you don’t know if there are errors. Fortunately I guessed right!
Thanks for noticing that, I’m surprised it hasn’t been brought up either! I’ll make the corrections now.
Can we list the nutrition facts about these muffins? Thank you!
Hi Susan, you can put the recipe link here to calculate the nutritional info: myfitnesspal.com/recipe_parser. Hope you love the muffins!
I was wondering if you there is an acceptable substitute for the whole wheat flour that is gluten free. I would use cup 4 cup in place of the white flour. I’m never sure of a substitute for whole wheat though.
I love your recipes and they are always a hit with my family too!
So glad you’re enjoying my recipes, Carol! I would just use cup 4 cup for both of the flours, white and whole wheat :) enjoy!
Oooooooh. These are yummy! Satisfying, subtle, and sweet. Couldn’t wait for them to cool. I totally didn’t measure some of the dry ingredients exactly. Used a mix of mostly dark brown sugar and white sugar. Added half a top of apple cider vinegar and an egg. Did not have baking powder or applesauce. Boyfriend approved
So glad to hear they were a hit even with the changes! Enjoy :)
He has asked for them again! Haha. Gonna try banana instead of egg
Have made these three times now. Seriously the best muffins I’ve ever made. I make my own brown sugar with extra molasses, and use a little more apple sauce, plus I sub olive oil for vegetable oil which actually doesn’t affect the taste in these. SUPERB. moist. Delicious. A hit with everybody that’s tried them. Thanks!
That makes me SO happy to hear, Kaci! Thanks so much for your feedback.
These muffins are fabulous! My kids LOVE them, and my son is picky when it comes to muffins. I used twice the apple sauce amount and left out apple cider/milk. I did also add maybe 1/2 tsp of a fall spice blend. Will be making again & again. Thanks!
So thrilled you and your family are loving them, Jaclyn. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! :)
These sound fantastic! Is there something I can use as a substitute for the oil?
Hi Janine, you could try replacing with more applesauce.
Ok wow, these are delicious !!! I used maple syrup in place of sugar and added a tablespoon of vanilla to the batter and they are incredible !! Thank you so much for this recipe !!! Mmmmm
So glad you’re loving the muffins, Mariam!
These were REALLY good. Loved the recipe. The only thing I would consider changing is the sugar amount, I think the were a little too sweet for me. Next time I’ll probably reduce the sugar a bit. But above all, really moist and flavorful. Thanks so much for the amazing recipe
Thanks for the feedback Nidia!! I actually prefer these with less sugar too – I just made some small adjustments to the recipe to reflect that. So glad you enjoyed them!
Thanks, they were really good! I substituted the sugar for maple syrup, I grated the apple, and I added vegan chocolate chips and hempseed!
Thrilled you enjoyed them, Dominique! Thanks for the feedback :)
These are amazing! I made them last night for my boyfriend to take for breakfast in the mornings and ate four while they were still hot. I took some to work today to share the deliciousness and everyone loved them so I’m making more tonight! Also, I did not have any whole wheat flour so I just used all all-purpose flour. I also added one teaspoon of vanilla when I added the liquid. I’m going to try making some with vegetable oil tonight instead of coconut oil as one of my coworkers is allergic, hopefully they’ll be just as good!
Thank you for an awesome recipe!!! This is definitely going to be a staple in my kitchen.
I used vegetable oil for years in these, so that should totally work! So glad they were a hit. Thanks for the feedback, Marissa :)
Hi these look delicious! Was wondering if you can substitute the sugar with date paste?
Hi Danielle, I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure, but I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
Wonderful recipe! I replaced the all purpose flour with 3/4th whole wheat flour while adding a litrle bit more of milk. Turned out perfect!! Loved it.. best apple muffins ever! And healthy!! Thanks…
So glad they were a hit, Neha! Thanks for the love!
I made these today and they were moist and delicious. I used apple juice instead of cider and cook for only 16 min.. I would definitely recommend and I sent the recipe to some family members. Thanks !!!!
So thrilled they are a hit, Nancy! Thanks for the feedback.
Really nice! Made these today.
So happy you’re loving them Sam!
Can I substitute an equal amount of oat flour for the whole wheat flour?
Hi Ashley, yes you can!
Thank you!!!
These were pretty good! I did find that they were a little dry and not too sweet. But I used oatmilk so maybe if I used apple cider that would help.
Hi Christy, the apple cider definitely adds a bit of extra sweetness! Also make sure not to overbake these, or they’ll definitely dry out a bit. Glad you enjoyed them, though!
Oh my gosh….these are perfect. Best muffins ever. Moist inside, soft, flavorful with such a nice crumb texture on top. All the flavors rock. Holy Smokes!
So glad you’re loving them, Becky!
I didn’t have any applesauce, so I used quince-marmelade… Sooooo good! Thank you!
Sounds fabulous!!! :D
I added extra apple with the cinnamon which made them extra moist. Yummy!
Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Thank you for the feedback, Deborah!
I just made these and they are amazing. I was underwhelmed by their lack of expanding in the oven but man oh man do they pack in a lot of flavor! I made them GF by using only oat flour. I added a tablespoon of flax and about 1/2 a teaspoon of allspice. Sooo yummy! Thank You : )
Hi Fizza, these don’t rise too high (especially with oat flour which can be a little denser) but I’m glad you agree that they are delicious!! Thanks so much for the feedback :D
These are one of the best vegan recipes I’ve tried! I was making them for my partner who is on a diet for cholesterol and prefers to eat vegan but isn’t strictly so. I replaced the coconut oil with Benecol plant-based butter substitute to reduce the saturated fat and used the cider option. They were perfectly moist and fluffy, and not bland like the vegan banana bread I last tried (not from this site). Partner was quite happy. Guess I’ll have to look at Bakerita’s banana bread recipe too!
Hi Chris! I’m so thrilled to hear that you and your partner loved these, I hope you find so many more recipes that you love on my site :)
I doubled this recipe and used 2 cups oat flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat. I try to use oat flour as much as possible. I also use 1/3c brown swerve and 1/3c maple syrup for sweetener. I’m always looking for recipes I can use healthier alternatives in and this one was fantastic! I also had no apple cider but I had a bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling blush left from Christmas which is 100% apple juice with cherry concentrate. It turned out perfect!
Side note, I forgot to put the oil in it as well and it still was wonderful. I didn’t even realize it called for oil till the muffins were done baking and I started reading comments
Thanks so much for the feedback, Asia! So glad you loved the recipe.
This sounds great!
Can I use regular canola oil instead of coconut?
Hi Ally, that should be fine for this recipe!
can i use olive oil instead of coconut oul
Yes that should work!
Just diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome. I’m the long standing baker in my family , and a big fan of butter. Those days are now over. And this recipe is a no regrets hands down winner. Doesn’t matter that it contains no butter and meets my now stringent dietary needs. It’s delicious and enthusiastically received by myself and my family. I was concerned the coconut oil would overwhelm the flavor, but this is not the case. Moist, tasty apple/cinnamon flavor. I freeze them, and use the microwave set on 50% power for 1 minute to bring them back to freshly made life. Perfecto and recommended!
So thrilled that you’re enjoying the recipe, Scott! Thanks so much for sharing your helpful feedback :)
These are delicious! I didn’t have apple cider so used oat milk and it tasted great but hope to try the apple cider next time. I like how hearty these are and how they’re a healthier muffin recipe. Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them, Natalie! Thanks for the feedback.
These are one of my current favorites! I just shared it with my customer text list, and food is not my niche.
I grind oats to use as the flour because I need more protein. Thank you for a yummy vegan recipe that is easily made gluten free!
So glad you love it and glad that the oat flour worked well! Thanks for the feedback, Jenny.