Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins {gluten-free and vegan}

Naturally-sweetened with grated apples and maple syrup, moist with grated apples, and loaded with raisins and walnuts, these apple cinnamon quinoa muffins are my favorite muffin in the whole world! Updated to be more nutritious, these delicious babies are both gluten-free and vegan!

Home-selling wisdom says that if a prospective buyer tours a home with a warm cinnamon fragrance filling the air, they are more likely to buy. For sale or not, the scent of cinnamon-spiced muffins is an invitation to stay.

Click here to save the recipe for these Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins on Pinterest.

In the old days, I made these apple cinnamon muffins with white flour, sugar, and eggs. No more. I turned my favorite muffins inside out to be more nutritious, gluten free and vegan!

>>>> The first to go was the sugar—now they’re sweetened with maple syrup.

>>>> Then, out went the white flour. I could have easily swapped in whole wheat flour, but I wanted them to be gluten-free. High-protein quinoa flour is a pretty good substitute for the white flour.

>>>> The sugar and flour exchange works. So I decided to try making the muffins vegan by subbing a “flax egg” for the farm egg. The mucus slurry of flax seeds and water is a decent substitute for a chicken egg, but without eggs and gluten, these muffins can be crumbly. For a sturdier gluten free muffin, consider using chicken eggs.

However you make your apple cinnamon quinoa muffins, gluten free or not, vegan or with eggs, they’re always moist and tender with welcoming spice flavor!

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Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins recipe notes:

• Wholesome quinoa flour, (affiliate link) ground from the ancient gluten-free grain, provides protein complete with all eight essential amino acids. If you can’t get quinoa flour, make your own.
• Some say quinoa flour can have a bitter taste in baked goods, but I didn’t detect it in these muffins, what with all the apples, raisins, walnuts and, naturally, cinnamon.
• So these gluten-free muffins hold together well, I added arrowroot starch, aka arrowroot flour, (affiliate link) to the dry ingredients. Alternatively you can use tapioca flour, aka tapioca starch. (Affiliate link) Both arrowroot and tapioca starch are handy to have in the pantry–stored in jars, they last for years.
• Did you know? Nutritious arrowroot will replace cornstarch or flour, one for one, in sauces and pastry cream. Also, in juicy fruit pies, tapioca flour binds the same as cornstarch and flour, with the bonus of a clear, not cloudy, thickened filling.
• A gelatinous mix of ground flax seeds (affiliate link) and water replaces eggs to make these muffins vegan. Without the farm egg, they don’t rise as high as the originals, yet they come out of the oven with nice rounded domes.
• The original recipe, the one that hooked me forever, comes from The Breakfast Book (affiliate link) by Marion Cunningham. She calls for diced apples, but I like to use grated apples for more consistency.
• You might also want to try my Spiced Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins.

• Follow me on Instagram!
• Peruse my Pinterest boards for more vegetarian recipe ideas.
• Find more vegetarian and healthy living ideas on my Facebook page.

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Print Recipe

3.62 from 18 votes

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins

Naturally-sweetened with grated apples and maple syrup, and loaded with raisins and walnuts, these vegan and gluten-free muffins use “flax seed eggs” and quinoa flour.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: apple, muffins, vegan, gluten free, healthy

Servings: 12 muffins

Author: Letty | @lettyskitchen

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoons ground flax seed (see note)
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 3 cups (unpeeled) cored Gala apples, grated (3 small apples)
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ⅓ cup avocado or grapeseed canola oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups quinoa flour, raw or toasted (see note)
• 3 tablespoons tapioca flour or arrowroot
• 2 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ cup raisins
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

Instructions

• Mix the ground flax seed with the warm water in a bowl. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, until it becomes thick and gelatinous. (This is a vegan egg replacer. If you wish, substitute 2 eggs.)
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 12 muffin cups cooking spray, or lightly coat with oil, or line with paper cupcake liners.
• In a larger bowl, mix the grated apples and maple syrup. Whisk the oil and vanilla into the flax egg replacer. In a third bowl, whisk together the quinoa flour, the tapioca or arrowroot flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
• Stir the flax egg mixture into the apple mixture. Sprinkle the flour mixture over that and mix well. Stir in the raisins and ¾ cup of chopped walnuts.
• Using an ice cream scoop or a ¼-cup measure, divide into the prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining walnuts. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when touched with a finger. Cool for about 5 minutes, and then remove from the pan.

Notes

The gelatinous mix of flax seeds and water replaces eggs–vegan “flax egg.” If you wish, substitute 2 eggs for the flax egg mixture.

Quinoa flour has a grassy, slightly bitter flavor. Toasting the flour before using gives it a better flavor, though it’s not necessary. To toast the quinoa flour: Spread on a baking sheet and bake in a 225°F. oven for 30 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool before mixing into the muffin batter.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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>>> Updated from original posted November, 2016