Even though fresh apple season has long faded, I've found myself working on this gluten free apple cinnamon muffin recipe for the last month. Despite finicky apple quality this late in the season I still find myself buying and eating them anyways. Maybe it's my way of coping with that winter lull where fruit is scarce but I still need to get my fix.
Muffins are my other love, a texture that is usually lost as soon as the gluten free tag is added, but I try so hard to find it again in my recipes. One of the most important questions I ask my recipe testers is, "Can you tell it's gluten free?" If they answer no, I know I'm on the right track. If it's a yes, then I keep on baking...
All that aside, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have:
Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1⁄2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1⁄2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix (like this)
- 1⁄2 cup sweet rice flour (like this)
- 1⁄4 cup apple juice
- 2 cups baking apples, peeled and diced (about 2 small apples or ⅔ cup chunky apple sauce)
- 1⁄4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 1⁄4 cup collagen powder, (like this)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄8 baking soda
Maple Buttercream Frosting:
- 1⁄2 cup butter, room temperature, left out for at least 12 hours
- 1⁄4 cup maple syrup
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel and chop two medium to large apples into small bite-size pieces, enough to fill two whole cups. Set aside.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
- Then add the eggs, vanilla, apple juice, maple syrup and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl combine the baking mix, sweet rice flour, cinnamon, walnuts, collagen, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients stirring as you combine them.
- Add the apples and mix to combine.
- Fill your muffin pan with liners and add the batter filling each muffin compartment approximately ¾ full.
- Bake muffins for 22-24 minutes (10-11 minutes for mini muffins, 40-45 minutes for a cake) or until light golden brown.
- While the muffins bake, prepare the frosting. Whip the butter and maple syrup together until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Mix again. Add the frosting to a small sandwich bag and cut out the corner so you're ready to pipe the frosting on as soon as the muffins are completely cool.
- Top these gluten free apple cinnamon muffins with as much maple buttercream frosting as you desire once they have cooled for at least an hour.
Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins (½ batch)
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1⁄4 cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix (like this)
- 1⁄4 cup sweet rice flour (like this)
- 2 tablespoons apple juice
- 1 cup baking apples, peeled and diced (about 1 small apples or ⅓ cup chunky apple sauce)
- 2 tablespoons walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons collagen powder, (like this)
- 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄16 baking soda
Maple Buttercream Frosting:
- 1⁄4 cup butter, room temperature, left out for at least 12 hours
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel and chop two medium to large apples into small bite-size pieces, enough to fill two whole cups. Set aside.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
- Then add the eggs, vanilla, apple juice, maple syrup and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl combine the baking mix, sweet rice flour, cinnamon, walnuts, collagen, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients stirring as you combine them.
- Add the apples and mix to combine.
- Fill your muffin pan with liners and add the batter filling each muffin compartment approximately ¾ full.
- Bake muffins for 22-24 minutes (10-11 minutes for mini muffins, 40-45 minutes for a cake) or until light golden brown.
- While the muffins bake, prepare the frosting. Whip the butter and maple syrup together until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Mix again. Add the frosting to a small sandwich bag and cut out the corner so you're ready to pipe the frosting on as soon as the muffins are completely cool.
- Top these gluten free apple cinnamon muffins with as much maple buttercream frosting as you desire once they have cooled for at least an hour.
What's your go-to recipe for apple cake or apple cinnamon muffins? Please share in the comments!
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Rezvan
Thank you!
Katie
Why does it have to have a mix?
Karen
Hi Catherine!
I realize that it's an individual thing, but do you recommend against Guar Gum? I notice that some Pamela's blends have it, but not the ones you suggest.
Thanks!
Karen
Catherine
Hi Karen,
Yes -- I'm not a fan of any of the gums, so I try to minimize them as much as I can in my recipes. They can be a gut irritant for some people.
Abundantly,
Catherine