These sweet, tender and moist Paleo Apple Muffins have a deliciously addicting coconut sugar and cinnamon crumb topping and juicy apples throughout. They’re grain free, paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free, easy to make and family approved!
Have you gone apple picking yet?! I have not. When the kids were babies, it wasn’t hard to “schedule” in apple picking as soon as September rolled around. In fact, there were years I went twice, if only to have some sort of activity to get us all out of the house with strollers, diapers, and all that other jazz in tow.
It sort of amazes me now that I went through all that trouble for apple picking, because now (and since the kids have been school-age) it stresses me out just trying to find a free day to apple pick before October slaps me in the face and the apples are gone. Between birthday parties, friend/family get-togethers and other random stuff that I can’t even pinpoint, apple picking has been demoted way down on the priority list.
The apple picking struggle is real, here, as I’m sitting here making mental calculations of how many chances we even have before the month is over. And hasn’t it only just begun?! I mean, if my calculations are correct, and assuming my mind isn’t completely gone, wasn’t it just Labor Day Weekend? It definitely doesn’t help that I’ve been testing apple recipes for a solid month and a half now (eek!) and pumpkin ones for almost as long. I want my FALL back!!
Anyway, let’s slow down, savor the moment, and also savor the flavor of these paleo apple muffins. Yes I’m 100% aware that my last sentence sounded silly. Would sava-the-flava be better? No, no again, and nope, it would not.
Of course now I’ll be saying all day since I made such a big deal of it. But anyway, the muffins! Apple muffins are a must-make in the fall, whether you pick your own apples or not. I oddly did not have a paleo version until just now, even though I had lots of other apple recipes on the blog. Now, forgive me as I channel Bubba (Forest Gump) and list a few:
Apple pie skillet cookie, apple crisp, apple pie bars, apple cinnamon pancakes, caramel apple coffee cake, sweet potato apple breakfast bake, apple cinnamon hot cereal, sautéed apples and pears, and more to come. The muffins needed to be here, don’t you think?
So here we have it – classic apple muffins with a delicious cinnamon crumb topping that also happen to be grain free, dairy free, and paleo. The muffins are moist and tender, thanks to doubling up on the apples (shredded and diced!) and they’re packed with all that spicy sweet fall flavor we love. You won’t want to say no to this! And, since they’re easy to make and actually good for you, it’s all YES for these paleo apple muffins!
One note on the coconut oil I used for this recipe (and for most of my baking recipes.) I usually stick with organic refined coconut oil for baking, as opposed to extra virgin, since refined is 100% flavorless, so you don’t get that “weird paleo taste” that kids and non-paleo eaters will tend the notice before they even take a bite.
I, personally, don’t mind the taste of coconut in nearly anything, but, for many of you feeding kids and other family members who are new to paleo, going with the refined coconut oil ensures you minimize coconut flavor and allow the other flavors to shine through. That said, if you’d prefer to stick to extra virgin, it will work just fine! Are you ready to bake? Let’s go!
Paleo Apple Muffins with Crumb Top
Paleo Apple Muffins with Crumb Topping
Ingredients
Crumb top:
- 5 tbsp almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut oil soft
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch sea salt
Muffin Batter:
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup almond milk unsweetened, or other dairy-free milk you prefer
- 6 tbsp coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 med/large apple peeled and shredded, excess water squeezed out
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 med/large apple peeled and finely diced
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with parchment liners*
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Combine crumb mixture ingredients in a bowl with a fork until combined (it should look like crumbs) then chill while you prepare muffin batter.
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Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl, except the coconut sugar, and set aside.
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Whisk together eggs, almond milk, vanilla, sugar, grated apple, coconut oil and lemon juice in a large bowl until well combined
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Gently stir dry ingredients into wet until no flour spots show, then fold in finely diced apples.
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Scoop into 12 lined muffin cups evenly and sprinkle the chilled crumb topping over each one. Bake in preheated oven 15-20 mins or until muffins rise and toothpick inserted into center of one muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on wire racks before serving. Enjoy!
What I Used To Make My Paleo Apple Muffins with Crumb Topping:
Want More Paleo apple recipes? Try one of these!
Maple Pecan Apple Crisp {Paleo and Vegan}
Paleo and Vegan Apple Pie Bars
Sautéed Apples and Pears with Coconut Butter {No added sugar}
Sweet Potato Apple Breakfast Bake {Whole30}
Tell Me!
Do you go apple picking every year? First thing you make after?
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Hi! I'm Michele. Paleo eater and recipe creator, runner, and mom of 3. Welcome to my blog, where we obsess over all of it and love every minute! (It's way fun over here, promise.) Stay a while to eat, run, and rant with me! 
These look amazing! I know what I’m cooking this weekend!! Can’t wait to smell fall!!
Thanks for all your fabulous recipes!! I love your blog!!
Could you please tell me how you calculate nutritional value- calories specifically? Some habits are hard to break!😀
Thanks! Blessings for a wonderful weekend!
Renee
Hi! Hope you like them! I actually have the nutrition info below the recipe now – enjoy!
Hello! These sound wonderful! Can you tell me if it is essential to use tapioca flour? Can it be replaced with anything else? Many thanks 🙂
Hi! To omit the tapioca flour, I’d increase the almond flour measurement by 3 Tbsp, so you would wind up with 1 cup + 3 Tbsp blanched almond flour and 1/4 cup coconut flour, total. The tapioca helps make the texture more “fluffy” like traditional muffins, but, it’s not essential, if that makes sense! Hope this works out for you!
Thank you I’ll give them a whirl!!
looks great! do they freeze well?
Yes, you can freeze then and then thaw in the refrigerator to avoid re-liquifying the coconut oil in the topping.
I really love all your recipes that you post! Relatively new to Paleo and happened across your blog. I’ve tried a few of them and all have turned out really well.
So happy to hear that!
In the best way possible, these somewhat resemble (just by the picture) the entenmann’s crumb cake muffins:) They were dry and crumbly. Good memories of my younger days 🙂 Pure sugary-ness.
Those muffins were the best 🙂
Somehow I knew you would know which ones I meant. I actually googled afterwards and it turns out I think the ones I meant were made by Drake’s. Let’s give credit where credit is due 😊
Entenmann’s had good coffee cake ones too though! Won’t ever forget them lol 🙂
Do you think I could bake this as one cake in an 8×8 pan? I need an apple cake recipe for later this week
Yup I think that would work, although it might work better in a 9″? Not positive!
I’m going to be making it on Thursday, I’ll let you know how it turns out. I think all of my square pans
are 8×8 🙁
I’m sure it will be fine, if it looks like the batter is just too much for the pan, just leave a bit of it out 🙂
The cake turned out great! I baked it in an 8×8 pan because that was all I had. I started my oven at 350 for 20 minutes but then I lowered the temp to 325 because the edges were getting done and the middle was totally raw! Total time was 30-35 minutes. My daughter asked if she could eat the leftovers for breakfast today!
Sounds great!