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These healthy Apple Cider Donut Muffins are made with applesauce and maple syrup and are incredibly moist and delicious. Plus they are gluten-free and dairy-free! 

These gluten-free muffins hit the spot when you’re craving something cozy but not quite ready for pumpkin. Plus, they’re lower in sugar and have a little more protein and fiber thanks to the blend of oat flour and almond flour. You can get your apple donut fix while still feeling good afterwards!

These muffins take under an hour to make and are a great recipe to prep ahead of time for an easy dessert or grab and go snack throughout the week.

Gluten-Free Apple Cider Donut Muffins with cinnamon sugar topping

INGREDIENTS USED FOR THESE APPLE CIDER MUFFINS

  • Oat flour (or you can use all purpose gluten-free flour)
  • Almond flour
  • Cinnamon + nutmeg + vanilla
  • Avocado oil
  • Baking soda + salt
  • Applesauce
  • Maple syrup
  • Eggs
  • Coconut sugar or golden monk fruit

HORMONE HEALTH TIP

You might have noticed these muffins are sweetened with applesauce and maple syrup instead of table sugar or cane sugar. This is an intentional change I’ve made to this recipe because it creates a healthier, more blood sugar friendly option.

Natural sweeteners like maple syrup, coconut sugar, and honey are lower on the glycemic index, meaning they take a bit longer to break down and won’t cause as high of a blood sugar spike as refined sugars. Plus these sweeteners contain beneficial antioxidants and minerals.

I almost never use refined sugars when I’m baking and I can hardly tell the difference! It’s so easy to switch out sugar for something like maple syrup or coconut sugar in most baking recipes. This is such a simple way to still enjoy your favorite sweet treats while keeping your blood sugar levels a little more stable.

MORE apple recipes you’ll love:

If you make these apple cider donut muffins, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe below to let me know how you liked it. You can also tag #nourishedbynutriton on Instagram with your creations!

CLICK HERE FOR THE REEL I MADE OF THIS RECIPE

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Gluten-Free Apple Cider Donut Muffins

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These healthy Apple Cider Donut Muffins are made with applesauce and maple syrup and are incredibly moist and delicious. Plus they are gluten-free and dairy-free!

  • Author: Jessica Bippen

Ingredients

Units Scale

FOR THE MUFFINS:

1 1/2 cup oat flour (or 1:1 all purpose gluten-free flour)
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 heaping cup applesauce
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

FOR THE CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING:

1–2 tbsp melted butter or avocado oil
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp coconut sugar and/or golden monk fruit (I did a combo of both)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400℉. Mix the oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, maple syrup, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined.

Place the batter into an oiled or lined muffin tin and place in the oven for 5 minutes. After the first 5 minutes, turn the oven down to 350℉ and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush the top of the muffins with butter or oil and immediately roll the top of the muffins in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy!

 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #nourishedbynutriton.