This recipe for hearty, healthy apple muffins has lived on my website since 2016. I’ve made a couple slight changes over the years so they rise taller and have a stronger apple flavor. They’re wonderfully wholesome and soft, and you’ll appreciate that they’re made without any refined sugar. These are my go-to choice when I’m looking for a quick and easy healthy muffin!
For a classic and indulgent version, try my apple cinnamon muffins.
Today’s muffins are adapted from my morning glory muffins, which have all sorts of goodies packed inside like grated apple, grated carrot, raisins, nuts, etc. Think: carrot cake, but lightened-up.
For this apple version, we’re leaving out the grated carrot and switching up a couple other ingredients. To keep them on the lighter side, I use a mix of applesauce and melted coconut oil. This way the muffins keep their moist, rich texture but aren’t weighed down with fat.
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Healthy Apple Muffins
- Quick and easy
- No mixer required
- Zero refined sugar—use pure maple syrup and apples to sweeten
- Use whole wheat flour for hearty, wholesome flavor
- Flavored with cinnamon, allspice, and lots of apples and applesauce
- Absolutely healthy, but they don’t taste like cardboard (not at all bland!)
- Dairy-free recipe
Key Ingredients & Why They Work
- Whole Wheat Flour: I love using whole wheat flour in baking when I can. Whole wheat flour can quickly dry out your baked goods, so it’s important to pay close attention to the wet ingredients. For example, there’s extra butter and milk in these whole wheat dinner rolls to make up for the hearty flour. Today’s muffins are super moist and we have the following listed ingredients to thank!
- Eggs: This recipe used to call for 3 eggs, which weighed the muffins down and provided too much eggy structure. I updated the recipe so you use 2 eggs and more applesauce.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Just as if you were making applesauce muffins, make sure you use unsweetened applesauce here. If all you have is sweetened, slightly reduce the maple syrup as noted in the recipe Note below.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup sweetens the muffins and adds some moisture. The darker the pure maple syrup, the stronger the flavor. So if your maple syrup is extra dark with robust flavor, slightly reduce to 1/2 cup (120ml). If your maple syrup is golden or light amber colored (not very dark), use 2/3 cup as instructed below.
- Coconut Oil: Instead of butter or vegetable oil, use melted coconut oil. This is one of my very favorite ingredients in the kitchen and you can use it again for these chocolate banana muffins.
- Shredded Apples: Use shredded apples instead of chunks. Why? Shredded apples act as a wet ingredient while chunks act as an add-in. You want MOISTURE, so grab a grater just as if you were going to shred carrots for carrot cake or zucchini for zucchini bread.
You also need cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Chopped pecans or walnuts are optional, but add a little extra texture and flavor.
Today’s muffin batter comes together in just 5–10 minutes with simple kitchen tools including a couple bowls, a whisk, and a muffin pan. If you’re looking for grater recommendations, I love this box grater because it’s easy to use and has held up well with regular use. If you want to make muffins with apple chunks, try apple cinnamon bread or these equally healthful apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups instead.
Best Apples to Use
You need about 2 cups of shredded apples, which is about 210g or 2 peeled apples. Feel free to leave the peel on if desired. The best apples to use in these healthy apple muffins are a sweet variety like Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Fuji. Or you can use 1 tart apple like Granny Smith and 1 sweet. A combination of flavor profiles can be important in baked goods, especially apple pie or apple crisp.
Healthy Apple Muffins: Helpful Notes
- Expect a thick batter. Thick batter helps ensure the muffins lift UP rather than spread OUT.
- Feel free to replace the allspice with nutmeg. Allspice is one of my favorite spices to use in baking and you can see it used in these peach muffins and these apple hand pies. If you don’t have allspice, don’t worry about it—use nutmeg instead.
- Add an optional coarse sugar topping. You can use coconut sugar, something like Sugar in the Raw, or sparkling coarse sugar (usually sold as sprinkles).
- Bake at an initially high oven temperature. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes in a very hot oven. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin top. Once the temperature is lowered, the centers of the muffins bake. I do this in all my muffin recipes.
Again, expect a thick batter. You might think you’re doing something wrong but you’re not. This batter is extra thick and that’s expected!
I bake muffins A LOT, usually at least once a week. They’re one of my favorite kid-friendly baking recipes and back to school recipes (easy to mix & quick to bake) and they freeze wonderfully. Banana muffins are a top choice, but these healthy apple muffins come in a close second; kids and adults LOVE them.
If you need a recommendation, this muffin pan and this muffin pan have both held up well with very regular use.
Even More Muffin Recipes
- Blueberry Muffins
- Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins
- Zucchini Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins (with crumb topping)
- Bran Muffins
- Or try my all-in-one Muffin Recipe
Healthy Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These simple and healthy whole wheat apple muffins come together quickly. Feel free to skip the optional nuts and make sure to use shredded apple instead of chopped apple.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (133g) smooth unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (160ml) pure maple syrup, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (70g) coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil or melted butter)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (210g) shredded/grated apple (about 2 peeled apples)*
- optional: 3/4 cup (about 90g) chopped pecans or walnuts
- optional: 1 Tablespoon coarse sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir a few times, and then add the shredded apple and pecans/walnuts. With a spatula, fold everything together gently just until combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. If using, sprinkle tops evenly with coarse sugar. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21–23 minutes. (For mini muffins, bake 11–14 minutes at 350°F (177°C).)
- Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling, or enjoy warm.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, then transfer to the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then heat up in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Box Grater | Rubber Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Whole Wheat Flour: If you don’t have whole wheat flour, you can replace with the same amount of all-purpose flour. My team and I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but here are some gluten-free blueberry muffins you might enjoy instead. (Feel free to replace blueberries with chopped apple.)
- Maple Syrup: For best results, use pure maple syrup, not breakfast syrup. The darker the pure maple syrup, the stronger the flavor. So if your maple syrup is extra dark with robust flavor, slightly reduce to 1/2 cup (120ml). If your maple syrup is golden or light amber colored (not very dark), use 2/3 cup as instructed. You can substitute honey if needed, but reduce the honey to 1/2 cup (170g).
- Shredded vs. Chopped Apples: It’s best to use shredded/grated apples in this muffin recipe because they work as a wet ingredient. I do not recommend chopping them instead. Feel free to peel the apples before shredding or leave the peels on—doesn’t matter either way.
- Why the initial high oven temperature? Like I do for most muffin recipes, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a very hot temperature. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, switch to a lower temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high temperature will quickly lift the muffin tops so they’re extra high, then the centers will bake during the lower temperature bake time. This trick makes beautiful bakery-style muffins every time.
- Nutrition Information: Using SparkRecipes calculator, these muffins come out to 195 calories, 7.5g fat, 30g carbs each.
Keywords: healthy apple muffins, whole wheat apple muffins
The muffins are so delicious. But I don’t always have maple syrup in hand. Can I sub sugar, and if so how much should I use?
Hi Ramona, Honey is a great substitute for the maple syrup. See recipe note. You can substitute honey if needed, but reduce the honey to 1/2 cup (170g).
Sally, can’t wait to try your apple muffins, the recipe looks great & am looking forward to baking these very soon!, I love your site & read it when I see it!!
I want to get started right away to make these muffins but would like to try them in my mini-muffin pans (as my husband likes donut holes and I am looking for a healthy substitute – and I know these would be great.) Your recipe for the mini’s indicates to bake at 350 for 11-14 minutes but do I put them in at 450 for 5 minutes first – or just the 350 the whole time? Thanks so much as I can’t wait to try these – I just know they will be as delicious as all your other recipes!
Hi Andrea, when you make them as mini muffins, just bake at 350 for the whole time–no initial high-temp. Hope you and your husband love them!
This is my go-to recipe when I have apples on hand. I love the recipe as written, but I started subbing sugar because maple syrup is so expensive. I often change out the cinnamon & allspice for other spices — my favorite is a teaspoon each of ginger and turmeric, plus the zest & juice of a lemon, and no vanilla. I also discovered I can swap the applesauce for Greek yogurt to get some more protein in. Thanks so much for your amazing as-is but also customizable recipes!
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Could you tell me why most of the ingredients have to be room temperature? I always forget to set things out and then when it’s time to make it, I realize everything is cold and i end up not making it.
Hi Joy! Here’s our detailed post on why room temperature ingredients make a difference in baking.
No apple sauce? I just just used 1 very ripe banana and it worked just fine! These were great. Thanks Sally!
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Fantastic! They rise beautifully in high altitude (5,000 ft.) and I made them sugar free to be diabetes friendly.
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Another winner! Moist and delicious, and I happened to have some of your granola that I used for a topping, stupendous!
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I made this muffin and it was so moist it wasn’t sweet but very very tasty. It’s a light you can eat a couple and not filled up.
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These muffins are as delicious as they are beautiful! …and they’re healthy! I wish I could post a picture. The way the tops rose up was amazing! I will be making these often.
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For my next batch I mean i want to try. I did as the recipe said fort my batch un the oven.
I’m cooking these muffins. Right now on the oven. The batter tastes so good already good sign. My boyfriend has diabetes. I have Monkfruit mainly erythetrol. I thought to replace 1/2 cup of maple syrup with 1/2 cup Monkfruit and consequence more liquid. I thought to put 1/3 cup and 1/4 coconut oil and put 1 cup of unsweeted applesauce. Will it work?
We haven’t tested those change but let us know how it goes if you do!
Thank you Sally for sharing this delicious recipe. I’m not a baker, most of my baked goods are not so good, but I followed your recipe exact and they were knock your socks off fantastically yummy
Question though …
… Have you tried using Oat Flour in place of the whole wheat flour in this recipe before?
… If yes, is it the same measurement as the whole wheat flour?
Thank you so much Sally!
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Hi Katherine, we haven’t tested this recipe with oat flour. It’s not always a 1:1 swap, so it would take a bit of experimenting to properly incorporate into this recipe. For best taste and texture, we recommend sticking with the recipe as written. So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I sub honey for the maple syrup in equal amounts? I happen to have an over abundance of honey right now.
Hi Keitha! Honey is a great substitute for the maple syrup. See recipe note. You can substitute honey if needed, but reduce the honey to 1/2 cup (170g).
I didn’t have whole wheat flour, so I used 50% all purpose flour, 50% DIY oat flour, similar to the Iced Oatmeal Cookie recipe (another household favorite!). It only produced enough batter for 10 muffins, but I’d highly recommend it! Delish!
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I make this recipe all the time, particularly for my kids’ teachers, who can’t believe it’s made with whole wheat flour. This is a great recipe to add to your favorites. It’s easy to whip up a batch to send to school, take to work, or make and freeze for the family.
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These came out so good and perfect, I can’t believe I just found out about the trick for making them rise! LOL. I had to use what I had on hand which was vegetable oil and white whole wheat flour. I only used half of the maple syrup because I cheated and use the wonderful cinnamon crumb topping on your site. I made them to have with coffee in the morning but my family started eating them tonight! LOL.
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Do you think subbing the apple with shredded pear would work? Or would it be too soggy?
Hi CS, we haven’t tested pears, but please let us know if you do!
Hi Sally, thank you for the recipe! I’ve tried it with ripe pears, too, and that was fantastic! Quite moist, but not soggy at all. Everyone loved these muffins.
I’ve never had success (or liked) any of the healthy muffin recipes I’ve made. But this is one is a KEEPER. Delicious and moist. Will go on my frequent list. Thank you!
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Oh my gosh these muffins are absolutely delicious! Definitely going to be making them again. Thanks for sharing this recipe on your blog.
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Delicious muffins that taste better than my local bakery! So good! I can’t believe there’s no refined sugar. Extremely easy to make and oh so moist and flavorful. Made mine with toasted pecans and robust dark maple (didn’t reduce the amount).
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I made these for my kids. I didn’t have any applesauce so I used 1/2 cup of buttermilk and they turned out delicious. Will be making them again.
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These are a little grainy and the texture is a little too… springy after fully cooling. However, if you pop them in the oven (or toaster oven if you have one) for a bit they are amazing! I leave them in until they’re nice and crunchy on the outside like the top of a loaf of banana bread. I’ve only made them once, but I’ll definitely be baking them again. I might even make them into mini bread loaves, too.
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Do you have a recipe for healthy apple crisp?
Hi Sandy, here are our recipes for classic apple crisp and gluten free apple crisp.
Made this for myself and my 9 year old. Came out very good and left out the nuts.
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I have made these several times now! Although it’s a longer process, it’s therapeutic every time! A few notes – I cut down the pure maple syrup to 1/3 cup to not overwhelm the flavor as much. I’ve also used half whole wheat flour and half white flour (1 cup of each) and they had the same yummy result. Love these muffins! They freeze / warm up well, and everyone I’ve shared them with loves them!
Wow. Found this very interesting. Similar with mine. Reason why I wanted to share it with you. https://albertkitchen.com/Recipes/categories/breakfast-recipes/apple_raisin_muffins.html
Yours look wonderful, and I bet they are so tasty with all of the cinnamon and the freshly grated nutmeg, too. These have been a favorite since 2016.
I was wondering if it’s possible to substitute maple syrup with stevia?
Hi Marina, We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
Any replacements for apple sauce
Hi Pooh, you could substitute some of the applesauce with plain yogurt, but I wouldn’t swap all of it. You’ll lose a lot of flavor.
Made with coconut yogurt instead of apple sauce, as that was what I had on hand. Tender and flavoursome!
These are light, moist, and delicious — we loved them. I skipped the nuts (allergic) and used vegetable oil but otherwise baked them as written. (I had “dark robust” pure maple syrup which was ideal at the amount you specified.) I like baking with whole wheat flour and appreciate getting such great results.
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