Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Looking for an easy almond flour apple spice muffin? These Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins are made with almond flour for a tender, moist crumb and packed with juicy apples, warm cinnamon, and a sweet glaze that tastes just like a cinnamon roll. They’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, meal prep, or enjoying throughout apple season as a quick grab-and-go.
What I love about Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins
These GF Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins are the perfect way to usher in fall! Here on Vancouver Island, it’s starting to show—shorter, greyer days, crisp evening air that calls for a light sweater, and just a hint of colour in the trees as the leaves begin turning vibrant shades of orange and yellow. The sun hangs a little lower now, casting that golden glow that signals the season is shifting. Naturally, all of this inspired me to jump into fall baking and meal planning.
Since I always keep some kind of muffins on hand, that’s exactly where I started. I wanted something that truly celebrates the season, so I reached for apples and warming spices like cinnamon—because, let’s be honest, apple and cinnamon are the ultimate fall duo.
These GF Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins are the perfect way to welcome the season. They’re soft, sweet, and packed with shredded apples and chopped pecans. A drizzle of homemade cinnamon roll icing on top gives them an extra special touch, though they’re just as delicious without it.
With cozy spices like cinnamon and apple pie spice in every bite, these muffins taste like autumn in muffin form. Plus, they’re completely gluten-free and grain-free. One batch makes about 14 muffins—plenty to last through the week (if they don’t disappear first!). Whether you enjoy them warm from the oven or as an easy grab-and-go breakfast, these muffins are sure to bring a little fall comfort to your kitchen.
What you will need to make Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Here’s a list of ingredients that you will need:
- Almond flour – Almond flour has a delicious nutty flavour and is naturally gluten free, grain-free and low-carb!
- Tapioca flour – When tapioca flour is mixed with almond flour it creates the perfect grain-free flour blend for these muffins. Tapioca flour is also both gluten-free and grain-free.
- Coconut oil – The melted coconut oil helps to keep these muffins nice and moist. You can also use unsalted butter.
- Cider vinegar – Since these are apple muffins, I decided to add some apple cider vinegar for flavour as well as a little help to activate the baking soda.
- Apples – I used two honey crisp apples for this recipe. You can pretty much use any kind of apples for this recipe but preferably one of the sweeter varieties. The only variety that may not be recommended is granny smith as they are more tart.
- Milk – You will need a small amount of milk for the icing if you decide to make it; only a few teaspoons. Nut milk works as well.
Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Equipment
- 2 Muffin Tins
- 14 Unbleached Paper Muffin Liners
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1/3 cup organic sugar
- 1/3 cup organic brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice (or more cinnamon)
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 honey crisp apples
- 1/3 cup pecans chopped, optional
For the glaze:
- 1/4 cup cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line two muffin tins with 14 paper liners total. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and apple pie spice until combined.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk the eggs, coconut oil, cider vinegar and vanilla until combined
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
- Peel, core and grate the apples, then fold the grated apples into the muffin batter along with the chopped pecans, if using.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin liners and bake for 18-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Make the glaze: Add the cream cheese and cream to a small bowl and whisk gently until the cream is incorporated. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled muffins and enjoy!