Vegan Apple Cranberry Pecan Muffins (Gluten-Free)
Vegan gluten-free apple cranberry pecan muffins made with an almond-oat base, grated apple, frozen cranberries, and a candied maple pecan topping. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and ready in 30 minutes.
Servings: 10 muffins
Equipment
- mixing bowl + spatula or wooden spoon
- measuring cup + spoons
- muffin pan + unbleached baking cups
Ingredients
Dry
- 2 cups almond flour, packed
- 1 cup gluten-free oat flour, packed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon iodized salt (or salt of choice)
Vegan buttermilk
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Other wet ingredients
- ¼ scant cup maple syrup
- 1 cup coarsely grated apple 1 large apple or 2 smaller apples
- 1 cup frozen cranberries
Pecan Maple Topping
- ½ heaping cup chopped raw pecans
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure dark maple syrup
Additional topping (optional)
- sprinkle of cane sugar on each muffin top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line a muffin pan with large unbleached baking cups or lightly grease 10 of the 12 cavities.
- Add flax milk and apple cider vinegar to a glass measuring cup (or something similar) and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add all dry ingredients to a medium-large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Grate the apple(s) directly into the dry ingredients using a coarse grater. Alternatively, grate onto a plate or bowl, then add directly into the dry ingredients. Add maple syrup and vegan buttermilk and stir to combine. Fold in cranberries. The batter should be thick, similar to cookie dough.
- Scoop the batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup. I used a large ice cream scoop (~5 tablespoons) but feel free to use a ¼ measuring cup or just spoon each until full. Combine pecans, maple syrup, and cane sugar in a small bowl and top each muffin with a spoonful. Add an additional sprinkle of cane sugar (optional but recommended).
- Bake on the middle rack for 20-23 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Remove and let cool for at least 10-20 minutes.
Notes
- Packed flour: scoop your measuring cup directly into the bag and press firmly against the side of the bag as you drag it up, or pour flour in and pat down until level with the rim.
- Homemade oat flour: add GF rolled oats to a blender and blitz until a fine flour forms.
- Grating the apple: use the largest grating option on a box grater. If your grater only has smaller holes, dice the apple instead to keep some texture.