These Apple Pumpkin Muffins are easy, egg-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar-free muffins full of apple bits and fall flavors and prepped in under 10 minutes!
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Apple Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour - (note 1)
- ⅔ cup Unrefined Cane Sugar - (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅓ cup Mild-Flavor Olive Oil - (note 3)
- 1 cup Pumpkin Puree - canned, not pumpkin pie filling (note 4)
- ¾ cup Unsweetened Applesauce - (note 5)
- 1 cup Apple - washed, peeled, cored, and finely diced into 0.5 cm/0.2 inches cubes (note 6)
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Spices - (note 7)
Crumble topping
- ½ cup Walnuts - (note 8)
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour - (note 1)
- ¼ cup Mild-Flavor Olive Oil - (note 3)
- 3 tablespoons Unrefined Cane Sugar - (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-hole muffin pan with muffin paper liners. Slightly oil the paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Fold in oil, pumpkin puree, apple sauce, pumpkin spices, and finely diced, peeled apples. Stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate and form a thick, smooth batter.
- Use a cookie dough scoop to grab the muffin batter and release it into each muffin paper liner. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, stir all the crumb topping ingredients. Use your fingertips to rub everything together and form a paste.
- Crumble on top of each muffin, press a little to stick to the muffin batter.
- Bake the muffins on the center rack of the oven for 28-35 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool down for 10 minutes in the pan, at room temperature, then on a cooling rack for 3 hours before eating,
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.

- All-Purpose Flour – This ingredient is the primary dry component that gives the muffins their structure. You can also use spelt flour or a gluten-free blend with my GF method for a similar result.
- Unrefined Cane Sugar – This adds a touch of sweetness to the muffins and the crumble topping. You can also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, or a sugar-free alternative.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – These are the leavening agents that work together to make the muffins light and fluffy.
- Mild-Flavor Olive Oil – This adds moisture and creates a tender crumb. Any neutral oil, such as canola or melted plant-based butter, also works well.
- Pumpkin Puree – This provides moisture, a beautiful color, and a subtle, earthy flavor to the muffins. Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pie filling, which has added sugars and spices.
- Unsweetened Applesauce – This helps to bind the ingredients and adds natural moisture and sweetness. You can also use mashed banana if you prefer.
- Apple – The finely diced apple pieces provide little pockets of moisture and a sweet-tart flavor that works perfectly with the pumpkin.
- Pumpkin Spices – This is a blend of warming spices that brings the classic flavors of fall to the muffins. You can create your own blend of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Walnuts – These are for the crumble topping and add a nice nutty flavor and crunchy texture. You can also use pecans or almonds.
- Cinnamon – This is used in the crumble topping to add a warm, sweet aroma and flavor.
How to Make Apple Pumpkin Muffins




Carine’s Baking Tips
Let me share a few more tips for a perfect muffins.
- Dice the Apples Small – Chopping the apples into very small cubes, about 0.2 inches (0.5 cm), is key. If the pieces are too big, they can make the muffin crumb fragile and won’t distribute evenly in the batter.
- Choose the Right Apple – For the best result, use a firm apple like Granny Smith or Braeburn. These varieties hold their shape well during baking and won’t get mushy.
- Use Pure Pumpkin – Make sure you are using 100% pure canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling has added sugars and spices that will change the flavor and texture of your muffins.
- Swap the Applesauce – If you prefer or don’t have applesauce on hand, you can swap it for an equal amount of mashed bananas.
- Add a Nutty Crunch – For extra flavor and texture, you can stir 1/3 cup of finely chopped pecans or walnuts directly into the muffin batter.
- Optional Topping – You can skip the crumb topping if you want to reduce the sugar and calories. The muffins are still delicious on their own.







Great recipe!
Please confirm: ingredients do not say to peel the apples (only to wash and cut), but the instructions say to mix in the peeled apples. So when I made this, I had prepped the apples unpeeled so they were already cut up when it was time to mix them in. It worked out fine but which way should it be? Thanks!
You can do both, unpeeled add fibers and texture, peeled is great too !
Super moist, delicious muffins!
The crumble topping is a must!!
I agree! so much better with the sweet crunchy topping. Thanks for baking my recipes.
You really give the words due diligence new meaning I never leave a recipe of yours curious if this or that will work. Much thanks
Health & happiness
Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I thought the texture was perfect, and they tasted great!
My pleasure! I am so happy to read that.
Will recipe work if I don’t add apples and just use applesauce?
Yes, it will!
hello there,
if i don’t eat and add sugar, will it come out nicely?
They won’t firm up very well without sugar at all. The sugar crystalize and help binding all the wet ingredients.
Great recipe. Delicious & moist. I didn’t put nuts in because I shared the recipe with friends. Some are allergic to nuts. I’ll make this again.
That’s amazing to hear! thanks for baking my recipes.