Applesauce Chickpea Flour Muffins (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free)

Applesauce chickpea flour muffins bake up moist, tender, and gently sweet, with apple flavor and a little cinnamon. Make them in one bowl with everyday ingredients—no eggs, dairy, oil, or gluten required.

Introduction

Applesauce chickpea flour muffins are my answer to a familiar baking predicament: you want an straightforward batch of muffins, but you do not want everything to taste like banana. I love banana baked goods, but sometimes apple and cinnamon are what sound good with my morning coffee.

I developed this recipe from my3-ingredient chickpea flour banana muffins, using a generous amount of unsweetened applesauce, plus a little coconut sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. The applesauce brings moisture, mild sweetness, and apple flavor to muffins made without eggs or oil. No peeling, chopping, or waiting for fruit to ripen, either. A jar from the pantry does the job.

Chickpea flour keeps the ingredient list short. You do not need a gluten-free flour blend, starches, or an egg replacer to make these vegan chickpea flour muffins. Stir everything together in one bowl, divide among nine muffin cups, and bake. They are plain enough for an ordinary weekday and straightforward to tuck away for breakfasts and snacks later in the week.

Why You’ll Love These Muffins

• Vegan:Egg-free and dairy-free, without a separate egg replacer.
• Gluten-free and grain-free:Chickpea flour is the only flour; choose gluten-free and grain-free baking powder as needed.
• Oil-free:Applesauce supplies moisture without added oil or butter. Silicone liners keep pan preparation oil-free, too.
• Nut-free and seed-free:No nut flour, nut butter, flaxseed, or chia needed for the base recipe.
• One bowl, little prep:Pantry ingredients and five minutes of preparation keep things manageable.
• Moist and gently sweet:Apple, cinnamon, and vanilla give the muffins plenty of flavor without turning breakfast into dessert.
• Straightforward to save for later:Refrigerate or freeze a batch for ready-to-go snacks.
• Protein & fiber:3 grams protein and 2 grams fiber per muffin.

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Chickpea flour:Flour made by grinding dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) into a fine power. Also sold as garbanzo bean flour, besan or gram flour, it provides the structure for these gluten-free muffins. Sift it first if it is lumpy. I do not recommend replacing it with another flour.
• Unsweetened applesauce:Adds moisture, apple flavor, and natural sweetness. I use jarred applesauce for convenience.
• Baking powder:Gives the muffins their rise. Use a certified gluten-free product if needed, and check the starch ingredient if you need the muffins to be grain-free.
• Coconut sugar:Adds a small amount of sweetness. Other sweeteners work, and you can omit it if you prefer less-sweet muffins.
• Ground cinnamon:Complements the applesauce; see the variations for other spices.
• Vanilla extract:Rounds out the apple and cinnamon flavors.
• Salt, optional:Brings the flavors into focus. Adjust or omit it to suit your preference.

Chickpea flour, applesauce, and baking powder are the three essential ingredients. I like the added flavor from the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt, but you can leave those extras out.

How to Make Applesauce Chickpea Flour Muffins

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Prepare the oven and pan.Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line nine standard muffin cups with silicone, paper, or foil muffin liners. I used paper cups for this batch, but I prefer silicone liners for straightforward release without oil. Have the oven fully heated before mixing.

1. Mix the dry ingredients.Whisk the chickpea flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and optional salt in a large bowl.

1. Add the applesauce.Stir in the wet ingredients (applesauce and vanilla) until the mixture is evenly combined and no dry flour remains. Fold in any optional additions at this point.

1. Fill the muffin cups.Divide batter evenly among the nine prepared cups, filling them to the tops. A large spring-handled scoop makes this quick.

1. Bake.Bake for 23 to 27 minutes, until golden, firm on top, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs rather than wet mixture.

1. Cool.Leave the muffins in the pan for five minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Taste and Texture

Expect a tender, moist muffin with a mild apple flavor, warm cinnamon, and gentle sweetness. The chickpea flour flavor is subtle after baking, allowing the applesauce and spices to come through.

With only a little added sweetener, these chickpea flour breakfast muffins are well suited to breakfast or a snack. If you prefer a sweeter muffin, add another one to three tablespoons of sweetener or try one of the fruit or chocolate variations below.

Storage

Let the muffins cool completely before placing them in an airtight container.

• Room Temp:Keep at cool room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerate:Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Freeze:Store for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight.

Serving Suggestions

Serve an applesauce muffin with coffee or tea for a plain breakfast, or add fresh fruit or dairy-free yogurt alongside. For a more substantial snack, spread a split muffin with (nut butter or seed butter (e.g., pumpkin seed butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or roasted flaxseed butter) and/ or a slathering of jam or preserves. I am partial to apple butter on mine.

Flavor Variations

Dried fruit:Fold in up to 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit, such as raisins, dried apples, apricots, cherries, blueberries, or figs.

Fresh fruit:Fold in up to 3/4 cup berries (blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries; I do not recommend strawberries because of their high water content), or chopped fruit, such as apple, mango, or ripe but not overripe banana. Allow an additional 2 to 5 minutes of baking time, depending on the fruit and amount.

Chocolate:Add up to 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks. Choose dairy-free chocolate for vegan muffins and check for added oil if keeping the recipe oil-free.

Nuts or seeds:Fold in up to 1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds, or sprinkle a few over the tops. These additions change the nut-free or seed-free status.

Coconut:Add up to 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut, toasted or untoasted, or sprinkle a little over the tops.

Spices:Replace the 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon with ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, pumpkin pie spice, or a combination, using no more than 1 teaspoon total.

Extract or zest:Replace the vanilla with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, or add 1 to 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon, lime, or orange zest. Check almond extract ingredients if baking for a nut allergy.

Tips for Success

• Preheat first.Mix only when the oven and pan are ready so you can bake promptly after adding the applesauce.
• Keep the standard size.Divide the mixture among nine standard muffin cups. Fewer, larger muffins need different baking times.
• Check more than the toothpick.Look for golden color and firm tops as well as moist crumbs. If the centers are still wet, keep baking.
• Choose silicone liners.I find they release these oil-free muffins much more easily than paper or foil.
• Chill stubborn liners.If paper or foil sticks, let the muffins cool completely, then refrigerate until cold or freeze briefly—about 30 minutes—to help the liners peel away.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Chickpea flour:I do not recommend a substitute. The recipe is designed around chickpea flour, also called garbanzo bean flour.
• Coconut sugar:Use an equal amount of brown sugar, granulated sugar, pure maple syrup, or a granulated sugar-free sweetener. You can also omit the added sugar (keep in mind that the muffins will be barely sweet without added sweetener).
• Applesauce:I suggest keeping it for this recipe. For a banana version, use mychickpea flour banana muffin recipe, which has different fruit and liquid amounts.
• For extra richness without added oil:Replace 1/4 cup of the applesauce with cashew cream, full-fat coconut milk, or runny nut or seed butter. Choose ingredients without added oil and account for any nuts or seeds.
• For a version with oil:Replace 1 to 4 tablespoons of the applesauce with oil or melted vegan butter. The muffins will no longer be oil-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Chickpea flour is the only flour needed here. You do not need a flour blend, added starch, flax egg, or other egg replacer. Use the amounts in the recipe card; chickpea flour is not a direct replacement for wheat flour in every muffin recipe.

Chickpea flour is naturally gluten-free. For gluten-free chickpea flour muffins, choose flour and baking powder labeled or certified gluten-free as needed, and check any additions.

I suggest keeping the applesauce for the apple flavor and moisture that define this recipe. You can replace a small portion for extra richness as described in Ingredient Substitutions. For a banana-based muffin, use my separate chickpea flour banana muffin recipe rather than swapping the entire amount here.

I have not tested that version myself, but readers have had success using sweetened applesauce and omitting the coconut sugar. One reader used sweetened cinnamon applesauce and omitted both the sugar and cinnamon. The sweetness will depend on your applesauce.

Yes. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons more coconut sugar, maple syrup, or your preferred sweetener. Dried fruit or chocolate chips are other options for a sweeter muffin.

Make sure the oven is fully preheated and divide the mixture among nine standard muffin cups. A cooler oven or more mixture in each cup can leave the centers underbaked. The tops should be golden and firm, with moist crumbs on the toothpick rather than wet mixture.

I have not tested this chickpea flour muffin recipe as a loaf. Small muffin cups help support the rise of this egg-free, gluten-free mixture. A full-size loaf may have difficulty setting in the center, so I suggest sticking with standard muffins.

Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days at cool room temperature, 1 week in the refrigerator, or 6 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen muffins at room temperature for about 30 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight.

Ultimate Collection of Chickpea Flour Recipes

Chickpea flour is one of my go-to ingredients for gluten-free baking. You can see all of mychickpea flour recipesHERE.