Gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins

When you have lots of people in your family, you're bound to have different dietary needs. My family is no exception. We love desserts and baked goods in my family but my mom has a gluten allergy. So, whenever I have the chance to bake, I look for ways to make sure it is something that we can all enjoy it. My Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins is a winner! It combines the moistness and soft texture that we all want, with a batter that everyone can love.

Let me start by saying yummy GF baking is not only a science, but an art... If you first don't succeed, try and try again. GF baking requires ingredients I had never cooked with before like Xanthan Gum....Xanthan Gum is a common thickening agent and stabilizer...It is found in many spices, egg substitutes and even toothpaste.  I believe it to be critical to making GF baked goods that are worth eating. Truth!  It is found at most grocery stores, so don't worry. 
​Muffin Base
2 cups Gluten-Free All Purpose flour
2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 cup Chopped Apples
1/2 cup Milk (In this batch I used Cashew Milk)
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add apples.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine milk and oil. In a separate bowl, beat eggs.
  4. Combine wet ingredients.
  5. Combine wet and dry mixtures completely and thoroughly. (There is no gluten, so don't worry about it overdeveloping.)
  6. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
  7. Fill muffin tins with batter and top with streusel (recipe below)
  8. Bake 18-20 min. This depends on your oven.  GF batters are often soft to the touch when they are done..They finish cooking as they cool.
  9. Once the muffins cool, add the vanilla glaze (recipe below) and enjoy!
Pro-tips: 
  • Let the batter rest 10-15 min before baking.  there is probably some chemistry stuff I don't know yet, but from practice, it makes the muffins softer and less dense:)
  • Lightly press streusel into top of batter. It helps it adhere to the muffins while cooking
  • Be patient with GF baking...sometimes the smallest tweak makes all the difference...turning your gummy, gritty mess into a soft, light, melt in your mouth muffin.

Streusel Topping
1/2 Cup Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
3 Tbsp Butter, melted
​
  1. Combine dry ingredients.
  2. Add melted butter.
  3. Mix until mixture is crumbly.

Vanilla Glaze
2 Cups Confectioners' Sugar
​2 tsp Milk
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

  1. Combine all ingredients.
  2. Mix until creamy.