Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Whole Wheat and Oat Streusel
Vegan apple cinnamon muffins with whole wheat flour, chunks of fresh apple and a crunchy oat streusel on top. They make an easy fall breakfast and freeze well.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Serves
- 12
Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Whole Wheat and Oat Streusel is a vegan breakfast recipe made with rolled oats, whole wheat flour, coconut sugar. It takes 42 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes resting, serves 12, and each serving has 251 calories, 4 g of protein and 4 g of fiber.
Diced fresh apple keeps these whole wheat muffins moist, and a flax egg holds them together. A short blast of high heat helps them rise into tall domes before you turn the oven down so the centers can bake through. The streusel is made with coconut oil and chilled while the batter rests, so it bakes into crisp clusters instead of melting into the tops.
A seasonal produce + flavor profile (cinnamon-spiced fresh apple with a crunchy oat streusel top instead of chocolate zucchini) take on our One-Bowl Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with Whole Wheat and Dark Chocolate.
Ingredients
Oat streusel
- ⅓ cup27 grolled oats
- 3 tbsp23 gwhole wheat flour
- 3 tbsp36 gcoconut sugar
- ½ tsp1.3 gground cinnamon
- 1 pinch0.4 gfine salt
- 2 tbsp27 gcoconut oil, melted
Muffins
- 2 tbsp14 gground flaxseed
- 5 tbsp75 gwater
- ¾ cup180 gunsweetened oat milk, at room temperature
- 1 tsp5 gapple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup144 gcoconut sugar
- ⅓ cup74 gneutral oil, such as avocado or canola
- 1 tsp4.2 gvanilla extract
- 1¾ cups210 gwhole wheat flour (white whole wheat is best)
- ½ cup41 grolled oats
- 2 tsp9.2 gbaking powder
- ½ tsp2.3 gbaking soda
- 2 tsp5.2 gground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp0.6 gground nutmeg
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt
- 2 medium364 gfirm apples (Honeycrisp, Gala or Granny Smith), peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice, about 2 cups diced
Kit: 12-cup muffin tin, paper liners, 2 mixing bowls, small bowl, cooling rack
Tips
- Dice the apples small, about 1/4 inch. Bigger chunks leave wet pockets and can make the muffins sink.
- Tart apples like Granny Smith keep more texture and balance the sweet streusel. Honeycrisp and Gala bake up softer and sweeter.
- Weigh the flour if you can. Whole wheat flour packs down easily, and too much makes the muffins dry.
Swap ideas
- Use pears instead of apples
- The muffins turn out softer, juicier and a little more floral. Use ripe but firm pears so they hold their shape.
- Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel
- Makes the topping crunchier and toastier.
- Use packed brown sugar instead of coconut sugar
- The crumb comes out slightly lighter in color, with a milder, caramel-like sweetness.
- Replace 1/4 cup of the oat milk with unsweetened applesauce
- Adds more apple flavor and a moister crumb, but the muffins take 1–2 minutes longer to bake.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
251kcal per serving
Everything else · 12 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 2.6 g 13%
- Sugars
- 16.9 g
- Sodium
- 486 mg 21%
- Potassium
- 324 mg 7%
- Calcium
- 157 mg 12%
- Iron
- 1.2 mg 7%
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg 2%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.02 µg 1%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry, Wheat flour, whole-grain (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), COCONUT SUGAR (The Kroger Co., Branded; ingredients: organic coconut sugar), Spices, cinnamon, ground, Salt, table, Oil, coconut, Seeds, flaxseed, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Oatly Original Oatmilk (Nutrition Facts per 1 cup / 240 ml: 120 kcal, 5 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 100 mg sodium, 16 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 3 g protein, 350 mg calcium, 0.3 mg iron, 390 mg potassium, 0.4 mcg B12). Converted to per 100 g assuming ~244 g per cup (density ≈ 1.02 g/mL); vitamin C not listed, treated as 0., Vinegar, cider, Oil, canola, Vanilla extract, Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate, Leavening agents, baking soda, Spices, nutmeg, ground, Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)
Method
Make the streusel. In a small bowl, stir together the oats, 3 tbsp whole wheat flour, 3 tbsp coconut sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Drizzle in the melted coconut oil and rub it in with your fingers until everything looks like damp clumps. Put the bowl in the fridge while you make the batter.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk the ground flaxseed with the water and let it sit until thick and gel-like, about 5 minutes. In a measuring cup, stir the apple cider vinegar into the oat milk and let it curdle slightly.
Whisk the coconut sugar, oil, vanilla and soured oat milk into the flax mixture until smooth and the sugar starts to dissolve.
In a second bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup oats, baking powder, baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 tsp salt. Toss the diced apple into the dry mix so the pieces get coated, which helps keep them from sinking.
Add the dry mixture and apples to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick and lumpy. Don't overmix. Let it rest for 10 minutes so the whole wheat flour and oats can absorb some liquid, which makes the muffins more tender.
Divide the batter among the liners, filling them almost to the top (about 1/3 cup each). Crumble the chilled streusel over the tops and press it in lightly so it sticks.
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the door, lower the heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 15–18 minutes, until the streusel is deep golden, the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. A wet streak means apple, not raw batter, so test a second spot.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift the muffins onto a rack. Let them cool at least 10 more minutes before eating, because the crumb sets as they cool.
Storage: Once completely cool, store at room temperature in a container lined with a paper towel for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The streusel softens over time, so refresh the muffins in a 350°F oven or toaster oven for 5 minutes. To freeze, wrap them individually and keep up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 20–30 seconds.
Questions
- How much protein is in vegan apple cinnamon muffins with whole wheat and oat streusel?
- Each of the 12 servings has 4 g of protein, 4 g of fiber and 251 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is vegan apple cinnamon muffins with whole wheat and oat streusel vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does vegan apple cinnamon muffins with whole wheat and oat streusel take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 22 minutes of cooking, so 42 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make vegan apple cinnamon muffins with whole wheat and oat streusel ahead?
- Once completely cool, store at room temperature in a container lined with a paper towel for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The streusel softens over time, so refresh the muffins in a 350°F oven or toaster oven for 5 minutes. To freeze, wrap them individually and keep up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 20–30 seconds.
- What can I substitute in vegan apple cinnamon muffins with whole wheat and oat streusel?
- Use pears instead of apples — the muffins turn out softer, juicier and a little more floral. use ripe but firm pears so they hold their shape.. Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel — makes the topping crunchier and toastier.. Use packed brown sugar instead of coconut sugar — the crumb comes out slightly lighter in color, with a milder, caramel-like sweetness.. Replace 1/4 cup of the oat milk with unsweetened applesauce — adds more apple flavor and a moister crumb, but the muffins take 1–2 minutes longer to bake..
- Does vegan apple cinnamon muffins with whole wheat and oat streusel contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 30, 2026 ·American
