If you’re like me, spending time in the kitchen with your kiddo can be one of the most rewarding parts of the day. It’s not just about whipping up something delicious; it’s about creating memories, fostering curiosity, and turning everyday tasks into enchanting experiences. Today, I’m excited to share a special recipe for vegan apple muffins that’s perfect for little hands to help with.

These vegan apple muffins are not only plant-based and wholesome but also incredibly easy to make, making them an ideal choice for a cozy afternoon activity. We enjoy it so much, my boys have helped me make them too many times to count. Here, I’ll guide you through baking these delightful treats with your kiddo while infusing the process with magic. We’ll cover everything from setting a warm atmosphere to step-by-step instructions, tips for success, and ways to extend the fun beyond the kitchen. Whether it’s a rainy autumn day or a crisp fall weekend, let’s turn baking into a magical adventure that your child will cherish.

As parents, we often look for activities that combine learning, fun, and practicality. Baking vegan apple muffins fits the bill perfectly—it’s a hands-on way to explore fall harvest themes, learn about fractions, practice fine motor skills, and enjoy a healthy snack. Plus, since these apple muffins are vegan, they’re inclusive for families with dietary preferences or allergies, using simple substitutions like plant-based milk and pumpkin puree. Even if you don’t have an allergy, these muffins are great for baking with kiddos because if they eat the batter, there isn’t any raw egg to worry about! Now, let’s dive into why this recipe has become a staple in my home.

Why This is the Best Vegan Apple Muffins Recipe

Oh, where do I start? These vegan apple muffins have won my heart (and my kids’ tummies) for so many reasons. First and foremost, they’re incredibly moist—thanks to the fresh apples and pumpkin puree, each bite is soft and tender without being dense or dry in the slightest (even after freezing in the freezer). Which that is mandatory for most of the muffins I make, they must be freezable because I find them to be the easiest grab and go, homemade, healthy snack I can provide for my hungry, hungry boys.

I always double the batch, pop half in the freezer, and we have ready-to-go snacks for busy mornings or unexpected playdates. Just thaw them at room temperature or warm them in the microwave for 20 seconds, and they’re as good as fresh. My boys also know where to find them in the freezer so they’re a perfect easy snack that they have at arms reach.

I’ve baked my fair share of vegan goods, and these stand out because they don’t crumble or fall apart like some egg-free recipes can. They hold together perfectly, making them easy for little ones to handle and enjoy without a mess explosion. Unless you have a child like my middle kiddo, Mickey, he can make a mess out of anything. Basically, he wears his food as much as he eats it.

What really seals the deal for me on these apple muffins is the versatility. You can customize them with add-ins like walnuts for crunch or cinnamon chips for extra spice, and they still come out flawless. My boys adore the chunks of apple that burst with flavor, and as a mom, I love that it’s a sneaky way to incorporate apples into their diet. Two of my three boys aren’t fans of apples, but in these muffins they don’t mind the fruit one bit as they chow down.

These apple muffins aren’t just food; they’re a gateway to teaching about healthy eating, seasonal ingredients, and the joy of creating something from scratch. If you’re new to vegan baking, this recipe is forgiving and beginner-friendly, proving that plant-based treats can be just as indulgent as traditional ones.

How to Create a Magical Baking Experience

Setting the Atmosphere

Creating a magical baking experience starts with intention—transforming your kitchen from a functional space into a cozy haven where wonder unfolds. Begin by setting the atmosphere: Light one or two unscented candles and place them safely out of reach but in sight. The soft flicker adds a comforting glow without overpowering the delicious apple-cinnamon scents that will soon fill the air. Keep the main lights on for safety, but let the candlelight weave its subtle magic.

Choosing the Right Music

Next, choose background music that enhances the vibe. Choose something soft and uplifting—perhaps light-hearted oldies like The Apple of My Eye by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Play it low so it hums gently in the background, inviting spontaneous sing-alongs. Imagine twirling your little one around the kitchen island during a lively tune; it’s these moments that turn baking into pure joy. By setting a cozy atmosphere and choosing the right music, you can set the stage for magic and calm as you bake away at these apple muffins.

Minimizing “No” Answers

To keep the experience positive, aim to minimize “no” answers. This can be tricky in a kitchen full of potential hazards, but with a few tweaks, it’s achievable. This apple muffin recipe is the perfect one to begin your magical baking experience because you’re already whipping up a batter that can be eaten raw. No scolding here for the occasional sneak taste!

Ditch breakable glass measuring tools in favor of sturdy plastic or silicone ones. Keep kitchen towels handy to embrace the mess; spills happen, and that’s part of the fun! If you have multiple kids, double the recipe so everyone gets turns without waiting. Then, you have extra to freeze as well!

As always, establish clear, firm rules upfront—like no touching the stove—and practice them consistently. Even if the recipe doesn’t require use of the stove, teach basic, good kitchen habits. By doing this, over time, your kitchen will remain upbeat and have a positive atmosphere where “yes” flows freely.

Preparing Ahead for Smooth Sailing

Preparation is key to maintaining the magic. Before inviting your child in, chop the apples, open any cans (like pumpkin or plant-based milk), and clear the counters. This way, the focus stays on the fun parts, not on pauses and the potential scolding that ensues. On a gloomy, rainy day, this setup feels even cozier, with the outside weather contrasting the warm, inviting kitchen. Gather your little helper, wash hands, find a step stool, and let the adventure begin. As you pull ingredients from the pantry together, chat about what each one will do in the apple muffin recipe. This way you’re creating an amazing learning opportunity.

Incorporating Sensory Elements

During the process, weave in sensory delights: Smell each spice before adding it—cinnamon, nutmeg, whatever you’re using—and let your child name them. Allow safe tastes of ingredients like a nibble of apple or a lick of batter (vegan means no raw egg worries!). Keep the oven light on so they can peek at the apple muffins rising, and match their excitement every time they call you over.

Clean up as a team—let them rinse while you wash—and transition seamlessly to enjoying the results. These elements don’t just make baking magical; they build confidence, vocabulary, and a love for cooking in your child.

Read Next: Kitchen Rules with Kids

How to Make the Apple Muffins

Making these vegan apple muffins is straightforward and kid-friendly, perfect for involving your child every step of the way. Below, I’ve broken it down into a clear list of ingredients followed by detailed steps to make it easy to follow. These steps also include suggestions and easy ways to include your kiddo in the process.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (grapeseed is my go to)
• 1 1/4 cup soy milk (divided)
• 1 Tbl ACV
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cup flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 pinches nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3 peeled & diced apples (depending on size)

Preheat and Prepare

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly greasing it with oil—let your little one help place the liners in the muffin tin. Depending on the age, they may need help separating them effectively. Otherwise you’ll end up with 2-3 paper liners per muffin. In a small bowl, prepare your “buttermilk” by combining 1/4 cup of soymilk with 1 tablespoon of ACV. Let your child add these ingredients after you measure.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon (and any optional spices). Have your child take turns dumping in each one after you have measured. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to mix. As you add each spice, encourage your kiddo to smell the spice and name it. I love doing this with my boys because the olfactory system is closely tied to memories. By doing this, one day they’ll know a spice when they smell it.

As a side note, if you are encouraging them to commit a spice smell to memory, then be sure to instruct them on how to properly sniff. Too young, and they may blow out their nose creating a cloud of cinnamon. They may also inhale too deeply and have that spiciness shoot straight up their nose and induce a lot of tears. Learn from my experience, no matter the age, if you haven’t done this before demonstrate how to smell a spice properly.

Pro tip: Demonstrate on your child’s arm how to properly smell a spice by breathing out through your nose on their arm. Then have them practice on their arm and your arm, so you can correct them.

Combine the Wet Ingredients

Mix together the wet ingredients: the pumpkin, both sugars, “buttermilk”, oil, and vanilla extract. The batter will be very dry. Now is the time to add the remaining 1 cup of soy milk (up to 1 cup depending on how wet or dry your pumpkin puree was). I hate dirtying more bowls then necessary so I love that this recipe allows me to mix the apple muffins all together in the same bowl.

Fold in the Apples and Add-Ins

Now for the seasonal ingredient: Fold in the diced apples and any optional add-ins. If using additional add-ins, like walnuts or raisins, be sure to reduce the amount of apples to 1-2 apples depending on size. Scoop handfuls of apples into the batter together. Also, if you dice your apples, you can use more. If chopping, and the chunks are bigger, then use less. This little detail allows for the apple muffins to hold together better.

Bake and Cool

Spoon the vegan apple muffin batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full—your little helper can assist with a big spoon, and don’t worry about perfection; the mess is magical! Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The kitchen will fill with an irresistible aroma, building excitement. Let the apple muffins cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Tips for Success

To ensure your vegan apple muffins turn out perfectly every time, here are some practical tips drawn from my own kitchen trials with my boys. I have to say, we’ve baked our fair share of muffins in this house. They’re so practical as snacks for keeping hungry boys fed that they’ve become a must and a constant in our freezer.

• First, choose ripe but firm apples—avoid mushy ones, as they can make the batter too watery. If prepping apples ahead, toss them in a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning; this keeps them fresh and adds a subtle zing.
• If baking with kids, use kid-safe tools like plastic knives for chopping apples.
• For the buttermilk, use soy milk since I have found that oat milk does not separate and thicken the mixture effectively.
• Measure ingredients accurately, but don’t stress if little hands add a tad extra; these muffins are forgiving.
• If the batter seems too thick, add a splash more plant-based milk; too thin, a tablespoon of flour.
• Bake the apple muffins in the middle rack for even cooking, and rotate the tin halfway through if your oven has hot spots.
• Storage-wise, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for a week.
• Freezing? Remove muffin liners after they have fully cooled and place in a gallon freezer bag. Leave in the freezer for little ones to grab and go or to pack for homeschool co-op or a picnic.
• Store the vegan apple muffins up to 6 months and thaw overnight or microwave briefly.

Also, in our home, I make gluten-free versions of everything for myself. I have a gluten sensitivity, but still love my own homemade grab-and-go snacks. Simply, swap in Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. I’ve had great success with the gluten free, vegan apple muffins holding together just as well. It’s the exact same amount too, 3 cups!

How to Enhance the Experience

To elevate this baking session of apple muffins from fun to truly magical, layer in enhancements that engage all senses and extend the joy. Start by calling a grandparent or loved one ahead of time—have your child ask for their favorite apple recipe twist, like adding craisins. Even better, invite them over to join; the shared stories add warmth.

During mixing, smell and name every spice, sharing the experience: “This is nutmeg—smells warm and nutty!” Allow safe tastes, like an apple chunk or batter lick. Let them check the oven endlessly with the light on, mirroring their wonder. Clean up together— they rinse, you wash—and turn on upbeat music if needed.

Apple-Themed Books

Continue the magic post-apple muffin baking by steeping herbal tea (chamomile or apple-cinnamon). You can either run the hot tap water until it comes out hot or once heated, cool with ice cubes to speed up the process and keep if safe. Serve in special kid-sized mugs – I’ve scored mine at thrift stores. 5oz mugs are perfect size. Gather on a living room blanket for a picnic, eating apple muffins while reading apple-themed books. Read before baking to build hype, and after to reflect.

Here are some favorites in our home:

• Apples by Gail Gibbons: A nonfiction gem that explores everything from how apples grow to different varieties and their uses, with colorful illustrations that make learning fun and accessible for preschoolers—it’s great for sparking questions and tying into the sensory experience of baking with real apples.
• Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss (Theo. LeSieg): A whimsical rhyming tale where animals balance apples on their heads in silly ways, encouraging counting skills and laughter—read it to add a playful, imaginative element that connects to handling apples in your muffin recipe.
• The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall: This book follows two sisters watching an apple tree through the seasons until they bake a pie, with beautiful illustrations of nature’s cycle—it’s ideal for discussing seasons and why apples are perfect for fall baking like our vegan muffins.
• How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman: An adventurous story where a girl travels the globe gathering ingredients for apple pie, teaching geography and resourcefulness in a fun way—use it to expand your child’s worldview while enjoying your homemade treats.
• Apple Cider Making Days by Ann Purmell: This charming story follows a family as they harvest apples and make cider together, capturing the excitement of fall activities and the joy of working as a team—perfect for inspiring your own kitchen adventures and teaching about the apple-to-product process.

Make it Your Own

Overall, do what will bring joy to your child’s heart and is practical for you. Build a blanket fort while cooling, or picnic outside under a tree if weather permits. Better yet, visit the loved one with vegan apple muffins in hand and big, proud smiles for their accomplishment.

Recipe

Vegan Apple Muffins

Recipe by Julie HodosCourse: SnacksCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

24

servings

Calories

150

kcal

Total time

40

minutes

Moist vegan pumpkin-apple muffins spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, lightly sweetened and bursting with tender diced apples. Perfect for fall breakfasts or snacks—dairy-free, egg-free, and ready in under an hour.

Ingredients

• Dry Ingredients

• 3 cup flour

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 2 pinches nutmeg (optional)

• ½ tsp salt

• Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin

• ½ cup white sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ½ cup oil (grapeseed is my go to)

• 1 ¼ cup soy milk (divided)

• 1 Tbl ACV

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 2-3 peeled & diced apples (depending on size)

Directions

• Preheat and Prepare
  Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly greasing it with oil. In a small bowl, prepare your “buttermilk” by combining 1/4 cup of soymilk with 1 tablespoon of ACV.
• Mix the Dry Ingredients
  In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon (and any optional spices).
• Combine the Wet Ingredients
  Mix together the wet ingredients: the pumpkin, both sugars, “buttermilk”, oil, and vanilla extract. The batter will be very dry. Now is the time to add the remaining 1 cup of soy milk (up to 1 cup depending on how wet or dry your pumpkin puree was).
• Fold in the Apples and Add-Ins
  Fold in the diced apples and any optional add-ins. If using additional add-ins, like walnuts or raisins, be sure to reduce the amount of apples to 1-2 apples depending on size.
• Bake and Cool
  Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

• This recipe makes 24 muffins – the perfect amount for eating and freezing some for later.
• Soymilk is the best plant based milk used to make buttermilk because the ACV effectively separates and thickens the mixture.
• If you’re chopping the apples, and not dicing, then be sure to decrease the amount of apples used in your recipe. This goes for optional add-ins. You don’t want the muffins to overloaded with add-ins that there isn’t enough batter to hold it together.
• For a gluten-free version, swap in Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour blend—I’ve had great success with it holding together just as well. It’s the exact same amount too, 3 cups!

Baking with Autumn Apples on Crisp Fall Days

As we wrap up this recipe for baking vegan apple muffins, I hope you’re inspired to head to your kitchen and create some magic with your little one. This isn’t just about the end result—those moist, delicious muffins—but about the laughter, learning, and bonding along the way. Whether you’re trying to stock up on homemade snacks or simply enjoying a cozy day, remember that the simplest moments often become the most cherished memories.

Give this recipe a try, adapt it to your family’s tastes, and share your experiences in the comments below. What twists did you add? How did your child react to the sensor fun of smelling spices? I’d love to hear, and so would other parents. Happy baking, and may your home be filled with the sweet scent of apples and joy!

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