Description
These healthy apple muffins are a delightful and nutritious snack, made with whole wheat flour, fresh apples, and natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey. Perfectly spiced with cinnamon and topped with a crunchy turbinado sugar sprinkle, they offer a moist, tender crumb with a wholesome flavor. Ideal for breakfast or an anytime treat, these muffins are easy to prepare and can be adapted for vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free diets.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Fruit
- 1 cup grated apple
- 1 cup apple diced into ¼” cubes
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey*
- 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat or any variety)
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (raw sugar), for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Muffin Tin: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease all 12 muffin cups with butter or non-stick spray if your muffin tin is not non-stick.
- Mix Dry Ingredients and Apples: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the grated apple (squeeze out excess moisture if needed) and the diced apple. Stir gently to combine well.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the melted coconut oil and maple syrup together. Beat in the eggs until fully incorporated. Stir in the Greek yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla extract. If the coconut oil solidifies, warm gently in the microwave in short bursts to liquefy.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and fold together with a big spoon just until combined. A few lumps are normal and the batter will be thick.
- Fill Muffin Cups and Add Topping: Evenly divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar for a crunchy finish.
- Bake Until Golden: Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Store: Transfer muffin tin to a cooling rack to cool the muffins. Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 2 days, refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If baking with honey, lower oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 23 to 25 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- To make vegan muffins, substitute eggs with flax eggs and yogurt with vegan buttermilk (1 ½ teaspoons vinegar + ½ cup non-dairy milk) and let sit 5 minutes before using.
- For dairy-free muffins, use the vegan buttermilk substitute mentioned above.
- To make egg-free muffins, use flax eggs instead of regular eggs.
- For gluten-free muffins, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend from brands like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
