These high-fiber, whole-grain apple muffins are made with fresh sweet apples, applesauce, walnuts, and a granola topping.
Healthy Apple Muffins
It’s apple season, and I picked up some apples at the farmers market last week to make a big batch of crock pot applesauce. Last year, I used that applesauce to make apple bread, which I love. It inspired me to experiment with almond meal, wheat bran, and flax to create this delicious, high fiber apple muffin recipe. I love how moist they turned out, and I saved the extra in my refrigerator to eat for the week—they stayed moist for days! For more of my favorite apple breakfast recipes, don’t miss my Apple Bread, Apple Scones, or Apple Pie Overnight Oats.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Muffins Recipe
I love going apple picking on Long Island in September and usually wind up with more apple than we can eat, so we bake them into muffins, quick breads and turnovers! This recipe is so good, loaded with apples and so delicious!
- Perfect for Fall: Baking these apple cinnamon muffins will make your house smell like fall. They’re cozy and delicious.
- Great for Fresh Apples: Fresh apples add natural sweetness, making these muffins moist and tender.
- Dietary Restrictions: They are vegetarian, Weight Watchers-friendly, high-fiber, and dairy-free.
If you make this healthy apple muffin recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook!
Apple Cinnamon Muffin Ingredients
While the ingredient list may be longer than most muffin recipes, don’t let it intimidate you! You probably have more of the ingredients in your pantry than you realize. Find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Apples: Use sweet apples like honey crisp. Peel, core, and grate (with a microplane or box grater) the large apple. The grated apple provides texture and moisture.
- Apple Marinade: Combine cinnamon, honey, and lemon juice to create a flavorful marinade for the grated apples.
- Flour: I increased the fiber in these healthy apple muffins by using 3 different types of flour: white whole wheat, coarse wheat bran flour, and almond meal. All purpose flour can be used in place of while whole wheat.
- Baking Soda: helps the muffins rise and improves their texture.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon and nutmeg give these muffins a warm, fall flavor.
- Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavors.
- Ground Flax Seeds also increase the fiber content.
- Applesauce adds sweetness, moisture, and nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. You can use store-bought unsweetened applesauce or try my homemade slow cooker applesauce recipe.
- Brown Sugar sweetens the muffins.
- Oil: Use a little coconut or canola oil to add moisture without many calories.
- Egg Whites help bind the ingredients together.
- Vanilla Extract for subtle warmth and sweetness
- Chopped Walnuts for a little crunch
- Granola: Top each muffin with a bit of granola. I love Purely Elizabeth granola but use whatever you prefer.
How to Make Apple Muffins
Here’s how to make these easy apple muffins. Scroll to the bottom for the complete instructions.
- Grated Apples: Combine the apples with cinnamon, honey, and lemon juice.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk the 3 flours, flax, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Beat the applesauce, oil, egg whites, sugar, and vanilla with a electric mixer or stand mixer until thick.
- Combine the Ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and blend at low speed until combined. Fold in the apples and walnuts.
- Bake the Muffins: Place muffin liners in a muffin pan and spray with oil. Pour the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups. Top each with some granola and bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin–when it comes out clean, they’re ready.
Variations
- Honey: Substitute maple syrup or agave.
- Spices: Swap cinnamon and nutmeg for pumpkin pie spice.
- Brown Sugar: To reduce the added sugar, use monk fruit brown sugar.
- Flour: If you don’t want to buy all 3 flours, use only white whole wheat.
- Gluten-Free Muffins: Replace white whole wheat and wheat bran flours with a gluten-free mix, like Cup4Cup.
- Nut Allergy: Replace almond meal with white whole wheat flour and omit the nuts. If you still want the crunch the nuts provide, try adding pepitas.
Storage
- Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freeze the muffins for up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw the muffins in the fridge or microwave them straight from frozen until warm.
FAQ
1. Choose the right ingredients. In addition to oil or butter, other ingredients, like applesauce and grated apples, can provide moisture.
2. Don’t overmix the batter. It can make the muffins tough, so stir until the ingredients are just combined.
3. Don’t overbake. If your oven runs hot, check the muffins with a toothpick a little early.
Honeycrisp and Gala apples are the best for baking since they’re naturally sweeter, which allows you to add less sugar. Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, and Granny Smith apples are also good options.
More Apple Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
Apple Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup large apple, peeled, cored and grated
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour , (King Arthur) or all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup wheat bran flour, (Bob's Redmill)
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1 1/2 cup applesauce , homemade or store bought
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, not packed
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, or canola
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 oz walnuts, chopped
- 1 oz granola, such as Purely Elizabeth
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine grated apple, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, honey, and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with liners and lightly spray them with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, bran, almond meal, flax, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt with a wire whisk; set aside.
- In a large bowl mix applesauce, coconut oil, egg whites, sugar, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour mixture, then blend at low speed until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in apples and walnuts.
- Pour batter into muffin tins and top each muffin with 1/2 teaspoon of granola, then bake in the center rack about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let them cool and serve room temperature.
