Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins

These Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins are the perfect cozy snack to celebrate the fall season! They are moist, easy to make and so delicious!

Originally posted on October 24, 2022. Updated on November 15, 2024. This blog post contains recommended product links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Why you should make these muffins

Fall is officially here and I could not be more excited! The air is crisp, the leaves are changing and the smell of the air is just so fresh. But let’s take it up a notch and make it a whole lot sweeter with the smell of these Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins wafting from your oven.
One of my favourite things to do this time of year is to visit an apple orchard. Over the years, I have learned that some of the best apple varieties for baking include honeycrisp, elstar, pink lady and jonagold! These have varying flavour profiles but all hold their shape well when they are baked.
So here we have a collaboration of two of my favourite things: snacks and apple orchards. These muffins also won over my boyfriend pretty easily. His exact words after his first bite were: “this is a dessert!”
Not only are they delicious and perfect for breakfast, snacks AND dessert, they’re also easy to make. No need to waste time peeling the apples, just chop them up and add them straight into the batter!
They also freeze well so they make the perfect recipe for meal prep. Plus, you can always pair them with other ingredients to boost the nutrition profile to keep you fuller for longer. We’ll get into that later. But first, let’s start with the ingredients.

 

Ingredients needed

These Apple Oatmeal Muffins require the traditional baking ingredients and are pretty straight forward to whip up. All you need is:

• Flour
  • I recommend using all-purpose flour here. You could also use whole wheat flour if you prefer.
• Quick oats or old fashioned rolled oats
  • We want smaller oats in this recipe so the texture isn’t too crumbly. If you want to make these muffins gluten-free, ensure your oats are certified gluten-free.
• Light brown sugar
  • I often get questions about other sweeteners like sugar substitutes. I don’t personally use sugar substitutes or alternative sweeteners so, unfortunately, I am not confident in suggesting fool-proof replacements. That being said, I would love to hear if you have tried them out and how it worked for you!
• Eggs
• Apples
  • As mentioned earlier, honeycrisp, gala, elstar and jonagold are all great options to bake with. You do not have to peel the apples for this recipe. Just simply remove the seeds and core and dice it up into small pieces!
• Vegetable oil
  • Use any mild tasting vegetable oil you have on hand. I normally use canola oil or even a mild olive oil.
• Milk
  • You can opt for a dairy or plant-based milk in this recipe.
• Vanilla extract and cinnamon
• Baking powder, baking soda, salt
• Walnuts
  • These nuts are optional but highly recommended for an added crunchy texture.

Substitutions and alternatives

If you don’t have some of the recommended ingredients or you would prefer to make some substitutions, here are my suggestions:

• Whole wheat flour
  • For a higher fibre content, opt for a whole wheat flour instead of the all purpose flour. However, this may slightly alter the texture of the muffins.
• Gluten free flour
  • Just swap to equal parts of a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.
• Other types of brown sugar
  • Any kind of brown sugar will work in this recipe.
• Applesauce or butter
  • Instead of vegetable oil you could use equal parts applesauce or melted butter.
• Plant-based milk
  • You can use any variety of milk in this recipe. Dairy, soy, almond, oat, etc.
• Pecans
  • If you want a crunchy texture but aren’t a fan of walnuts, use chopped pecans instead!

 

How to make Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Before we get started with the batter, make sure you preheat your oven to 350°F (or 400°F, check out my tip below*) and prepare a muffin tin by lining it with paper or silicone liners or spraying with a non-stick spray.

1. While the oven is heating up, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add in the oil, milk and vanilla extract and stir together.
2. In a separate medium sized bowl combine all of the dry ingredients (flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt) and stir well.
3. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix everything together. Fold in the chopped apples and chopped walnuts, if using.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, large spoon or measuring cup, fill a muffin tray well about 3/4 of the way up. Repeat until all of the batter is in the muffin tray.
5. *Once everything is ready to be baked, here is a little (optional) trick that I love to use to make the muffins puff up even more in the oven. Make sure your oven is preheated to 400°F. Place the filled muffin tray in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
6. Then, without opening the oven or removing the muffin tray, reduce the heat of the oven to 350°F and bake for about 12-14 minutes, checking them a few minutes early to ensure they don’t overbake. This higher temperature at the beginning will promote the rapid rise of the batter, creating more of a domed top. Just remember to set a timer so you can reduce the temperature for the rest of the bake time.
7. Alternatively, bake the muffins at 350°F for 19-22 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before diving in!

 

I love to serve these muffins warm on their own or with a dollop of Greek yogurt or ice cream. They practically taste like dessert so they could even be topped with icing and offered as cupcakes. Whatever way you prefer to serve them, I hope they’re a hit!

My favourite muffin recipe hacks

Muffins are high up on my list of favourite things to bake. After countless batches, I’ve come up with some tips and tricks to make the whole process of these healthy cinnamon apple oatmeal muffins easier.

• Lining the muffin tins
  • I love to use silicone muffin liners to reduce waste. They also make it super easy to remove your muffin cleanly. You can also freeze the muffins in the silicone liners!
• Transferring the batter
  • If you have an ice cream scoop, use this to distribute the muffin batter. You could also use a measuring cup to transfer the batter to the muffin baking pan! It helps make them all even, which promotes a more consistent bake.
  • If you’re making mini muffins, use a cookie scoop for an even pour and bake.
• Prolong the shelf-life of the muffins
  • I like to try to prolong the shelf life of them before freezing by keeping them in the fridge once they have cooled after baking.
• Freezing
  • If I’m making a double batch or just want to store the muffins in the freezer, I keep them in the silicone muffin liners. This helps prevent them from sticking together. Pop them in a freezable bag and toss them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When you’re ready to eat one, microwave it for 20 seconds (depending on the strength of your microwave) and enjoy!

 

Storing and freezing

You can store these apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins in a few different ways.

• Once they are fully baked and cooled, you can keep them on the counter for 2-3 days.
• They can also be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days.
• If freezing, once the muffins have baked and cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container. This could be a glass or plastic container or even a freezer bag! Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, either take them out 1-2 hours in advance or microwave them for 30 seconds, or until they reach your preferred temperature and texture. Enjoy!

Apple Oatmeal Muffin nutrition

This apple muffin recipe makes about 12 muffins. Each muffin provides roughly:

• 1.5 grams of fibre
• 3.5 grams of protein
• A significant source of a variety of B vitamins and vitamin K
• Minerals like iron, selenium, zinc and more

 

I love to pair one of these muffins with other foods to boost the nutrient density of my snack. You could pair them with:

• Nut butter
• Greek yogurt
• Handful of nuts
• Quick smoothie
• Glass of milk or latte

 

Dietary considerations

As a registered dietitian, I want to make sure my recipes are suitable for most dietary preferences. If you or someone you’re cooking for has dietary restrictions or you just prefer to make some adjustments to this recipe, here are ways to accommodate that!

• Gluten free: use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour instead of the regular all purpose flour as well as certified gluten free oats.
• Dairy free: opt for dairy free or a plant-based milk.
• Oil free: use melted butter or applesauce instead of oil.
• Nut free: omit the optional walnuts.
• These muffins are already vegetarian.

 

Regardless of how you make them, I hope you love these muffins!

More muffin recipes

Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins
Carrot Apple Muffins
Oatmeal Pear Muffins (blender muffins)
Blueberry Rosemary Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Muffins
Mocha Banana Muffins
Peanut Butter Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Morning Glory Muffins

If you make these Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!