Apple Cinnamon Muffins

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These Apple Cinnamon Muffins are the perfect healthy snacks to welcome the season of Fall! They are moist, easy to make and so delicious!

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 Apple Cinnamon 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!”

Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Muffins

These Apple Cinnamon 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. If you want to make them gluten-free, just opt for this gluten-free flour and use the same suggested amount.
• Quick oats
  • In the past, I have tried using large flake oats in this recipe but I find that quick oats create a less crumbly texture. Again, if you want to make these muffins gluten-free, ensure your oats are certified gluten-free.
• 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!
• Cinnamon and nutmeg
  • The nutmeg is optional, as I know this can be a harder spice to come by. The cinnamon is a must!
• Baking powder, baking soda, salt
• 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.
• Milk
  • You can opt for a dairy or plant-based milk in this recipe.
• Vanilla extract
• Walnuts
  • These nuts are optional but highly recommended for a great added texture of crunch.

Baking and Serving

Once everything is mixed well and ready to be baked, here is a little trick I love to use. Make sure your oven is preheated to 400°F. Place the filled muffin tray in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat of the oven to 350°F and bake for the remaining time, 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.

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!