Filled to the brim with cinnamon laced apples and topped with toasty oats, these healthyish muffins are a more satisfying version of this classic breakfast baked good. 

Muffins are typically not the most nutritionally sound breakfast. However, with the addition of fresh apples and rolled oats it’s transformed into a healthier and more substantial version of itself. The apples add natural sweetness so the copious amounts of sugar, that would normally be in your standard muffin, are no longer necessary. Brown sugar is used instead of it’s highly processed albino counterpart, much better for complimenting those flavorful natural sugars. Not to mention the addition of fiber rich rolled oats which help to bulk out that beautiful muffin batter, making it substantially more satiating than your average muffin. No matter which way you spin it; this muffin is a beneficial breakfast recipe to have under your belt, especially if you need to have a morning muffin fix.

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus 1 TBSP for apples

¼ cup rolled oats plus more for tops

½ cup light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp kosher salt

2 tsp baking powder

⅓ cup of vegetable oil 

1 large egg

⅓-½ cup of whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 McIntosh apples, peeled and diced

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your muffin tins with muffin papers.

In a small bowl, combine diced apples with 1 tablespoon of flour and ½ tsp of ground cinnamon. Once the apples are coated, set aside. 

Combine flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and ½ tsp of ground cinnamon  in a mixing bowl.

In a one cup wet measure, add the oil and egg. Fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk until the total amount of wet ingredients measures out to be one cup, add vanilla and combine. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until the flour is almost all incorporated, add your coated apples and gently fold until there is no more flour. You do not want to overmix the batter, the batter should have some lumps but no evidence of the dry ingredients. If your muffin  batter becomes completely smooth, your muffins will have a more chewy consistency and will not be as tender.

Fill up your muffin tins half way with your batter and sprinkle a little extra rolled oats on the tops.

Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges. 

Cool the muffins in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and cool completely on the wire rack. You can store your cooled muffins in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

*Notes: When dicing your apples make sure they are all roughly the same shape and size. This ensures that the apples cook evenly in the muffin. 

It is important to thoroughly coat the diced apples in the flour and cinnamon mixture. Without coating your apples all the apples will sink to the bottom of the muffins and will not be evenly distributed through the muffin.