Can these muffins be made with white flour?

I've only tested this recipe using whole wheat flour. While I sometimes substitute white for whole wheat flour in muffin recipes, a 1:1 substitution doesn’t always work, especially when using larger quantities of flour.

What are the best apples to use for these muffins?

Firm and crisp apples work best in these muffins. For a sweeter flavour, try Honeycrisp apples, and for a more tart taste, use Granny Smith. Other apples that you could try include Braeburn, Cortland, Fuji, Pink Lady or Gala.

Do you need to peel the apples?

You can peel the apples if you prefer, but the apple skin has nutrients, so I like to keep it on. It also saves you a little time!

How do you store muffins made with fresh apple? How long will they last?

Since these muffins are moist, I only keep them at room temperature for 1-2 days. They're best stored covered in the fridge, where they should last for 4-5 days.

Can you freeze apple muffins?

Yes, just let the muffins cool completely and then place them in a single layer in an airtight container. They'll last for up to 3 months in the freezer. Defrost them at room temperature or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.

Apple Spice Muffins

Description

Apple Spice Muffins are dairy-free and refined sugar-free, with a soft and tender texture, warming autumn spices and chopped fresh apple.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (spooned and levelled)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons rolled oats, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or another nut milk)
1/3 cup almond butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped apple

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan (or line it with muffin liners).
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, mashed bananas, almond milk, almond butter, maple syrup, egg and vanilla.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
Fold in the chopped apple, reserving some pieces for the tops of the muffins.
Evenly divide the batter into the muffin pan. Each cup should be almost filled to the top.
Top the batter with remaining apple pieces and sprinkle on the remaining 2 tablespoons of oats.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Notes

Firm and crisp apples work best in this recipe. For a sweeter flavour, try Honeycrisp apples, and for a more tart taste, use Granny Smith.
Warmer ingredients incorporate together better so I usually bring my almond milk, almond butter and egg to room temperature before baking. You’ll want your almond butter soft and even a little runny so it mixes easily into the other ingredients.
Don’t over mix the batter as your muffins may turn out dense and chewy.
You can substitute natural peanut butter if you don’t have almond butter.
If you don’t need these muffins to be dairy-free, you can substitute dairy milk for the almond milk.
These muffins were baked in a lighter coloured pan. If you use a darker muffin pan, the muffins may brown a little quicker.
Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.