Fall means apples! We all know people obsess over pumpkin spice everything, but my mind immediately goes to apples once September rolls around. These apple oatmeal muffins make an easy, healthy, and delicious recipe to kick off fall.
These aren’t your typical muffin recipe, as we are using rolled oats as the base. No flour or refined sugar is needed. They combine chewy rolled oats, tons of fresh apples, a touch of maple syrup, applesauce for even more apple flavor (and to help keep them moist), and warming spices. Plus, everything is mixed in one bowl for easy clean-up.
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Make these healthy apple muffins for a make-ahead breakfast, snack, or healthy dessert. I even love having them as a pre- or post-workout snack – served with some greek yogurt and topped with some nut butter, it’s the perfect combo! Plus, a batch makes a great addition to your weekly meal prep!
Why you’ll love these apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins
- made in one bowl with 10 simple ingredients
- lightly sweetened – just 2 tablespoons of maple syrup is used!
- they are gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free, depending on the kind of milk you use.
- a muffin recipe adults and kids will love!
Are oatmeal muffins healthy?
Oatmeal muffins can make a healthy and delicious breakfast, snack, or even dessert. Rolled oats are loaded with fiber, complex carbs, and whole grains, have plant-based protein, and are low in fat. By making them at home, you can easily customize them to fit your liking and nutrition goals.
Each one of these oatmeal apple muffins has 142 calories, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, and 4 grams of fiber.
Ingredients
- unsweetened cinnamon applesauce
- milk – any kind will work!
- maple syrup – for a touch of sweetness.
- vanilla extract
- rolled oats
- cinnamon
- nutmug
- baking powder
- salt
- fresh apples – use your favorite kind!
How to make apple oatmeal muffins
For the complete directions, ingredient amounts, serving size, and accurate nutrition breakdown, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Mix wet ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients of applesauce, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix well to combine.
Add your dry ingredients.
Add oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt, and mix well to combine. Stir in diced apples. The mixture will be pretty wet.
Bake.
Line a muffin pan with silicone muffin liners. I do not recommend using paper muffin liners, or they will stick. Using a large cookie scoop, fill 10 muffin tins. Bake for 25-28 minutes until golden brown on top.
Enjoy!
Let cool, sprinkle with a little cinnamon if desired, and enjoy!
Rolled oats and quick-cooking oats can be used interchangeably. Rolled oats provide more of a chewy texture, while quick oats are a little moister, but both will work.
You cannot use steel-cut oats in this recipe, though. They are much coarser (they aren’t as processed), but also take longer to cook, and the results will not be the same.
Rolled oats are naturally gluten-free, but they can be one of the most cross-contaminated products. To ensure this recipe is gluten-free, look for certified gluten-free oats.
Storage and reheating
Substitutions and additions
- cinnamon applesauce – I like using cinnamon applesauce for more flavor, but you can use regular as well.
- milk – any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk (almond milk, coconut milk…) will work.
- maple syrup – any liquid sweetener will work (honey, agave…).
- vanilla extract – vanilla bean paste will work the same.
- rolled oats – old-fashioned oats are the same as rolled oats. You can use quick-cooking oats instead of rolled oats, although the texture will change slightly. Steel-cut oats will not work as the texture is different. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed.
- spices – feel free to adjust the spices if desired. Ginger, cloves, and allspice would all be good additions, or you could use apple pie spice.
- fresh apples – use your favorite kind of apples. I love Gala, but Honeycrisp, Cosmic, Pink Lady, Red Delicious, or even Granny Smith apples would work.
Here are some additions you can make:
- chopped nuts – chopped almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or pecans would be great and add a nice crunch.
- seeds – add some chia or hemp seeds for an extra nutritional boost and some healthy fats.
- nut butter – stir in about 1/4-1/2 cup nut butter to the batter before baking. This will add more healthy fats.
- protein powder – add a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder for a protein boost. However, they might not be as moist. Depending on the consistency of your protein powder, you can add a little more liquid if needed.
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Apple Oatmeal Muffins
equipment
ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cinnamon applesauce
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (250 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmug
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups diced apple (235 grams)
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with silicone muffin liners. You can also grease a nonstick muffin tin or use nonstick muffin liners. I do not recommend using paper liners, or they will stick.
- Mix ingredients. In a large bowl, add the wet ingredients of applesauce, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix well to combine. Add your dry ingredients of oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt, and mix well to combine. Stir in diced apples.
- Bake. Using a large cookie scoop, fill 10 muffin tins. The muffin batter will be pretty wet, so you may need to form muffins. Bake for 25-28 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Enjoy! Let cool, sprinkle with a little cinnamon if desired, and enjoy!
nutrition
Recipe by Kelly Nardo, Eat the Gains | Photography by Sierra Inn
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