These apple streusel muffins are packed with fresh apples and fall spices, then topped with a delicious cinnamon oat streusel. Perfect for a fall breakfast or treat!
I can’t believe it is October my favorite month of the year! I love the cooler weather, comfy sweaters, changing leaves, pumpkin spice everything, Halloween, and seasonal treats. Before I post pumpkin and winter squash recipes, I wanted to share one more apple recipe to help you use up some of those apples you picked: Apple Streusel Muffins!
These muffins are soft, fluffy, and bursting with flavor. Every bite is filled with yummy apple pieces and flavored with cinnamon and allspice. The crumbly oat topping makes them totally irresistible and will have your friends and family raving about them all Fall!
Are muffins a healthy choice
Muffins are a breakfast food that get a bad rap. This is because most muffins you find in bakeries or coffee shops are really cupcakes in disguise. Those muffins are delicious, but are packed with loads of butter, sugar, oil, and refined flour. While having them as an occasional treat is fine, I wouldn’t recommend them for breakfast every morning.
Baking is a science
These apple streusel muffins are a healthier option than bakery style muffins. I often hear that healthier baked goods don’t taste right or don’t have the same satisfying texture as traditional recipes. This is because baking is a science, and every ingredient plays an integral role in the resulting flavor, density, and consistency. Substitutions, therefore, can create problems if it throws off the ‘recipe equation.’
For instance, too much leavening agent (baking soda or baking powder) can make the muffin dense. Too much egg in a recipe can result in tough, heavy, and rubbery muffins. If the ratio of dry ingredients to wet ingredients is off, the muffins can become too dense. Even over mixing the muffin batter can make tunnels or large holes develop inside the muffins during baking, which changes the texture.
There have been way too many times in the past when I try to make a baked good healthy and the result is dense, bland, and dry. Luckily, and after many trials and errors, I’ve created the perfect ‘healthier’ recipe that tastes like the real deal!
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What ingredients did I substitute
To cut back on fat, I substituted apple sauce for some of the oil, which also added moisture. Instead of using a ton of sugar, I increased the flavor of these muffins with fall spices and vanilla extract. Apples are naturally sweet so they add that sugary taste to every bite. In addition, I wanted to add more fiber and nutrients, so I included white whole wheat flour.
Now let’s talk about that amazing crumb topping…
My favorite part about these muffins is the streusel topping. The muffin itself isn’t overly sweet, so the sprinkle of streusel adds a the perfect amount of sweetness to the muffin. I also used oats for a little extra texture.
How to store these muffins
If you find yourself with extra muffins, simply store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. If you put them in the refrigerator, I would suggest microwaving for 15 seconds as they taste better warm.
Muffins freeze well
These muffins are great to have on hand for a quick grab-and go breakfast or snack. They can be stored in the freezer in a Ziploc bag or wrap them individually. When you want one, you can either take it out the night before to defrost, or simply microwave in 15-30 second increments.
If you love this recipe, check out some other recipes you may enjoy:
- No Bake Oat Energy Balls
- Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Apple Crisp
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Nice Cream
- Healthy Banana Oat Pancakes
(Healthier) Apple Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 3 Tablespoons oats rolled oats or quick-cooking
- 1 Tablespoon whole wheat white flour
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat white flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup milk of choice
- ½ Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 ¼ cup apples peeled and diced small
Instructions
- For the crumb topping: in a small bowl combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter to the bowl. Cut with a pastry cutter (or 2 knives, or the back of a fork) until well combined and mixture resembles coarse meal. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners or silicone liners (or grease the muffin tin with butter or oil).
- In a small bowl add the milk and apple cider vinegar, stir well and let sit for at least two minutes before adding to the wet ingredients.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour to nutmeg)
- In a large bowl, add the milk-apple cider mixture, apple sauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and brown sugar and whisk until well combined. Add the melted coconut oil and stir well until well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a large spoon mix until just combined (a few lumps are ok). Gently fold in the diced apples. *
- Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups, filling almost to the top of each muffin tin. Then sprinkle the tops of each muffin with the crumb mixture, dividing evenly. Lightly press the crumbs down into the batter.
- Bake the muffins 23-25 minutes until the tops are set, or until a toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool for five minutes in the muffin pan. After five minutes, place the muffins onto wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
*Be sure not to over mix the batter as it makes the muffins more dense. You can stir the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately as much as your heart desires, but once they are combined you should only mix until they are JUST combined. You can substitute white flour or whole wheat flour. I chose white whole wheat flour for extra fiber. Whole wheat flour can make baked goods a little dense but white whole wheat flour is lighter in baked goods. They have the same nutrition profile. If you use white flour the muffin will have less fiber. Regular milk or dairy free milk works fine in this recipe. Adding the vinegar to the milk is essentially making a buttermilk. You can substitute buttermilk if you have it for the ½ cup of milk. If you use the buttermilk, just omit the vinegar from the recipe.
What’s your favorite way to use apples? Share in the comments below. Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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