Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple Cinnamon Muffins – Cinnamon spiced whole wheat muffins filled with apples and topped with an oat-walnut streusel.

I’m always on the lookout for fairly healthy foods that I can offer my toddler for breakfast. He is a picky eater and I struggle to find meals that are nutritious and balanced that he will willingly eat. I’ve learned that if I refer to something as “cake” he is more likely to eat it, so if he asks, these are apple cinnamon cakes. OK?

Toddler trickery aside, these are tasty muffins for adults and kids alike. I’ve learned that when I am baking with whole wheat flour, it helps to have some fruit in the recipe (see here or here). The fruit adds moisture and lightness and helps the whole wheat flour from becoming too heavy and dense. Not only do the apples keep the muffins moist, but the apple flavor pairs perfectly with the cinnamon that’s in the muffins and in the topping.

The topping is made up of oats, walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. It  adds a nice crunch and slight sweetness to the muffins. If you’d like, you can omit the streusel topping for an even healthier muffin.

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Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Cinnamon spiced whole wheat muffins filled with apples and topped with an oat-walnut streusel.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 265 kcal

Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Muffins:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup heaping peeled finely chopped apples (about 2 small apples or 1 large)

Oat-Walnut Streusel:

• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons old fashioned oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons cold butter diced into small cubes

Instructions

For the muffins:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter 9 muffin cups or fill with 9 muffin liners, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir both flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until combined.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, oil, milk and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
4. Fold the chopped apples into the batter.
5. Divide the batter between 9 prepared muffin cups and set aside while you make the topping.

For the streusel topping:

1. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and salt. Add in butter and using your fingertips rub the butter into the oat mixture until pea sized crumbs form. Divide the topping between the 9 muffins and lightly press it onto the tops of each muffin.
2. Place the muffins in the oven for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
3. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the muffin tin and cool completely on a rack.

Nutrition Facts

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Amount Per Serving

Calories 265 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 12g 18%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Cholesterol 48mg 16%

Sodium 129mg 5%

Potassium 221mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 36g 12%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 18g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 3.1%

Vitamin C 0.9%

Calcium 8.4%

Iron 7.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.