These Cinnamon Apple Muffins are light, fluffy, perfectly moist, and loaded with juicy pieces of apple. They’re big on flavor and made with healthier ingredients!

Muffins and sweet breads are always a big hit around here!

Banana Nut Bread, Blueberry Banana Bread, Pumpkin Muffins, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, you name it, we’ll devour it.

Well, these Cinnamon Apple Muffins may be one of my favorite muffin recipes. They’re made healthier with whole wheat flour and plain Greek yogurt, and mostly naturally sweetened with applesauce and just a touch of brown sugar.

These muffins make the perfect breakfast, snack, or healthier dessert!

Might I recommend devouring a few fresh from the oven with cinnamon sugar on top? They taste like apple fritters!

Looking for more easy breakfast ideas? Check out my Cinnamon Raisin Scones or my Banana Nut Bread!

Ingredients Needed:

These Healthy Apple Muffins are packed with simple ingredients you probably already have on-hand!

• Yogurt: I use 0% plain Greek yogurt to create a delicious moist texture. Any type of plain yogurt should work just fine.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: applesauce adds even more moisture, apple flavor, and natural sweetness.
• Eggs: binds everything together so the muffins can hold their shape.
• Milk or Buttermilk: buttermilk creates a more moist, tender texture, but regular milk will work too.
• Vanilla: adds depth of flavor.
• Brown Sugar: brown sugar adds sweetness and extra moisture to the apple muffins.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: both help to create a light and fluffy texture.
• Cinnamon: gives the muffins just a hint of spice.
• Salt: enhances all of the apple muffin flavors.
• Flour: I like to use whole wheat flour for a delicious, hearty muffin. Be sure to fluff or weigh the flour so you don’t end up adding too much!
• Apples: Granny Smith or another type of baking apple works great. Be sure to peel and chop so the apple incorporates well into the muffins.
• Cinnamon Sugar Topping: an optional topping made up of melted butter, sugar, cinnamon for a sweet, crunchy finish.

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins

This delicious snack takes just 15 minutes to prep! Just mix it all up, bake, and they’re ready to go!

1. Make the batter: In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, applesauce, eggs, milk, vanilla, and brown sugar. Add in the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, then whisk until combined.
2. Add flour and apples: Fold the flour and apples into the batter until just combined.
3. Portion and bake: Portion the batter out into a greased, non-stick or paper-lined muffin tin. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Add the topping: Brush melted butter over the top of the muffins, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then serve or store.

FAQs for Apple Muffins

Tips for Apple Cinnamon Muffins

• Peel the apples. Apple peel can become dry and chewy when baked. I recommend peeling the apples before you dice them for the best texture.
• Dice the apples small. Be sure you chop the apples up small and evenly in size so they cook all the way through.
• Line or grease the muffin tin. You can either grease a non-stick muffin tin or line it with paper liners to prevent the muffins from sticking.
• Check for doneness. To check that the muffins are done baking, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, they’re ready to go. If not, the muffins need a few more minutes.

More Apple Recipes You’ll Love

Fall/Winter

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping Recipe

Desserts

Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cobbler

Desserts

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

Desserts

Brown Sugar Glazed Apple Cinnamon Baked Donuts

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Cinnamon Apple Muffins

These Cinnamon Apple Muffins are so moist and loaded with apple chunks, unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon. They are big on flavor and made with healthier ingredients.

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 14 muffins

Calories 194cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt (250g)
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (115g)
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup milk or buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup brown sugar* lightly packed (210g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2½ cups whole wheat flour fluffed (325 grams)
• 2 Granny Smith or baking apples peeled and finely chopped (3 cups or 315 grams apples)

Cinnamon Sugar (optional)

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, applesauce, eggs, milk, vanilla and brown sugar until smooth. 
• Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and whisk until combined.
• Fold in flour and apples with a spatula, just until moistened and no flour remains. 
• Lightly grease a non-stick muffin pan or fill with paper liners, and fill muffin cups to the top (you can also make smaller muffins but they will bake more quickly).
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. (If using paper liners, they will be easier to remove after several hours has passed)

Cinnamon Sugar (optional)**

• Brush butter over tops of slightly cooled muffins.
• Stir together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over muffins before serving.
• Store muffins uncovered at room temperature on the day you bake them. To store longer, place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

*These muffins are not overly sweet but I find them perfect with the cinnamon sugar topping. If you are not going to use the topping, or you like muffins a little sweeter, you can add an extra ¼ cup sugar to compensate.

**Muffins with the cinnamon sugar topping are best eaten that day. Once they are sealed and stored, the sugar will lose its crispness and become moist. They are still tasty, it is just the texture that will change. 

Nutrition

Calories: 194cal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are made healthier with whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt and loads of bananas! These healthy banana muffins are still incredibly moist and fluffy, just like the bakery!

Believe it or not, this Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe was one of the very first recipes on The Recipe Rebel, published first on March 17, 2014. It was definitely due for an update and a retest!

I ran a couple of more tests on these banana muffins to get them to this stage, and I am thrilled with the result!

They are moist, and fluffy, with nice high tops just like the bakery.

They’re made with (mostly) whole wheat flour, a good portion of plain Greek yogurt, eggs and canola oil (which gets a bad rep from people who don’t know their facts but is actually very low in bad fats, and high in good fats, omega-6 and omega-3).

The result?

My favorite banana muffins to date!

There are lots of different ways you could mix these up, make them a little healthier or a little more indulgent. I aim for the middle line — mostly healthy and super delicious.

Because there are enough healthy foods out there that will just never get my vote. Food still has to be enjoyable, otherwise what’s the point?

I found this recipe a few years ago on the Food Network site and it was instantly a favorite. I remember being ecstatic, thinking I had finally found a recipe better than my mom’s (though we all know that’s unlikely).

I loved this recipe immediately because the muffins are just so fluffy, and still moist, and sweet, and everything you would want. That Giada knows what she’s doing.

I reduced the sugar (but 1 whole cup!) and oil from the original recipe and added whole wheat flour.

I like to not feel too guilty about the food I consider “breakfast”. That being said, you can’t have banana muffins without chocolate chips, can you?

How to make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:

My mom always reworked any baking recipe to be a one-bowl recipe, and I do the same today.

Really, any recipe can be made this way! (Though the critics might claim it’s not the same — I say they’re just as good!)

1. Mash the bananas and combine the wet ingredients with a whisk. The sugar is usually included with the wet ingredients, as it’s important for the sugar to first be mixed with the fat (oil).
2. I like to whisk in the spices and leavening agents next, so I can ensure they’re evenly mixed in (as we don’t want to overmix the flour).
3. Add the flour, and stir gently just until you can’t see any more white. Overmixing leads to tough muffins!
4. Stir in the chocolate chips if you’re using them.

How to make these healthy Banana Muffins even healthier:

The term “healthy” is a relative term, as everyone defines it differently, but there are lots of ways you can mix these up if you need.

• You can replace the sugar with your sweetener of choice, but not honey (honey dries out baked goods).
• You can use all whole wheat flour. I like to add some all purpose to keep them fluffy, but you can swap this out easily.
• You can leave out the chocolate chips (or leave them out of the batter and just sprinkle some on top).
• You can substitute some of the oil for unsweetened applesauce — this will increases the sugar but lower the fat. (Keep in mind: fat is not bad!)
• You can divide by 24 muffin cups instead of 20 — they will be slightly smaller but just as good! You will want to bake them a few minutes less.

More variations of these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:

• Try cinnamon, salted caramel or peanut butter chips instead of chocolate!
• Slather them with some cinnamon butter <– highly recommended!
• Add in blueberries or raspberries (fresh or frozen) and leave out (or not!) the chocolate chips.
• Make mini muffins and bake for roughly half the time — these are perfect for little ones.

More muffin recipes:

• Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
• Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe
• Banana Oatmeal Muffins Recipe
• Banana Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
• Double Chocolate Banana Bran Muffins

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Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (healthier!)

These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are made healthier with whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt and loads of bananas! These healthy banana muffins are still incredibly moist and fluffy, just like the bakery!

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 20 muffins

Calories 244cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 5 ripe bananas peeled and mashed
• 1 cups sugar (200g)
• 1/2 cup oil (95g)
• 1 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt (250g)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (260g)
• 1 cup all purpose flour (130g)
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 muffin pans (or line with paper liners)
• To a large bowl add mashed bananas, sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
• Whisk in baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
• Using a whisk or spatula, gently stir in flours, ensuring even distribution without overmixing. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
• Divide batter between 20 muffin cups — they will be almost full to the top. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out dry or with moist crumbs.
• Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. If using paper liners, you may need to let cool for several hours before you are able to remove them cleanly.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the refrigerator for 5-6 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 244cal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1.2mg

The post Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (healthier!) appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This recipe was first posted on The Recipe Critic.

As much as I love Christmas, I always secretly get so excited when the tree comes down, the decorations go away, and LIFE GOES ON.

Am I alone?

January is the perfect time to reset, get back into creating and maintaining healthy habits, and quietly reconnecting as a family once the hustle and bustle dies down.

These healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins are the perfect breakfast or snack for getting back to routine.

What’s so great about these Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins?

They are loaded with good things.

Oats offer so much goodness in such a small package: fiber, protein, iron, zinc (great for boosting that immune system!) and on and on and on. There’s also whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, eggs, and blueberries which are bursting with antioxidants themselves.

I mean, don’t you feel healthier just reading that list of awesomeness??

Call me a strange, nutrition-obsessed geek (who also regularly enjoys a bowl of ice cream or slab of cheesecake…), but I love seeing how much goodness I can cram into one small package.

This is especially great because I know my kids will down muffins like there’s no tomorrow. There’s no snack or breakfast prep, they can just grab and enjoy and that I love (knowing that the bus is going to be at the end of the driveway all too soon!).

How to store and freeze Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins:

These muffins can be stored on the counter at room temperature for 1-2 days. After that, I really like to put them in the refrigerator or freezer.

• To refrigerate: place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.
• To freeze: place in an air tight container and freeze (stacking them is fine!) for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply remove a portion of them and place on a plate or in a small container, and let thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or microwave on low for 1 minute.

Variations on these Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins:

• You can swap out the fruit here if blueberries aren’t around! I prefer to use frozen blueberries because they are inexpensive and great any time of year, but chopped apples or cherries, or other berries will work just as well!
• You can make this recipe dairy free by swapping out the yogurt for dairy-free yogurt or additional applesauce.
• You can use rolled oats in this recipe instead of quick cooking, but I prefer the texture of quick oats. Rolled oats will just have a more noticeable texture. Steel cut oats will not work in this recipe.

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Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

These Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins are perfect for on the go! Loaded with whole grains, fiber, protein and juicy berries!

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 145cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick oats (100g)
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar lightly packed (240g)
• 3/4 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt (155g)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (115g)
• 1/4 cup canola oil (50g)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (260g)
• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (300g)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine oats and hot water in a medium bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the batter.
• In a large bowl, whisk brown sugar, yogurt, applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla together until smooth.
• Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and whisk until smooth.
• Add soaked oats and stir until evenly distributed.
• Add flour and berries and stir just until combined — don’t overmix!
• Lightly grease a muffin pan and fill 24 muffin cups ¾ full and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

Calories: 145cal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.8mg

The post Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

These Banana Oatmeal Muffins are SO moist, made with soaked oats baked right in! They are made with low fat Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce and whole wheat flour, making them a healthy breakfast option with fiber and protein. Easy to make and freezer friendly.

It took me a few tries, friends, but I think I’ve traded in my favourite banana muffins for these Banana Oatmeal Muffins.

They are so moist, and packed with extra goodness from oatmeal. Yes — actual oatmeal.

I know it sounds a little crazy, but trust me on this one.

What makes these Banana Oatmeal Muffins so good?

If you’ve ever had a classic oatmeal cake, you know they’re all sorts of amazing. Well, they’re made with oats soaked in boiling water — essentially, really thick oatmeal.

They are so ridiculously moist and delicious (especially if you add the toasted coconut topping on it!), and I got to thinking, “what if I put oatmeal into a banana muffin?”

So I tried it, and I tried it again, and I tried it again. And it took me a while to strike just the right balance between “moist” and “fluffy” (my first rounds were very moist but so flat!), but the result is so worth it. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back!

Plus, you get all the extra goodness of oats right in these healthy banana oatmeal muffins, that they really are perfect for breakfast.

The kids love these, especially if I add in chocolate chips. I wanted to start you off with a plain Jane version (you know, one that is actually healthy!), but feel free to get a little crazy and raid your stash of chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruits if you like.

And if you’re here accidentally because you though these were actually Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups, then head over there <– to check out that recipe, which is equally as delicious but a totally different thing

How to bake these Banana Oatmeal Muffins:

I tried baking these muffins in all kinds of cups and pans — silicone, paper liners, non stick muffin pans, etc., etc.

I recommend using silicone or paper liners, and not just spraying a pan. All ways will work just fine, but the non stick spray makes the muffins a little browner (i.e., tougher) around the edges and we like our muffins soft. If you like them another way then go for it!

Here are the differences in muffin texture you can expect:

Silicone pans or muffin cups: they will be soft and not brown significantly around the edges or bottom. Remove within 10 minutes of them coming out of the oven so they don’t get soggy from sitting.

Dark non-stick pans with non-stick spray: this is absolutely an option too, if you prefer a golden brown exterior and don’t want to wait for them to cool so you can remove paper liners. This is what I did in these photos!

Paper liners: paper liners work just fine, and the texture will fall somewhere between silicone and non-stick. However, the one big downside is you have to wait for them to cool completely before you’ll be able to remove them and taste test

Tips and Tricks for Making these healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins:

• You can absolutely jazz these up if you like: chocolate chips, peanuts, pecans, or raisins would all be great in here! Even just sprinkling 3 or 4 chocolate chips on top before baking goes a long way with my kiddos
• You will want to use instant or quick cooking oats for this recipe only, because you want them to get soft in the boiling water. I have made them with regular rolled oats before, and it works just fine but they have a bit of a chunkier texture. If that’s what you like, go for it.
• These store perfectly in the freezer, so make a big batch! I like to keep a big container in the freezer, and then keep half a dozen or so in the fridge for easy snacking for the kids. Grab and go snacks are always a good idea here!

More banana recipes for those brown bananas!

• Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (healthier!)
• Healther Classic Banana Bread Recipe + VIDEO

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Banana Oatmeal Muffins

These Banana Oatmeal Muffins are SO moist, made with soaked oats baked right in! They are made with low fat Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce and whole wheat flour, making them a healthy breakfast option with fiber and protein. Easy to make and freezer friendly.

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 18 muffins

Calories 150cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick cooking oats or instant
• ¾ cup boiling water
• 4 overripe bananas
• 1 cup brown sugar packed (about 160g)
• ½ cup 0% plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour fluffed and levelled (about 260g)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• chocolate chips, nuts or raisins optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2-3 muffin pans with paper liners, spray with non stick spray or use silicone muffin cups — if you use paper liners you will get more, smaller muffins. (see notes in post above)
• Add oats to a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork or whisk. Add sugar, applesauce, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk until combined. 
• Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and stir until just combined. Gently stir in the soaked oats.
•  Fill muffin cups (I fill them to the top for nice, high muffins) and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
• Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 150cal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Banana Oatmeal Muffins Recipe + VIDEO appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

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Any time I can hide my vegetables in chocolate, count me in.

I can’t honestly say that I eat a lot of zucchini that’s not baked into something, but I sure do love it paired with banana and chocolate. I like to think it makes these Banana Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins healthy enough to indulge in on a regular basis!

I first made these muffins last summer when I was given some zucchini (you know how it is, that time of year — boxes labelled “free zucchini! Take me home!” everywhere you turn), and now I wait for zucchini season just so I can stock up the freezer with these muffins. It’s also kind of nice that zucchini season and back-to-school season happen at the same time, because these muffins make such an awesome school snack or breakfast.

These muffins have tons of good healthy stuff going on. Zucchini, banana, whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce… so I didn’t feel too bad adding the chocolate in there, too.

The recipe makes a really large batch, because I am allllll about my freezer. They freeze perfectly for at least a few months, and you can just give them a quick zap in the microwave and they’re as good as fresh. With school around the corner (and my baby going into kindergarten!), I’m sure I’ll be stocking up for easy school snacks.

This recipe is tied for first place with my other favorite banana chocolate chip muffins. They are so moist, the recipe makes a bunch and they freeze perfectly.

You might also like these Double Chocolate Banana Bran Muffins!

Or this Classic Banana Bread!

Original recipe and photos published September 8, 2014. Post updated June 13, 2017.

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Banana Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Super moist banana chocolate chip muffins made healthier by using whole wheat flour, applesauce and adding zucchini.

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 36 muffins

Calories 186cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 3 overripe bananas (I put mine in the freezer and let them thaw before using)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup canola oil or oil of choice
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (you can do 350 if using light colored pans) and line 3 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, mash bananas with a whisk. Add zucchini, vanilla, eggs, brown sugar, applesauce and oil and whisk well to combine.
• Add flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon all at once and whisk until just combined (you want them evenly distributed, but don’t overmix). Stir in chocolate chips if desired.
• Spoon batter into paper liners and bake at 325 for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let rest 10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 186cal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g

The post Banana Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

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Recipe posted first on The Recipe Critic.

It has probably been about 6 months since I got started on the baked oatmeal trend and I just can’t give it up. First I made these super simplified, easy peasy 4 Ingredient Baked Oatmeal Cups in November (and while you weren’t going to trade them for your Christmas chocolates, they took off like crazy come January!).

That recipe is really the perfect base recipe — you can add anything you want to it! Fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, spices, some people (I, occasionally) add baking powder.

Last month — after a 4 month hiatus! — I brought you these Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups. These, I think, are our all-time favorite. I mean, Carrot Cake is *thisclose* but, really — chocolate for breakfast.

What I love about these Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups is that you’re getting veggies for breakfast and you don’t even really care. For me, as an admittedly picky eater, this is huge. They are lightly spiced and are partly sweetened with crushed pineapple, and you can throw in some raisins or….. not. I’m willing to bet some chopped pecans or toasted coconut would also be great in these!

To make these Baked Oatmeal Cups I use these silicone muffin cups — they never stick and you can just throw them in the fridge or freezer and pull out one at a time whenever you need. My girls’ favorite part is getting to pick their favorite color out of my stash — I swear I must have 100 of them!

Now…. which flavor combo do you want to see next? More chocolate??

Substitutions:

• This recipe can easily be made gluten free if you use certified gluten free oats and double check all of your ingredient labels to be sure.
• This recipe is dairy free and made with almond milk — feel free to use regular milk if you desire.
• This recipe is naturally vegetarian, low fat and low calorie.

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Easy Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups + RECIPE VIDEO

These Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups are an easy make ahead breakfast that’s freezer friendly and easy to customize! Low in calories and high in protein and fiber. Includes step by step recipe video.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Calories 107cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups almond milk or use regular milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar you can substitute maple syrup for natural sweetness
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups large flake rolled oats
• 1 large carrot shredded
• 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
• 1/2 cup raisins optional
• Optional: add ½ cup chopped pecans or toasted coconut if desired

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with 15 silicone muffin cups (or grease a regular muffin pan well — I’ve only ever used silicone for this recipe!).
• In a large bowl, whisk together milk, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Stir in oats, carrot, pineapple and raisins or other additions if using.
• Divide mixture evenly between 15 muffin cups (they’ll be full) and bake for 30 minutes, until completely set and light golden brown on top.
• Let cool completely and store in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Serve warm or room temperature alone or in a bowl with milk.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is estimated and will vary depending on exact serving size, types and brands of products used. Information provided is with raisins. Without raisins 1 cup equals 90 calories and 9 grams of sugar

Nutrition

Calories: 107cal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Sugar: 11g

The post Easy Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

Recipe posted first on The Recipe Critic.

These muffins have been on my To-Make list for a long time now.

I wanted to come up with a Fruit Explosion Muffin recipe that would rival that of Tim Horton’s, but maybe be a little healthier and made from scratch.

The problem is, I rarely experiment with muffin recipes. I have a couple that I like and make all the time: these Double Chocolate Banana Bran Muffins and these Banana Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins. And that is pretty much where the list ends.

I don’t know why — maybe it’s because I find muffins a little finnicky. It’s so easy to overmix or not add enough moisture, and then you have dry, crumbly muffins. Sometimes they stick to the liners and you’re just not sure why. And sometimes you just want to pour everything into a loaf pan and bake without the hassle of scooping into muffin tins.

But muffins are so great because they freeze perfectly, and you can pull out just one at a time. Awesome for school or work lunches!

I based this recipe off of the Berry Cream Muffins from Taste of Home, which is in one of my Taste of Home cookbooks. But beside the recipe I had written “so-so” — a note to myself from the first time I made them so I made a few changes and I am so happy with the result!

Finally, I have another recipe to add to my muffin list.

NOTES:

• I made these a little healthier with whole wheat flour — feel free to use all-purpose if you desire.
• Feel free to swap out the berries for other berries or different fruit, and same with the jam or jelly. The options are endless!
• Be sure to bake them until golden brown — the frozen fruit slows down the baking process slightly so you want to make sure they are completely baked!

*I have updated the recipe since posting after receiving feedback from a couple of readers — I made a couple changes to make them extra moist and extra flavorful. I increased the amount of berries, vanilla, and added in some unsweetened applesauce for moisture and sweetness, among a few other changes. If you’ve made the recipe before, note that it is now a bit different but the changes I made make them even better (more moist, more flavorful!) than before.

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Fruit Explosion Muffins (Tim Horton’s Copycat)

These Fruit Explosion Muffins are loaded with strawberries and blueberries (or any berries you want!) and have a strawberry jam surprise inside! They are made with whole wheat flour and sour cream makes them extra moist.

Course Bread and Baked Goods, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes minutes

Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Servings 18 muffins

Calories 197cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 cup light sour cream or 0% Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed – 80 grams
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 187 grams
• 1 cup whole wheat flour 135 grams
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups mixed berries of choice fresh or frozen*
• 3/4 cup jam or jelly nothing too runny!

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 3 muffin pans with paper liners or use non-stick pans and grease lightly. You can also use silicone pans, though they will not brown as usual.
• In a large bowl, combine sour cream, oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla with a whisk. Stir in sugars until combined completely.
• Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir just until combined. Fold in berries.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each liner, spreading it cover the bottom completely. Top with 2 teaspoons of jam and cover with remaining batter (about one heaping tablespoon per muffin cup), covering the jam as best as you can.
• Bake for 23-25 minutes (I bake mine exactly 25 minutes), until golden brown, toothpick comes out clean and batter around berries appears set. Cool to room temperature and serve.
• May be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days or frozen for 3-4 months.

Notes

If you’re using raspberries, I recommend frozen because they will get squashed when stirring. Strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries should be fine either fresh or frozen (though frozen will be stirred in more easily and won’t discolour the batter as much).

Nutrition

Calories: 197cal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g

The post Fruit Explosion Muffins appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

It’s not often that I experiment with muffin recipes. I have a few favorites that I make over and over (and over and over) — like these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and these Double Chocolate Banana Bran Muffins.

But when we were on our Carnival cruise this past December (see my full recap here!), I became obsessed with the chocolate muffins at the breakfast buffet every morning. They were so moist and perfectly sweet, and I ate my fair share every day (at breakfast, and sneaking a few down into my room for snacks later in the day…. or night…).

It took me a while to decide which other recipe I wanted to try to make for you (this Melting Chocolate Cake was the obvious choice!). I was contemplating a lot of different things, but once I got my mind on those muffins I couldn’t get it off.

I had to give it a try.

So I tried. And I tried. And I tried.

I’ll admit, I was beginning to get a little frustrated. My first batches were okay, but I was trying to find this magical balance between healthy and delicious and I just couldn’t get it quite right. I could either make them a little more delicious and sacrifice the healthy just a touch, or vice versa.

In the end, I decided my priority is to bring you the BEST tasting recipes I can, and most of the time they are reasonably healthy. These muffins are also reasonably healthy — I packed them with as much good stuff as I could: unsweetened applesauce for moisture and natural sweetness, canola oil and buttermilk for extra moisture (because Carnival’s muffins were so moist and luscious!), whole wheat flour for protein and fiber and just enough chocolate chips.

And I think I did all right, because they are quite large muffins and still only 214 calories each! If you want a smaller muffin, you can likely get away with making 14 for only 184 calories each.

They don’t puff up big and tall like some bakery muffins, but I think the texture is so much better! I hope you enjoy them as much as we have (all 3, 478 batches) (okay maybe it was only 3 or 4).

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Double Chocolate Muffins (Carnival Copycat)

These Double Chocolate Muffins are so moist (thanks to buttermilk, canola oil and applesauce) and loaded with chocolate flavor! Make them with whole wheat flour for extra fiber! The perfect lunch box snack.

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 210cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup canola oil or other
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup whole wheat flour lightly spooned
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease well.
• In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar unitl combined.
• Add eggs, applesauce, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir just until combined — don’t overmix. Stir in ½-¾ cup mini chocolate chips (based on your preference!).
• Fill muffin cups ¾ full and bake for 14-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs (not batter!). Cool completely and store on the counter for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 210cal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1.1mg

The post Double Chocolate Muffins (Carnival Copycat) appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This is weird, right?!

First of all, I don’t normally post on Tuesdays. Second, I actually just whipped up this recipe over the weekend. That’s right, just a few days ago.

If you don’t know by now, I am an obsessive planner and workaholic. Which means that I am normally making and photographing recipes for a few weeks (sometimes more than a few…) down the road. I am actually not a spontaneous person.

But I picked 4 gallons of fresh strawberries last week and it felt wrong to just not make anything with them. My kids — one and four — are always ravenous and muffins are one of their favorites! I thought it was time to add a strawberry twist to my favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe.

I have been making these Double Chocolate Banana Bran Muffins on repeat for what seems like the last 6 months — they are super healthy but they taste so fudgy, and we all love them! But it was time for a little change.

The fresh strawberries in these muffin add such a great burst of flavor, and I am a BIG fan of fruit and chocolate (aren’t you??). The recipe makes a good number (I got 30), so that you can store some in the freezer for sometime down the road, and they make great snacks for packing on summer road trips.

The rest of my 4 gallons of strawberries? I’m not telling you how many I ate just straight out of the pail.

NOTES:

• The muffins usually come out pretty easily, but if you have problems with them sticking I have a bunch of these silicone muffin liners that I LOVE — nothing sticks to them and you can wash and reuse!
• Often when I’m baking for the kiddos I like to bake these in my mini muffin pan — it makes them the perfect snack size so that there’s no waste!

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Strawberry Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

These Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins are the best — so moist but made healthier with whole wheat flour, yogurt and loaded with fresh strawberries!

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 30 muffins

Calories 178cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas peeled and mashed
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup plain 1% yogurt you could sub sour cream or applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups fresh strawberries diced

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with 24 paper liners. (You may end up needing a few extra)
• To a large bowl add bananas, sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until combined (I use the whisk to mash my bananas as I’m doing this).
• Using a whisk or spatula, gently stir in dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg), ensuring even distribution without overmixing. Fold in chocolate chips and fresh strawberries.
• Fill liners with batter, about ¾ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out dry or with moist crumbs. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 178cal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 107mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g

The post Strawberry Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

I made you bran muffins.

But they’re double chocolate bran muffins, so we’re all good, right?

As I mentioned when I shared my Pineapple Lemonade Fruit Dip, I am making more of an effort to eat healthy now that I’m expecting our second child. I find at the beginning of my pregnancies that I am just so hungry all the time.

For the first 8 weeks or so, I eat an embarrassing amount of food.

And I know there are people who will respond, “you’re eating for two!” or “you’re growing a baby — your body needs it!” And I also know that they’re wrong.

A baby the size of a poppy seed does not need two full bowls of Chocolate Cheerios for an afternoon snack. Nor does a baby the size of a raspberry need a chili burger the size of my face and a bucket of fries.

Don’t peg me as a pregnancy diet extremist — I don’t deny myself food to avoid putting on the weight that is going to come anyway. I just try to make healthy swaps for the food I really want to eat. I try to choose food that is packed full of protein and fiber, so that hopefully I can go an hour or two between meals.

That being said, since I got it in my head to make some bran muffins the first time this pregnancy, I have renewed my love interest with bran.

I know that seems super lame, but as a hungry-(at times hangry)-trying-to-be-healthy pregnant woman, I am loving the list and amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. Especially the all-important Iron.

But I felt like a post about regular old bran muffins wouldn’t do so well.

Like maybe you wouldn’t share my enthusiasm.

So I made them chocolate. Double chocolate. With banana. And chocolate.

And I sprinkled a few chocolate chips on top to distract from all the healthy stuff inside.

And they are seriously delicious. I’m not even lying to you, to make myself feel better about snacking on bran muffins for the next 6 months. They are moist and chocolatey and banana-y.

And they have chocolate chips. Just saying.

My 2 year old devoured two before bed. And I’m pretty sure she would have kept working on them if I hadn’t stopped her.

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Double Chocolate Banana Bran Muffins

Rich, fudgy bran muffins featuring chocolate and banana — so good you could eat them for dessert! I promise you can’t even taste the bran ?

Course Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 16 muffins

Calories 125cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups All-Bran Original cereal
• 1 cup milk
• 3 large overripe bananas
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips plus additional for top if desired

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with about 16 paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, combine cereal and milk. Let sit 3-4 minutes until soft.
• Add bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a whisk. Whisk in egg, brown sugar applesauce and vanilla.
• Whisk in flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Add softened bran and whisk just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Ladle into prepared muffin pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes (Mine baked exactly 19 minutes) until a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean.
• Let cool to room temperature (you can dive in before that, but the paper liners are difficult to remove from warm muffins!).

Nutrition

Calories: 125cal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Adapted from All Bran.

The post Double Chocolate Banana Bran Muffins appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.