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These are so good! I loved the zucchini version in the summer and am so glad to have the apple variation in the fall.
Claire
These apple muffins are EVERYTHING in my life right now – moist and dense in a good way, perfectly but not overly sweet, and just honestly divine smeared with a little butter and honey.
Oh, one other helpful little thing: they’re wholesome. Real-food healthy ingredients. Feel-good for the body.
Here’s a universal scenario that happens to us food lovers almost every day in the fall.
- I want to bake a cozy treat!
- Wait though, I don’t have a ton of time.
- Wait though, I also don’t want to eat 100 grams of sugar.
- Hmm.
Enter: THESE apple muffins of the 100% comforting and treat-like but also healthy variety. They are made with:
- Oats
- Apples
- Dates
- Maple syrup
- Olive oil
- Eggs
And there you have it. Talk about FEEL-GOOD! I have been eating these on repeat for little “coffee breaks” throughout the day and happily sharing them with my daughter as one of those unicorn “treat” foods that feels both special and also wholesome.
Oh, and the low-on-time part? All you do is blend and pour into a muffin tin. Very unfussy.
Top with flaked unsweetened coconut if you’re really keeping it clean. Top with butterscotch chips if you walk on the wild side. Or try this crumbly buttery cinnamon streusel!
And even though they don’t *need* it, just the tiniest bit of butter with the quickest drizzle of honey will just take the whole thing to an entirely new fall baking level.
And if you’re now in muffin hog mode, we have a ton of muffins that follow this same cozy-treat-but-also-healthy policy!
Enjoy. Like seriously, take a pause, breathe in that warm cinnamony muffin in front of you, and just enjoy this cozy moment.
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Feel-Good Apple Muffins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 muffins 1x
Description
These Apple Muffins are EVERYTHING. Wholesome and nutritious, moist and dense, perfectly but not overly sweet, and honestly divine with a little butter and honey.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 8 medjool dates, pitted (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1–2 apples, grated (about 1–2 cups total)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of sea salt and/or cinnamon (optional)
- coconut / seeds / nuts / butterscotch chips (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all ingredients in a blender until a chunky batter comes together.
- Pour batter into a greased or lined muffin tin. Sprinkle with butterscotch chips. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the tops gently spring back when you press into them.
- Sprinkle warm muffins with sea salt if you’re into that kinda thing. Serve warm or cold ALL DAY LONG. ♡
Notes
For a sweeter muffin, add a little more maple syrup.
Bake times and textures will vary by batch, because every apple is different! I use Honeycrisp apples which are very sweet and juicy, and I don’t drain out the liquid or anything before adding them into the batter. Just know that each batch will be a little unique, and watch your bake time, adding minutes as necessary to get them baked to perfection!
The longer you blend them, the more “smooth” and puffy they will be. Less blending = a more textured, dense muffin. I like them both ways!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: healthy apple muffins, apple muffin recipe, sugar free apple muffins
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of best healthy fall recipes. Check it out!
Full confession, I totally forgot the 2 eggs and they are AMAZING! Hahaha
Can you make these beauties into mini muffins? If so, how would you adjust the bake time?
That would work great! You could start at 9 minutes bake time and see how things go, and adjust from there.
Absolutely love these muffins, I’ve been making them for years and have gotten so many friends and family hooked! One question, have you ever tried adding protein powder to these? I’m veg and am trying to get more protein in the morning, I eat these with Greek yogurt when home but for a grab and go day I was wondering if boosting the protein amount with protein powder would work?
We haven’t tried that!
Actually I just sent message, however I would like to rescind it. I have been thinking more about this, and I just would not try to do double recipe again. I have tried this with other recipes in the past, and it really does not turn out good. Best to stay with single batch!
This recipe is very yummy! I tried doubling the batch however it does not turn out as great as just doing one batch. The bottom of the muffins were very oily, and so I would suggest to just maybe about 1/3 cup olive oil + 1 tsp. Once I did this they were much better!
We LOVE these muffins. So simple and delicious! (And easy to clean up!) Some friends are coming over with an oat allergy. Is it possible to sub flour in for oats?
Hi Emma! We haven’t tested that, the oats soak up a lot more moisture than flour, so not sure how they would turn out.
Hi there, I live at a fairly high altitude, and am learning how to tweak baking recipes for better results. What altitude are you baking your recipes at? Or, where do you live (and I can look it up).
Hi Margo! We are in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Do the apples need to be peeled prior to grating?
These muffins are amazing! I’ve made them twice this week! They taste so nourishing but also like a treat. I love the different flavors you get from the three natural sweeteners (dates, maple syrup, and apples). Your house smells so good while these are baking too! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
These apple muffins look incredible! I love how you incorporated wholesome ingredients. I can’t wait to try this recipe for a cozy weekend breakfast. Thanks for sharing! 🍏🧁
These muffins sound absolutely delicious! I love the idea of using fresh apples and all the spices. Can’t wait to try this recipe on a cozy weekend morning! Thank you for sharing! 🍏🧁
What are the best apples for this recipe?
Hi Beth! We like to use honeycrisp apples. Enjoy!
I’m too lazy to grate, so I gave my (one) apple a rough chop (w/skin) before throwing it in the blender. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. I baked them for the full 18 minutes and they are perfect. Very tasty, nice texture.
would flour work in place of the oats?
1-2 cups of apples is kind of vague.
Could you give a more accurate measure, or weight?
There is a huge difference between 1-2 apples.
Thanks for any info.
Since I started making these a month or so ago, my family eats them almost as fast as I can make them! I’m baking a new batch about twice a week and getting my dates at Costco just for this recipe. I double the maple syrup, and add chocolate chips and pecans once the batter has come together. Sometimes hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds too. It’s the perfect sweet treat.
Loved these! They are not overly sweet and have a great texture. I tried the sea salt caramel chips from Trader Joe’s on top and they were a delicious touch!
Hello! Is there anything I can use in place of the dates?
I adore all of the muffin recipes! I made this one as written. but I subbed one carrot for the second apple since I only had one small apple. I also added a little fresh ginger which hit right! Yum! I often freeze the muffins and pull one out for dessert. Thank you!
SOOOO GOOD!!
I made these for the first time today. They are instantly a new family favorite. I did add a 1/4 c boiled cider since I had it in hand. It intensified the apple flavor. Either way, these muffins are moist, super easy to make, provide some whole grains, and fiber. They make a great snack or can be added to a quick simple breakfast. . As a registered dietitian, I would for sure recommend these to my patients.
These are the muffins I’ve been searching for my whole life! Easy, healthy, and tastes good!!! YES. My 5, 3 and 1 year olds all devour them, as do I. I LOVE that they take 5 mins to whip up and I feel good about every ingredient. I especially love the use of dates! THANK YOU!!!!
Love these muffins! I’ve made all the versions with apples, carrots, and zucchini! They are for sure a go-to in our house.
Currently 30 weeks pregnant and freezer meal prepping for baby’s arrival and these are on the list! How would you go about freezing them?
My 2 year old loved these and so did we. Love the ingredients and the flavor. Also, super easy to make all in the blender.
Thank you for this recipe; found it in a website aggregator, and now found your site & get your newsletter.
This is by the BEST muffin recipe, healthy, delicious, so easy as you only use a blender and your muffin tins. I have easily made these over 10 times & have shared them with several people. They are SO popular! Thank you!
This recipe is bland and not tasty at all. A fluffy muffin does come out of the oven, but it’s lacking in flavor. Perhaps butter instead of olive oil might be more flavorful. I only blended half of the apples then stirred in the rest to get some sort of texture in the muffin.