"Apple Trinity" Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

One of the top internet searches that lead people to my blog is "apple cinnamon muffins", and it lands people on this recipe from 2010. I have made several changes to the recipe since I published it two years ago. The main difference is that instead of using a mild Golden Delicious apple, I now use a tart and *KAPOW* Granny Smith. Also, instead of making them with non-dairy milk, I now make them with unsweetened apple juice, and the addition of unsweetened applesauce makes it a perfect apple trinity!



They are like little morsels of Autumn! The Granny Smith really makes these muffins extra special and appley, and that crunchy topping is such a treat. I am submitting this recipe to Ricki's Wellness Weekend event.

"Apple Trinity" Apple-Cinnamon Muffins (makes six muffins)

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp turmeric (for color, optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/3 inch squares
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp almond extract, optional
2 tbsp ground flax seeds*
1/2 cup light brown sugar**

For the nutty topping:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with six paper liners and spray each one with cooking spray.

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, turmeric, and salt. Throw in the diced apple and mix well.

3. In a small sized mixing bowl, whisk together the apple juice, oil, applesauce, almond extract, flax seeds, and brown sugar.

4. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the dry ingredients and gently fold until all ingredients are just incorporated. Spoon the fairly thick batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each three-quarter full or all the way full if you like big muffin tops. The batter should not be very runny at all, but if you find that it is crumbly and it's not coming together, add a tablespoon or two of apple juice until you can work with it.

5. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts evenly on each muffin top and gingerly press the nutty bits down so that they won't fall off the muffins after they're baked. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle all over the muffin tops.

6. Bake for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. My oven bakes these en exactly 22 minutes.


Notes:

* I like using golden flax seeds for light colored baked goods, but you can definitely use regular flax seeds instead. If you want to skip the flax seeds you can replace them by adding two extra tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredient mix. They're really only there to give them a tiny Omega-3 boost.

* I make my own light brown sugar by mixing 1/2 cup of ground turbinado sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of molasses.

Let's take a look inside!

Trinity Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I have made these so many times! Last time I made them (first picture) I didn't realize I was out of pre-chopped walnuts before we went grocery shopping, but I did have a bag of whole nuts in the pantry which I had to crack open with my kitchen scissors. I am used to cracking nuts this way, but only a few at a time as a snack. This was an epic walnut-cracking session! Needless to say, I have added a nut cracker to my Christmas wishlist. At least Mr. Wing-It got to appreciate my sexy walnut-cracking face. Too bad you guys missed it, but it looked something like this:


Kitteh via Cheezburger.com


Comments

  1. Yum! You can't ever have too many apples in something!

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    1. I couldn't have said it better myself, Shannon! :)

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  2. I think the kitty might be cracking walnuts with her teeth.

    These are very sexy muffins, no doubt related to the walnut cracking. (Don't take that the wrong way, please.) Seriously, the muffins sound great, and they look perfect. I wonder if they will look that good if I make them.

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    1. I think you might be right about the kitty! Yes, I know your muffins would look and taste absolutely fabulous! :)

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  3. Hahaha aw kitty cracking face! These do look like fantastic muffins. Beautiful job! muffins are pretty much the only baking I do these days.

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    1. Thanks! The kitty cracking face cracks me up every time I see it! See what I did there? It cracks me up? Hahaha*snort*haha*snort* :D

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  4. They look lovely! (And great inside shot). As you may know, I am not a cat fan, but. . . that face!!! It actually looks happy, so I guess you really enjoyed crackking those nuts. ;-)

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    1. Thanks, Ricki! You are not a fan of cats or winter, and I am a big fan of both! :D

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  5. Oh wow, what a crumb! It looks so perfect. You really shouldn't have made such a big photo. It makes me way too hungry. Where's my muffin?

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    1. I wish I could send you a muffin! And a tiny little one for little Miss F! :)

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  6. I'm a sucker for a good, crunchy muffin topping, and I won't argue with the apple cinnamon inside, either. These look delicious! I do assume that the epic walnut-cracking session was well worth it!

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    1. The epic walnut-cracking session was indeed well worth it! I might have eaten a few nuts during the process too, you know, for quality control :D

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  7. That sounds awesome! Love that you cooked with apple juice!

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    1. Even though I am not a fan of it as a beverage, apple juice is awesome for cooking and baking!

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  8. Hiya! Does the rate of updating your portal depend on some thing or you work on articles when you have an inspiration or free time for that? Waiting forward to hear your answer.

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    1. Hi! Actually this blog is getting ready to go into hypersleep soon. It happens every year when Mr. Wing-It and I hit the road. But when I'm home I like to blog frequently. Every year I miss blogging while we're travelling! :)

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