Healthy Apple Cinnamon Oat Muffins

Healthy muffins for fall! These delicious apple cinnamon oat muffins are an easy, high fiber snack you’ll crave weekly. You’ll also love my gluten-free pumpkin bread, blender banana muffins, and protein baked oats.

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Are you resisting all the cinnamon apple treats this fall because you’re working on your health?

You don’t have to with these easy and healthy apple cinnamon oat muffins! Made with whole wheat flour, oatmeal, and skin-on apples, these incredible muffins are packed with fiber and nutrition.

And because I’m a dietitian, I designed these to be lower in sugar and fat than other recipes, too.

This nourishing muffin recipe is straightforward and super easy to make. If you want a sweet, warming, cozy muffin recipe that’s also good for your body, you’re in the right place!

Why you’ll love apple cinnamon oat muffins

Fiber: Each muffin has 3 grams of dietary fiber for digestion, satiety, and heart health.

Bood sugar balance: These muffins have less sugar than traditional recipes to help balance your blood sugar.

Warming and delicious: Apple and cinnamon make the perfect cozy flavor combination for fall.

Easy: This recipe is quick and easy to make — minimal cooking skill required!

Calorie-friendly: Each muffin has less than 200 calories to support your weight loss goals.

What makes these muffins healthy?

• We swapped white flour for a mix of whole wheat flour and oats for more fiber and better blood sugar benefits.
• This recipe has half the sugar of many other apple muffin recipes.
• There’s a small amount of butter in these for fewer calories and less saturated fat.

Don’t worry — these apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins are healthy, but they don’t taste it! We rigorously test recipes to make sure they actually taste good.

Ingredient notes

Whole wheat flour: Use all-purpose whole wheat flour for whole grains and dietary fiber.

Quick oats: I’d recommend using quick oats, not rolled oats or instant oats. The type of oatmeal used in this recipe can impact the texture and moisture, so I wouldn’t recommend any swaps!

Baking powder and baking soda: These work together to help the muffins rise and get fluffy.

Cinnamon and salt: We used a generous amount of cinnamon and a pinch of salt for a satisfying spice and flavor balance.

Melted butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter, but you could totally use salted. It just depends on what you have and whether you like that sweet-and-salty taste! Feel free to substitute the butter with olive oil or avocado oil for a healthier fat choice.

Packed brown sugar: I used dark brown sugar in this recipe because I like the deeper flavor. This recipe has not been tested with liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup.

Eggs: Eggs help bind the muffins together so they keep their shape and structure. I haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs, but they’re usually a good substitute.

Vanilla extract: I like to go heavy on the vanilla in baking recipes, so we’re using a full two teaspoons. Feel free to use vanilla paste if preferred.

Milk: I use low fat dairy milk, but you can substitute whatever you have available.

Apple: Use any baking apple and chop it nice and small! I recommend keeping the skin on for extra fiber and nutrition.

What’s the best apple for baking?

There are so many great apples that will work in this recipe!

I used a honeycrisp apple — but braeburn, fuji, cortland, empire, golden delicious, and granny smith work too. You’re looking for any apple that will stay in tact in baking. Here’s more information to help you choose the right apples for baking.

How to make apple cinnamon oat muffins

Position oven rack to the middle and pre-heat to 350 F.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper or silicone liners. Set aside.

To a large bowl, add flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk and set aside.

To a separate large bowl, add melted butter and brown sugar. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and milk, and whisk until combined.

Add dry ingredients and chopped apples to wet ingredients. With a large wooden spoon or spatula, mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.

Scoop batter into muffin liners, distributing evenly.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 18-25 minutes, or until tops are set and a toothpick placed in the center comes out mostly clean. Be careful not to over-bake these or they could dry out.

Let muffins cool in the pan for 15-minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature before eating.

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• 12-cup muffin pan
• Silicone muffin liners
• Glass mixing bowls

How to store apple cinnamon oat muffins

Let your muffins cool to room temperature before storing.

Store in a sealed bag or airtight food container for up to three days on the counter.

To keep them fresh longer, store in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost on the counter overnight.

Can I refrigerate these muffins?

You can store these muffins in the fridge, but I wouldn’t recommend it! They get more dry and a bit tough in the fridge, so it’s best to freeze them or keep at room temperature.

If you do refrigerate these muffins, gently warm them in the microwave before eating.

Dietary restrictions

Dairy-free: Substitute butter for vegan butter or olive oil, and use a plant-based milk.

Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free flour blend instead of whole wheat flour.

No eggs: Use flax eggs instead of regular (this might make your muffins more crumbly).

Top tips to make the best apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins

• Don’t over-stir! Over-working your batter will make your muffins tough.
• Don’t bake for too long. Watch your muffins and remove them from the oven as soon as they’re ready. Baking these for too long will make for a tough and dry muffin.

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