OH MY GOODNESS ME! These vegan apple cinnamon muffins are the quintessential autumn treat during apple picking season. They fill my kitchen with that wonderful warm-your-heart-and-soul sweet aroma! They are filled with apples —and really, you can make this recipe with just about any variety of apples you have on hand, just as long as they come to 2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated. They have no added sugar: their perfect sweetness,not too much (!), comes from the apples and the chopped medjool dates. They have a very light texture: I use white whole wheat flour to achieve that airiness while keeping the rich fiber content (the apples and flax meal also help of course!) and they are rich in healthy mono-unsaturated and omega 3’s fatty acids. This recipe requires a little more work than my typical Cuisinicity throw-everything-together recipes, but it is so worth it!
I love to serve them with a little dollop of organic apple butter for the perfect touch on a leisurely autumn Sunday morning!
Apple Muffins (Vegan)
Ingredients
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Wet Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp flax meal + 7 Tbsp water
- 1 cup organic expeller-pressed canola oil*
- 8 medjool dates pitted and chopped
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups grated unpeeled apples packed (about 3 medium apples depending on the variety)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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In a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons flax meal and 7 Tbsp water. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
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Sift flour, cinnamon and baking powder together in a bowl and set aside.
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Place the chopped dates, oil, thickened flax meal and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat well until thoroughly mixed.
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Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well again (it will be thick and that’s OK!).
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Add the grated apples (with their "juice”) to the bowl and beat again until well combined.
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Line 2 muffin baking pans with 20 paper liners and spoon the batter in each so that each is 2/3 full.
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Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Thank you for this . I am new and was listening to your husband on the Real Truth conference and he pointed out to your site . I am excited to try your recipes and can’t wait to start , I was looking for something like this ….
Two question : Can i use Avocado oil vs Canola ?
also , I am nut free , so for your other recipes what do you recommend for sunstitue for nuts ? thanks much and I am beyond excited !
Thank you Bethie and welcome to the Cuisinicity table! I absolutely love avocado oil, both for its nutritional value and for its fruity flavor but I usually only use it for dressing not for baking, mostly because it is quite expensive for most people and also becuase extra virgin olive oil and organic cold pressed canola oil are just right, both nutritionally and delicious-wise. As for substituting nuts, I am not sure, it depends what particular recipes you are referring to as each is different with regard to the emphasis on nuts and I may be able to substitute for some but not others. So, if you encounter a particular recipe you’d really like to try, let me know and I will try to come up with a subsititute for you!!
Will I get the same results if I substitute applesauce for the oil? I’m plant-based. Tks.
Hi Jeanne, I don’t know the answer to your question because I have never tried. The oils I use are plant-based, and I have written about why I like to use them in my baking and cooking here: https://cuisinicity.com/verdict-canola-oil/
Dear Catherine,
Now your super yummy muffins will have an extra special emotional significance for our family: I had just baked a big batch of them, since I wanted my older daughter to have her favorite breakfast while my husband and I were in hospital for the birth of our second daughter , when my water broke. I took my older one to bed, then grabbed half the batch of muffins and my clinic bag, got grandma for my older daughter and went of to the clinic. Your muffins sustained me thru the three day wait for real labor (supplementing so so hospital food) and right through labor. They gave me the extra energy I needed for the birth of my wonderful baby girl, without crowding my stomach . Thank you so much for this now very, very special and yummy recipe .
OH MY GOODNESS Sibylle, this has GOT TO BE THE BEST comment I have ever gotten!!! I am beyond touched to have been a small part of such a wonderful special moment in your life!!!! CONGRATULATIONS WONDERFUL MAMA!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Will I get the same results if I substitute applesauce for the oil? I’m plant-based. Tks.
Your comments are helpful and I appreciate that you reply to the readers. That is love. While I prefer to grind my own grains, we do use Bobs from time to time. I will pop you a note when we make these.
Oh my goodness Jill, what a lovely and kind comment! For you, I am only too happy to respond!! 🙂 Looking forward to your trials with Bob’s red mills! 🙂
Hi Catherine, I am new to your recipes but am a foodie/nutrition zealot. I am eager to try your recipes but wondered if you had any feedback from celiac folks on 1:1 gluten free flours with your recipes. Oh. I love sweetening with dates too. Yuma Az has some of the best Medjool dates.
Thank you Jill! I know that Bob’s red Mills has a great gluten free flour but I have never tried it with any of my recipes because gluten is not an issue for our family. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work 1:1 with the flours that I recommend on my recipes and I would LOVE to know if you try, what the results are. I think they will be just fine! 🙂 Meanwhile, do take a look at some of the recipes I have that have no gluten and that you may love, just the way I wrote them. I hope this was helpful! 🙂
Yes, it was helpful and I appreciate that you take such time to respond to folks. That is love. I like to blend my own grains usually but also use Bobs from time to time. I will write back when we try them. Too bad I missed peach season especially living in Georgia!
Sounds great except for the whole wheat flour and the canola oil. Really, canola oil? Not good. Not healthy. I will try to find subs for those two unhealthy ingredients.
Hi Wendy,
For my very clear position on canola oil, read this article: https://cuisinicity.com/verdict-canola-oil/. And unless you are gluten-sensitive, whole wheat flour is nutritious and healthy. Reading this article will inform you: https://cuisinicity.com/wholesomeness-grains/
Ooooh…..!! I love eating this way for breakfast! Not too sweet, easy to make and full of fresh autumn apples.
Yay, Julie! I knew you would my beautiful friend!:)
Dear Catherine,
These were a big hit last night / this morning at our house. My 3 year old helped me make them (eating a whole appel or two in the process). She already ate 3 straight from the oven (after pizza dinner). Now this morning she had one for breakfast.
They work with silicone animal muffin forms fairly well too ;-). so we had butterfly, star and teddy bear muffins.
Thanks for the great recipe. Easy, fast, full of goodness and very, very, very yummie!
Sibylle
AWWWWW Sybille I LOVE LOVE LOVE your note!!!! Every little detail, from the extra apple or 2 that your sweetie munched on while helping you prepare them, to the little teddy bear shape!! Thank you so much! 🙂
Catherine,
We made your muffins again today. I had some walnuts and juice infused cranberries (no sugar added) out for snack and threw some into half of the muffin dough. They turned out very yummy too. I think I will always add some walnuts from now on. The muffins are one of my three year olds favorite breakfasts (apart from your chocolate power shake). Thank you so much for your great recipes!
Sibylle
sound delicious. Will have to try these