"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!



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: