Apple Cinnamon Muffins (gluten-free)

I love to entertain. Even in the tiny shoebox of an apartment we live in, I love having visitors over and always do my best to give them special treatment.

This past weekend, when my friend Eric came to visit, much to my husband’s delight I treated them to some organic garlic parmesan chicken (paired with a gluten-free vegan side, of course) for dinner upon arrival,  and I knew I wanted to have something for the hungry sleepy boys to have while I typed away at the coffee shop the next morning.

I started brainstorming recipes. I wanted it to be something I could enjoy as well, but pleasing a palate not so used to my healthy wheat free low sugar treats would be a challenge. I had half a bag of apples in my fridge, so I decided pretty quickly I would use them in some sort of a breakfast treat. Muffins are always a good standby but I knew I needed the perfect recipe to  “hide the healthy,” so to speak.

So not surprisingly, I turned to my favorite Gluten Free Goddess for inspiration. With little searching I came upon a delightful looking recipe for apple cinnamon muffins. There were only a few slight problems with the recipe; I didn’t have all the ingredients listed, including some of the flours and one quite important ingredient: applesauce.

I didn’t have applesauce, but I did have apples, I thought… So I made applesauce! Unfortunately two apples didn’t cut it for the original recipe, but with a few tweaks I was able to come up with a beautifully shaped, moist, sweet muffin with a low amount of added sugar, packed with nutrient-filled apples and healthy fats that I knew would be pleasing to even the most discerning of tastes.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Adapted from Gluten Free Goddess

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose baking blend
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup natural applesauce (see recipe below)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup natural cane sugar, additional if desired
1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 flax egg (or 1 whole egg)
1/4 cup milk of choice
1 1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (through allspice) well.

2. Whisk applesauce, oil, sugar, honey/agave, vanilla, flax egg and milk. Add wet ingredients to dry, mix until just combined. Stir in apples and walnuts.

3. Spoon batter into a greased or lined muffin tin, filling 3/4 of the way. Top with sprinkle of cane sugar if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes until just golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

To make applesauce:
Peel and dice 2 medium apples into small cubes. In a small saucepan, add 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add apples, 1/2 tbsp sugar and a pinch of cinnamon, stir and cover. Cook on low for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples have softened. Remove and mash or puree. Use as desired! (Makes about 1/2 cup sauce)

There’s nothing like a warm muffin on a cool late winter morning. Paired with a cup of tea, these beauties are the perfect “feels naughty”  healthy breakfast treat.

Do you struggle with cooking for guests that don’t have the same healthy taste as you? What are your go-to recipes? As always, I love links!

xo

Tagged as: baked good, breakfast