Maple Apple Muffins

I bake muffins every weekend.  Then I stash them in the freezer and eat one each day at work.  This challenges me to make healthy ingredient substitutions, and also to keep trying new flavors!

Apple season is winding down at our local orchards, but there are still plenty of apples to be had.  I’m always on the lookout for a new muffin recipe, and this is my latest find.  Maple syrup and apples?  Yes please!  Oh, and oats.  Gotta love muffins with oats!

Promise me one thing: if you make these muffins, use real maple syrup.  The fake stuff is not worth your time.  Trust me on that.

Maple Apple Muffins
Adapted from Recipe Girl
Yield: 12 muffins and 12 mini muffins

1 1/3 cups flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups apples, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 400°.  Grease muffin tin with butter or line with papers.

Combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, combine buttermilk, applesauce, maple syrup, and egg.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Gently fold in the apples.

Spoon batter into muffin cups.  I filled up 12 muffin cups and had enough batter left over to make 12 mini muffins as well.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove from pan and place on cooling rack to cool completely.