Gimme Some Oven

(Healthier!) Apple Crumble Muffins

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

 

I don’t know about you, but often it seems that however I begin the day — with a healthy or not-so-healthy breakfast — can usually set the tone for how I continue eating the rest of the day. But since I’m not one to rise and shine any earlier than need be, and often end up having my hot tea and breakfast during my 25-minute commute to work, anything healthy in the “grab and go” category is always much appreciated!

So when I recently saw a recipe for these healthier apple crumble muffins — made with (mostly) whole-wheat flour, honey, yogurt, pecans, and some yummy crisp apples — I couldn’t wait to give them a try. I noticed that they also called for apple cider, so was excited to add in some from my first homemade batch from last week as well. :)

Not surprisingly, they turned out to be delicious! Definitely not quite as sweet and buttery as normal crumble muffins (that are often loaded with butter/oil and sugar), but I thought the healthier twist was still completely satisfying. I especially loved the crunchy pecans in the topping — delicious, and a perfect touch of protein to begin the day.

So cheers to having (at least part of) your apple-a-day for breakfast! Enjoy!

 

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

(Healthier!) Apple Crumble Muffins

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12-18 muffins 1x

Description

Whole-wheat flour, honey, yogurt, and toasted pecans make this delicious healthier apple crumble muffins recipe a crowd-pleaser !


Ingredients

Scale

Muffin Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unbleached whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup apple cider, store-bought or homemade
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 2 peeled, cored, apples (I used Granny Smith), diced to 1-cm cubes

Crumble Topping Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup pecans
  • 4 Tbsp. (half stick) cold butter
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar (feel free to use less)
  • 1/4 cup oats

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl combine each flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl mix egg, honey, yogurt, apple cider and butter. Pour liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. Gently fold in the sliced apples. Then scoop into pre-lined (or greased) muffin tins, filling until 2/3 full. Top with crumble topping (instructions below), and then bake muffins in a preheated 375 degree oven until golden, about 25 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Remove muffins from pan and cool completely.

Crumble Topping Instructions:

  1. In a food processor blend first five topping ingredients until it resembles a crumbly mixture. Add oats and pulse 2-3 times until just combined. Sprinkle each muffin with the crumble topping.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Friday Delights

 

Ali’s Tip:

If you’re like me, and can’t get through an entire batch right away, muffins also generally freeze very well! Then you can just pop a few out when you’re ready, and with a quick pop in the microwave to defrost, they’re ready to go in an instant!

Share this Post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

50 comments on “(Healthier!) Apple Crumble Muffins”

  1. Yumm! These look great. My favorite breakfast is Greek yogurt with fruit mixed in, today it was an apple :)

  2. Thanks for sharing a recipe with whole wheat flour!

  3. Those look amazing! Unfortuately I usually have to make do with dry cereal and a banana in the morning :(

  4. Will give these a try in my quest for decent tasting breakfast muffins. The apple cider might be the clincher. I normally eat boring old steel cut oats. :( A change would be nice!!!

  5. I’m always looking for healthy muffin recipes. I have a keeper recipe for pumpkin and for blueberry, but I am still auditioning apple ones. This one sounds wonderful, with the cider and cinnamon, yogurt and honey. Thanks!

  6. Really like the freeze and defrost tip!

  7. Apples baked into things are so delicious! These sound perfect to make and then stash in the freezer for quick healthy breakfasts every morning!

  8. Yum! These look delicious! I love when recipes call for some wheat flour or/and yogurt!

  9. Those look good, and I would have never thought you could freeze muffins! I seem to bake more than we’ll eat and then they get stale before I eat them! GREAT TIP!
    I usually like to start the day with yogurt and a little granola crunch sprinkled on the top!

  10. yum! those look great! my fav breakfast is homemade yogurt with multigrain cheerios! yummy!

  11. I’ve recently discovered what I call “apple pie oatmeal” for breakfast. I make up a bowl of regular oatmeal, then toss in some nutmeg, cinnamon, maple syrup, and chopped up apples. Stir, and eat. Yum! And really healthy too.

  12. I agree with you, breakfast sets the mood for the rest of the day’s meals! I tried to healthy-fy apple crumble muffins myself, but this looks healthier than my version, and yummy too! I’ll give it a try :)

  13. I love apple crisp with ice cream!

  14. A homemade latte and any variation of your scone recipe that I can think of. If I’m feeling healthy it’s fruit salad with plain yogurt and walnuts.

  15. Looks great! Favorite healthy breakfast that I have every morning- big bowl of oatmeal (whole oats) with brown sugar, a little coconut, pecans, flax, wheat germ, a cut up banana, and a splash of milk– then a bike ride to work to top off the healthy start to the day!

  16. These look like muffins I will love. I have the apples just waiting to be used, so I may set my alarm to get up a bit earlier in the morning to get them going.

  17. These make me wish that I was back in the Tuesday morning meetings with you. I bet you are bringing these in, aren’t you? I’m going to pretend that you’re not, so I’m not quite as depressed that I’m not there.

  18. Great recipe, I have loads of apples this year from my trees in my back yard, and I’m always looking for cool recipes that i can use them up with. This looks fabulous.
    *kisses* HH

  19. These look great! My everyday breakfasts are usually a little less fancy, but on weekends I love baking something for my husband and I to enjoy with our cofee.

  20. Oh these look great! My go-to morning breakfast is typically a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of kefir. But on those mornings when I’m running too late to even make oatmeal I bet these muffins would be a nice treat.

  21. These look great and so festive! Can’t wait to try them.

  22. First, this recipe sounds amazing. I love muffins, so this perfect for me. Today’s breakfast will be Special K with cinnamon pecans…….seems to be my go-to breakfast lately. Hmmmm, habits :). Now I want to be sitting on the beach eating a muffin!

  23. YUM! Those look really good. I like to have a wheat English muffin with peanut butter on it for breakfast!

  24. Can’t wait to try your recipe! Your muffins look delicious! Love baking muffins – even more when they are healthy!

  25. These look SO good! I’m going to make them form my son’s Fall Day party at school!

  26. These really could not look any more delicious!

  27. I’m all for a healthy breakfast! In the fall & winter, I enjoy a warm bowl of oatmeal (with just a bit of brown sugar sprinkled on top) to start the morning off.

  28. My favorite healthy breakfast? Oatmeal with raisins. Good, old-fashioned, oatmeal. The instant stuff in envelopes need not apply.

    Those muffins look great!

  29. they look delicious!

  30. These look so great – can’t wait to try them! One of my favorite healthy on-the-go breakfasts is chopped up apple (gala is my favorite) with a small handful of chopped almonds all atop a small bowl of low fat vanilla yogurt.

  31. My favorite way to begin the day is either a fruit & yogurt smoothie or granola with yogurt.
    These muffins look fantastic!

  32. These muffins look great! A favorite fall breakfast of mine is oatmeal with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and a little brown sugar mixed in.

  33. homemaid granola is hard to beat. these look yummy though!

  34. My favorite healthy breakfast is a veggie/tofu scramble that my hubby makes. But since that tends to take time…my alternative is lowfat plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey and some granola mixed in.

  35. mmm I love to begin my day with oatmeal…but i think i’ll have to make these muffins sometime to change it up! they still have oats in the topping so it counts, right? :)

  36. these look awesome!
    it’s true, healthy breakfast make all the difference and healthy muffins can be just as satisfying (if not more) as their butter-laden counterparts.
    I think I’m in the mood for a crumble topping myself!

  37. My favourite healthy way to start the day is with healthy french toast (omega-3 flaxseed bread covered with egg and a little cinnamon, fried with minimal vegetable oil) with soy milk =)

  38. I usually have some low fat yogurt and a banana, but these muffins might have to make an appearance!

  39. i’m excited to try to make some cider, it’ll be my first time! i usually end up with cereal for breakfast

  40. I ALWAYS drink a glass of milk in the morning. If it’s not a fresh muffin with fruit, it’s a bowl of Special K with red berries. My glass of milk is my energy drink!

  41. What a great idea!

    My favorite healthy way to start the day is to insist upon breakfast. We usually have homemade granola and plain yogurt to use as a backup, but I think variety is the spice of life!

  42. I’m not a very good morning person (unless of course it’s the kind where I had stayed up all night…) but lately it’s been some kind of omlette and a cup of coffee :) I really love muffins and these look so delish!!

    xo,
    Christen
    thekrumms@gmail.com

  43. They look great!

  44. Tasty!

  45. These Apple crumble muffins look wonderful my hubby might even eat them

  46. wow these look great! I’ll have to try making these and bring them to work (we’re mostly sugarholics, but I’d take these over a doughnut anyday!!)

  47. these look great! i’ll have to try them soon! i love breakfast

  48. Yum! I love things like this for breakfast. Very nice change from boring cereal!

  49. Ali,
    I needed to make massive quantities of muffins for an upcoming church event today. I made the above apple crumb mufins, medley muffins and muffadoodles. They were all delicious and healthy. I’m thinking the muffadoodles are not as healthy as the other two, but they were delicious as well.
    Thanks for the recipes.

    Debbie Allison