Spiced Apple Streusel Muffins

By Michelle Smith of the Whole Smiths

Is there anything nicer than waking up to a warm muffin on a cool morning? Well besides the smell wafting through the house as it bakes? I think not.

I don’t do a lot of baking in the summer time for obvious reasons, but come fall I love the process of baking. And did I mention the yummy smells it leaves behind in it’s wake?

I also feel that baking is a great way to get children involved in the kitchen at an early age. Typically baking involves a lot of pouring and mixing, things children are great at! And they are ALWAYS excited to try the final product. My kids favorite part is always pressing the buttons on our Blendtec and watching everything they just added “whirl” up into a delicious creation. It’s to the point now that we have to enforce the taking-turns-pushing-the-buttons rule.

My kiddos had a blast helping me make these Apple Streusel Muffins! And eating them of course.

So often times however, I feel there’s not much of a difference between a cupcake and a muffin other than frosting. Don’t get me wrong, I love a double chocolate chip muffin but the truth of the matter is it seems more like a dessert to me than a way to start your morning.

With that being said, I wanted to clean up this recipe a bit and not feel so guilty indulging in it first thing in the morning. Especially if I’m feeding it to my kids before school. First, I replaced traditional flour with coconut flour. Coconut flour is a great gluten-free alternative that contains more fiber, less digestible carbohydrates and less sugar and has a low score on the glycemic index. It’s also a great nut-free alternative for those looking for a gluten-free alternative other than almond flour.

I also removed all refined sugars and used natural sweeteners like maple syrup and a bit of coconut sugar in the topping. This also means there’s going to be a lot more flavor in these little baked goods than if they were just loaded up in traditional sugar. I’m thinking the kids’ teachers are most appreciative of this!

I can promise you that if you make these for your family and friends that they won’t even know it’s a healthier version of your traditional muffin! It’s always important to me that if I’m going to make a healthy version of our favorite treats that it needs to be just as satisfying as the original. And I think these Apple Streusel Muffins accomplish just that!

Spiced Apple Streusel Muffins

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil
3 apples peeled, diced, and divided
¾ cup coconut flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
3 eggs
½ cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup coconut sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line muffin tin with paper muffin liners.
3. Heat a pan on medium heat. Add coconut oil.
4. Once hot add diced apples and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to pan. Cook until apples are tender and set aside.
5. Add coconut flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and pinch of salt to your Blendtec WildSide+ jar and secure lid. Blend on low speed until ingredients are incorporated.
6. Add in wet ingredients; eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla to jar and secure lid. Blend on low until batter is smooth.
7. Add in ½ of sauteed apples and Pulse 1-2 to incorporate into batter.
8. Fill muffin liners 2/3 of the way with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Meanwhile add pecans and coconut sugar to remaining apples in pan. Heat on low and stir until coconut sugar is dissolved.
10. Once muffins are done, remove and set on a cooling rack. Top with additional apple topping.