Healthy Apple Crisp Muffins- no oil, no sugar, no dairy, no flour!

These healthy Apple Crisp Oatmeal Muffins are made without flour, dairy, sugar, or oil and they turned out so well! My family ate the whole batch in less than 2 days!!!! Store bought muffins are often full of sugar and oil and I love that these are sweetened with honey and made with healthy whole grain oats.  They are packed full of nutrients, fibre and protein which make them a great addition to breakfast or for a snack on the go.

Here is what makes these Apple Crisp Oatmeal Muffins a little more nutritious:

• Toasted oatmeal replaces bleached white flour. (Use oats labeled gluten-free for healthy gluten-free muffins.)
• Bananas/applesauce keep the muffins moist instead of the usual oil or butter.
• A bit of honey sweetens the recipe instead of refined white sugar.

These can also be made gluten free by using gluten free oats and the best part is, you can customize the batter to make your favourite muffin flavour! I used chopped apple and cinnamon for this batch but adding zucchini is also a great way to sneak in those extra veggies.

I added a crumb topping to mine which my kids absolutely loved. The extra crunch really add another layer of deliciousness. You can omit this however if you prefer!

This is one of my all time favourite muffin recipes as you can get creative and switch up your favourite add ins depending on what you are craving!Here are some optional add ins as well as the recipe below:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries *Tip-I keep mine in the freezer until the very end when I’m ready to add them to the batter, then I rinse them in cold water and pat dry.  This will keep them from turning your batter blue or purple!
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup zucchini and 1/2 cup apple
• 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Apple Crisp Oat Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats ( 2 cups ground, 1/2 cup whole)
• 2 Tbsp old-fashioned oats for muffin tops (unless adding crumb topping-see below for ingredients and recipe)
• 3 large overripe bananas (1.5 cup mashed or or 1.5 cup applesauce- I used applesauce)
• 1 cup finely chopped apples (or your favourite mix in: you can get creative here!)  *Note- if adding zucchini squeeze excess water before adding
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 2 tsp real vanilla
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• muffin tin

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place oats on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, stirring once (about 4 to 6 minutes). Do not let these get too toasted! Then cool to room temperature. *Note-If you are in a hurry you can skip this step, however the toasting adds flavour!)
2. Divide oats into portions of 2.5 cups and 2 Tbsp
3. Turn oven heat up to 350 degrees.
4. Place 2.5 cups of oats in a food processor and blend/pulse until they reach a flour like consistency.
5. Add apple sauce to a separate bowl OR mashed banana (there should be no lumps so mash well).
6. Add eggs, honey, milk and vanilla. Mix to combine.
7. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl (blended oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon)
8. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
9. Fold in chopped apples.
10. Scoop into muffin tin, lined with muffin wrappers (makes 12 muffins).
11. Sprinkle muffin tops with the 2 Tbsp of reserved oats or crumb topping (see recipe below) and press lightly to make sure they stick.
12. Bake at 350 degrees celcius for about 20 -23 minutes, a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean.

Optional Oat Crumb Topping-

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cups room melted coconut oil or butter- add an extra 1-2 tbsp if your mixture seems too dry once mixed.
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans *optional
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Whisk the coconut oil and honey together until smooth. Place the rolled oats, pecans, almond meal, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the coconut oil and honey mixture; stir until combined. Add your mixture to the top of the muffins just before putting them in the oven.

2. Enjoy!!

xo Chelsea