Apple Oatmeal Muffins
Unbelievably moist apple muffins made with oatmeal and whole wheat flour. Delicious and good for you, these muffins are great for fall breakfasts!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
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Baking on Saturday afternoons has become a weekly ritual. After working on my computer from my couch all week, I like to be up on my feet on the days in between. Reaching high for bags of flour, plucking spices from the rack, grabbing my camera and hopping up onto the chair for an overhead shot, trying not to step on Cookie on the way down—it’s a dance of sorts.
Pssst… I’ve created a newer apple muffin recipe that is my new favorite, so you might want to check it out!
I’m getting steadier in my steps and also in my substitutions. Following recipes to a T is not my forté. I find a concept I like and a recipe that seems prime for adaptation, and switch things up as I go along. I’m learning what to swap for what, what can be added freely and what must be compensated by a reduction in another ingredient.
A few weekends ago, I got to thinking about those glorious gala apples in my fridge and how badly I wanted to bake with them. I decided to make apple muffins—I envisioned hearty, moist oatmeal muffins studded with red-skinned apple bits and flecked with cinnamon. I skipped a trip to the UPS store and stayed home to bake.
I searched through my evernote account and came across this oatmeal blueberry muffin recipe by Joy the Baker. Her recipe called for apple sauce, which seemed like a perfect match for apple muffins. Joy called them “surprisingly moist and delicious”, and from a girl with “the utmost respect and admiration for butter and fat”, I knew I’d found a winner. Joy never steers me wrong.
I dialed up Ella Fitzgerald on my old iPod and commenced my Saturday baking ritual. I was out of regular milk so I couldn’t make buttermilk, but I did have leftover coconut milk. I squeezed lemon juice into the coconut milk like I would for buttermilk and it seemed to have a similar reaction.
It was a game day; I looked out the window and watched traffic build on Boyd Street. I traded the brown sugar for Muscovado sugar, which I had picked up the weekend before at West Side Market in Cleveland. I chopped apples while empathizing with Ella’s sad tomato, Hannah the busted Valentine. I sprinkled cardamom and ginger into the batter; slightly exotic spices seemed like a good match for coconut.
I divvied up the batter into my muffin tin as I noticed a steady stream of crimson-clad OU fans walking toward Campus Corner and the stadium. Game time approaching, it was time to sell parking. I set the timer and Cookie and I skipped downstairs. Twenty minutes later, I went upstairs and brought warm muffins down to my friends. They got thumbs up and approvals all around.
I found that the muffins tasted even better the next day. They’re pretty big muffins—not jumbo-sized like the processed muffin monstrosities you find at coffee shops—but big enough to eat for breakfast with peanut butter, coconut butter or apple butter. Mmm, butter.
I know that your kitchen may not be stocked with coconut milk, coconut oil and Muscovado sugar, so feel free to substitute with the ingredients in parentheses. But please, dance along to Ms. Fitzgerald’s sweet jazz as you bake. It’s an experience.
Apple Oatmeal Muffins
These apple muffins are wholesome and delicious. Recipe yields 1 dozen muffins. UPDATE: I’ve created a newer apple muffin recipe that is my new favorite, so you might want to check it out!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup light coconut milk with the juice of half a lemon (or low fat buttermilk)
- ½ cup packed muscovado sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or vegetable/canola oil)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 small Gala apples, chopped into small pieces
- turbinado (raw) sugar and nutmeg, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin wrappers or spray with nonstick cooking spray. My non-stick muffin tin works so well I didn’t need either.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
- In a medium bowl combine applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil, egg and vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in your applesauce mixture. Stir until just moist.
- Fold in the chopped apples. Fill muffin cups ⅔ to ¾ full.
- Sprinkle raw sugar and a light dusting of nutmeg on top of the muffins.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes. Since these muffins contain fresh fruit, they will spoil more quickly than regular muffins. Try storing them in the refrigerator if you don’t intend to finish them within a day or two, or store them in the freezer for longer-term storage.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker’s Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
My family doesn’t eat oats. do I just add that amount of flour?
I’m sorry, Liz, I haven’t tried so I’m not sure. I think you would want to use a bit less flour than oats.
Sounds like a great muffin combo!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It has become my go to recipe when I make muffins. I make mine using the substitutions, making my own buttermilk using skim milk and lemon juice, and make my own brown sugar using splenda and molasses. I make a double batch and freeze them.
Thanks, Jeanne! Glad to hear it!
Thank you for this super yummy recipe! I made these for an upcoming road trip and added 3/4 cup chopped walnuts to make them higher in protein for breakfast muffins. I also only used 1/4 cup brown sugar and added 1/4 tsp concentrated stevia powder (from the nutrition store-not the kind they sell in the baking isles of grocery stores) and used regular buttermilk. They came out moist and delicious. The spice mix you came up with is very nice…. good with apples and also I made a batch with blueberries both were fabulous. Definitely a go-to recipe. I can even imagine myself swapping out the apple sauce for pumpkin come fall. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Suzanne! :)
Wow, these are the best apple muffins I’ve ever had. I used homemade kefir for the buttermilk, otherwise as listed. I had 2 already and they’re not even cooled! And I can’t even tell the apples still have skins. Thanks for the seasonal recipe.
Thank you, Micheddy!
Very rarely do I comment on recipes, but I was in the mood for some healthy fall muffins and I ran across this recipe. Man, they hit the spot! So delicious!! And the house smells great as well. Thanks so much!
Thank you, Angela! I appreciate your comment!
I’ve just finished making those and they are delicious!!!I have issues about following a recipe without changing something,but I tried yours as it is! ;-) thnx again,perfect recipe.
Awesome! Thank you, Stacey!
These are very most and dense. Cooking with coconut oil usually has a pretty strong taste, but the flavor here was delicious warm apple and cardamon. I’ve made them several times and my family loves them. They are moist enough that I don’t have to apologize to my kids for making something entirely while wheat. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you, Suzanne!
I just made them and they came out quite nicely.
Substituted half a cup of oats for almond flour.
Wheat flour for coconut flour
Sugar for quarter cup of honey and a bit of stevia
Cup of applesauce for half cup of applesauce, half cup of coconut oil
The two tablespoons of coconut oil, I’ve replaced one tablespoon with butter. Just bc it improves the texture of the baking.
So definitely not the lowest calorie muffin I’ve made, but I’d say was worth it because it was pretty yummy <3
Thank you, Lily!
I live in a place where they don’t sell applesauce, and apples are expensive. Because of that, and making your own applesauce is a more work than I want to do right now, what do you recommend as a substitute? I know applesauce usually replaces oil, so oil could replace the applesauce, but that would be too much oil I think. How about plain yogurt?
Hi Teri, I think plain yogurt would be your best bet!
These turned out so yummy, only I felt guilty giving kids sugar for breakfast. Anyone tried these without any added sweeteners (only fruit)? Please let me know what you substituted that worked. Thank you. ❤️
This recipe is great without sugar too! I used 1/2 c dates, 1/4 c raisins, 1/4 c prunes in place of the sugar. Also used flaxmeal instead of regular egg. Instead of chopped apples, I used carrots. I added 1/3 c chopped walnuts too.
I used a food processor for the wet ingredients including dry fruit and carrots. I then added the combined dry items to the wet.
Kids (and hubby) approved!
Thank you, Gina! I’m glad your muffins turned out well.
Dear Kate,
Thanks very much! I loved this recipe. I made few substitutions (buttermilk – half yogurt, half milk and smashed oats) and covered with sugar, nutmeg and almonds. The texture is amazing.. And fluffy! Thanks for sharing! :)
Thank you, Graciely! Happy to hear it!
This is an excellent muffin especially for breakfast. Love love then.moist and great taste.
Thank you, Janice!
Made these last Sunday to have for breakfast throughout the week…they were a huge hit. My fiance and I love them; the perfect grab-n-go! So delicious and satisfying. I topped mine with some cinnamon sugar :) Thanks for sharing and looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Thank you so much for letting me know, Lauren! I hope you love the other recipes just as much.
Hi Kate,
My daughter and I have just made a double batch of these muffins and let me tell you, they are oh, so good! I altered a few things based on what I had in my pantry and what I ran out of halfway through, but they still worked so well. I used Granny Smiths instead of Gala apples as I didn’t have any, I didn’t have any cardamom, so I substituted cloves, and I ran out of applesauce (totally misjudged how much was left in the jar) and made up the difference with cranberry sauce. In fact, the applesauce component was probably 1/4 applesauce, 3/4 cranberry sauce, and my daughter was worried because she really doesn’t care for cranberries, but when we shared one to try it, between the muscovado sugar, the spices, and the apple, you can’t even taste the cranberry sauce. I also left off the topping because they seemed like enough of a sweet carb load without it, and they are definitely sweet enough for us. She has happily taken one packed in her lunch box to school and I plan to freeze half of what’s left and try and not gobble too many myself.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks, Renae! I’m so glad they worked out well for you.
I just made these with my children for breakfast: scrumptious. I added 1/2 tsp. extra of Cinnamon and used full fat coconut milk as that’s all I had on hand. I only chopped up one and a half apples since my six-month-old was ready for mommy’s undivided attention at this point in my baking session. Everything cooked nicely. I had to cook the muffins 22 minutes in total and they turned out splendid: moist and hearty. Thanks for another great muffin recipe. I think I will try your blueberry bran muffins next. I think I’ve almost baked them all!
I made it several times! Sometimes I added carrot, about 3/4 cup of blended with oil and egg (too lazy to shred), 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal, some chia seeds…
So good and healthy!!
Your website is my favorite for baking:)
Yum! Sounds delicious. Thanks, Rose.
I love this recipe. It’s full of everything I love-apples, oatmeal, warm spices. I find baking so relaxing but I should add some music to make it even more peaceful. Love all your recipes and so do my 2 kiddos!
So glad everyone loves these, Cassandra! I love a good album or podcast to complement my baking. I think you’d like it, too!
How long would you say that these keep? Sounds so yummy but I am making cakes for an event in 2 days time!
I think two days would be just fine! I can usually keep these guys in the fridge for about four days before the texture/flavor starts to degrade.
Hi Kate,
These muffins sound perfect and I’m very excited to make them? Could almond milk be subbed for coconut? Unfortunately, I’m not able to have either coconut or buttermilk. Thanks!
Hi Willa, so sorry for the delay. Yes, almond milk would work. I actually prefer my newer recipe for apple muffins here, if you’d like to work from that!
Fabulous! I made them for the guys at work and they devoured them!
That is great, Kerri! Thanks so much for your review.
I’m confused. Top of your Ingredients list, you have 36 minutes total prep time and 26 minutes of cook time, however, in #8 of your instructions you have 16-18 minutes of cooktime.
Carin, I’m sorry about that! I must have typed a “2” when I meant “1”. I’ve corrected the cook time to 16 minutes.
Can you omit the sugar?
I wouldn’t recommend it so they set well and for the taste. :) Is there a reason or concern with needing to cut the sugar?
Oh my God Kate!!! Best apple oatmeal muffins ever! Made them gluten free and just amazing. Wish I could send you pics of mine… Look like they’re from a specialty bakery. Made 4 doz. Lol
I’m so glad you liked them, Erica! Thanks for your review.
Thank you Kate for the wonderful recipes and most of all, if I may, for the wonderful pictures of Cookie. I love food and love dogs.
thanks
rose
Mine have been in the oven for 30 minutes and they are STILL raw in the middle. I’ve been over the recipe twice in my head and I’m pretty sure I didn’t mis measure any ingredients. My apples were pretty big so I only added 2/3. What could have gone wrong?
Hi Jessica. I’m sorry to hear that! Have you had troubles in the past with oven temp by chance? Did you over fill the cups? Or your apples could contain a lot of extra moisture.
Superscrumptious! Didn’t have applesauce so i used a tiny Apple and a banana mashed up together. Didn the coconut mill. Second time are in the oven now. And will make them again!
Hello
I can’t wait to make these Fabulous muffins. Thank you for the recipe.
Cookie is cute I have 6 pooches
I’ve made these for years and they’re a family favorite. This week my 10 year old had a zoom meeting with friends and the theme was to share their favorite baked good. My son knew immediately he wanted to make the apple muffins! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe that my son will always remember as “the best muffins”.
Added chopped walnuts! Love the added crunch!
Oh my goodness. You have changed my baking ritual. I usually listen to heavy metal, goth, etc. I decided to take your advice and listen to Ella Fitzgerald while baking and I’m smitten. I even put on my Grandma’s old apron. Thanks for the lift. :-)
Super good! “Dieted” them up a little using stevia brown sugar and only sprinkling the nutmeg on top. They came out great! Adding them in to our regular muffin rotation.
Thank you for a wonderful healthy muffin recipe.
Could the sugar be omitted
? Wanting to give to baby
Hi Ashley, Omitting the sugar will change the recipe and I don’t have specifics for you. Sorry!
Could I regular milk instead of coconut milk or buttermilk? I find it odd that people make comments outside of the recipe. The idea of reviews is to inform potential bakers of the end result.
Hi Alamrin, I suggest the recipe as written. But, you could try it. Just be sure to follow the lemon step in the milk as well.
Huge family hit! I used Bob’s Gluten Free baking flour mix, pear baby food puree instead of applesauce (had leftovers from my twins), and honey instead of brown sugar, and they were perfect. Baked them for 18 minutes without liners in a nonstick pan which helped them keep their shape better. Super great!
Omg these muffins are incredible. I normally don’t like any type of apple recipes, but I decided to give this a try since I had a few leftover apples. These are the perfect amount of sweetness! Will be making these again for sure.
I’m glad you tried these muffins and loved them! I appreciate your review, Katie.
Any suggestions if I wanted to use the updated apple muffin recipe but also include oatmeal?
Hi Jina, I would suggest following either recipe. Changing the recipe may impact results and I can’t say for sure without trying it myself.
Thanks Kate! I ended up making this one with grated apples and using Greek yogurt in place of the milk. It turned out great and have been put on notice that I need to make it again next week. Thanks for a great recipe and notes on both recipes- very helpful.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed them, Jina.
I made these with my two year old and they are as delicious as they are easy to make. I didn’t have buttermilk so I substituted with full fat plain yogurt. They are amazing!! Definitely going in the recipe book
I’m glad you liked this recipe and plan to get my cookbook! I hope you love it, Erica.
Hi these look great!
Do you know if they would work with coconut sugar? (All I have on hand right now)
Also would throwing in some ground flax affect the wet/dry ratio?
Thanks again!
Hi Robyn, these are best made as is. Changing the liquid to dry sugar would impact your results. I wouldn’t know without trying it.
I used apple cider for the liquid and walnut oil.
I added a tablespoon of ground flaxseed to add some body to the mix and used 2 apples so they were really chunky! Turned out hearty and delicious and not too sweet. I slipped the sugar topping altogether but I think a little brown sugar and butter and flour crumbling would have put these over the top.
Hey Thanks – it was actually a question about changing the brown sugar (in the recipe) to coconut sugar (so a dry to dry switch)
If you could let me know about that switch that would be awesome!
Thanks!
Followed the recipe exact. Personally it was not the right fit for myself or kids.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love these, Morgan. Thank you for taking the time to review.
Used greek yogurt instead of the lemon/coconut milk. Turned out great! Love the apples and spices, a healthy muffin perfect for a snack or breakfast. I added a little pecan streussel on top too and it gave it a nice crunch.
I’m happy you enjoyed these muffins, Aleks! I appreciate your review.
It is a delicious recipe, I tried it and its taste is awesome. My family members also like it. Thanks for sharing this post.
These muffins are so good! We loved them and they are healthy which is a bonus – thank you Kate!
You’re welcome, Mary!
Absolutely delicious! Will personally add more spice next time. I will be saving in my favorite baking recipes list. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Angela! I appreciate your review.
Super delicious, just sweet enough to satisfy. I added a cup of chopped nuts and half a cup of dried cranberries… YUM! I will definitely make this again.