Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

Sweet apples and cinnamon come together to make perfect breakfast muffins! This one bowl, no mixer required recipe makes delicious Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins in record time!

I know I’m not the only one looking for simple breakfast items that I can heat-and-go with. Muffins + a protein item in the morning is one of my favorite breakfasts because it’s just so easy. Very honestly, muffins are perfect for any time of the year because they are so darn versatile. Need an extra something lightly sweet for the lunchboxes? Add an Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffin. Want something to go alongside your scrambled eggs or protein shake? Just add muffin(s). 

This recipe was inspired by one of my other favorite muffin recipes, my Peanut Butter, Banana and Oatmeal Muffins (which have chocolate chips in them, too!) For a super quick and balanced breakfast, an Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffin would pair perfectly with a few squares of my Healthy Egg White Frittata Bake!

Ingredients

This recipe calls for very basic muffin ingredients, plus some apples and applesauce and cinnamon for spice. For this recipe you will need:

• all purpose flour
• old-fashioned oats
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• baking powder
• baking soda
• eggs
• applesauce
• milk
• vegetable oil
• apple

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This recipe comes together in one bowl and you don’t need any fancy mixers to make them. Sometimes the best recipes are ones that we can whip up together with loved ones with just a rubber spatula and bowl. However, if you prefer to use a hand or stand mixer for this recipe, by all means, please feel free to do so. I love a shortcut as much as anyone, but wanted to show how simple these muffins are to make.

Baking purists will probably be angry at me for not mixing the wet ingredients all together before adding to the dry ingredients, but I promised the people a one bowl, no mixer needed recipe - and I will not break my promise! Plus, the muffins turn out really nicely and are so soft and apple-y. I used honeycrisp apples because they're my favorite, but feel free to use any apple that you prefer.

All ingredients get combined in a bowl and evenly spooned out into a greased muffin pan and then baked for 15 minutes.

Hint: this is my favorite muffin pan. The muffins always cook evenly and I haven’t had any burn yet, which isn’t the case with other brands of muffin pans.

Substitutions

This muffin base recipe that makes up these Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins is the same base that I used to make Peanut Butter, Banana and Oatmeal Muffins. It’s from the Better Homes and Gardens 16th Edition cookbook. That being said, I try not to substitute too willy-nilly and usually stick within the confines of what the cookbook says will be a good substitute. However, I have had success with lightening up baked goods with greek yogurt or applesauce in place of a higher calorie oil, like vegetable oil.

Unless you know a little bit about baking science or the effects a certain ingredient will have on the recipe, it’s best to stick to a tried and true recipe…or make a half batch and experiment with 6 muffins!

Variations

If Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins aren't your thing, I’m sure other fruits of a similar type would work well in this recipe. Pears, peaches, maybe even strawberries! If you know a flavor won’t mix well with the spices I included in my recipe, feel free to omit them! 

I don’t know how I’d feel about cinnamon + strawberries, so I would not use cinnamon in a strawberry muffin recipe. I might be inclined to add a little more vanilla, though!

Equipment

Although this recipe doesn't require any fancy equipment, it's best to make sure that you're using a muffin pan you truly love, or otherwise you're going to be disappointed when you make muffins. My favorite pan is a Wilton cupcake/muffin pan, and it's heavy enough to feel sturdy and evenly distributes the heat throughout the entire pan.

Each muffin puffs up beautifully and none are cooked more or less than the others, which is so important when baking muffins.

Storage

These muffins keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. These are my favorite Snapware glass containers I like to keep my baked goods in. I like to heat a muffin up in the microwave for a nice warm breakfast treat regardless of whether it was stored on the countertop or in the freezer.

These muffins also stand up well to freezing, and 30 seconds in the microwave from frozen warms up the muffin very well.

Top tip

Everyone’s ovens are going to be different - it is almost inevitable. However, you can make sure your oven is reaching the correct temperature by getting an oven safe thermometer that hangs on the metal rack. Sometimes ovens will supposed to be reaching 350°F and they either fall short or run a bit hotter than expected. 

Without fail, I always set my baking timer for about 3-5 minutes shorter than what the recipe calls for. This prevents over-baking, and has helped me know exactly when a recipe should be pulled from the oven. When in doubt, stick a toothpick in. If it comes out clean when it’s pulled back out, the baked goods are okay to come out of the oven to cool.