
Caution I’m no master baker, food blogger or photographer. I just like to eat and bake and if I can do it in a semi-healthy way, I’m all in. 😊
It’s that time of year for many of us – time to get creative with apples in abundance. I have a tried-and-true recipe for apple walnut bread – dating back to my foray into 4-H as a kid – and I figured it would work just as well if I made muffins, so I decided to bake a big batch and ‘health it up’ just a bit.
How? I used whole wheat flour and rather than PEEL and chop the apples, I just chopped them. What’s wrong with the extra fiber and a little ‘tooth’? Seems to complement the overall chewiness of these dense delights, along with the walnuts. But hey – you do YOU and change it up as you like. The recipe itself is pretty fool proof (yep, even for me).
- 3 cups flour (choose what you like – I used whole wheat, but I’ve made this recipe with almond flour with pretty good results – same for basic all-purpose and gluten free flour. I recall I needed to lighten up on the oil a little when I used almond flour, but other than that, it worked fine)
- 2 cups sugar (or – go ½ and ½ – 1 cup sugar and your choice of monk fruit, stevia and/or brown sugar)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon (pumpkin pie spice is awesome, too)
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- I cup vegetable oil (or go ½ and ½ and use ½ cup of applesauce to replace ½ of the oil – yum!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups finely chopped apples (peeled if you must – use Granny Smith if you’ve got ‘em)
- 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, sure, or pecans — or no nuts)
Mix the dry stuff in a big bowl. Separately whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla and combine with the dry stuff. Add the apples and nuts. This will be a thick batter – don’t worry if you need to thin it just a bit with some water.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so for muffins; more like 55 minutes if you’re doing loaves. Makes 2 dozen muffins, or two small loaves.
The batch in the photo is from earlier this morning. I love when I can load up my favorite vintage breadbasket with something fresh and wholesome. That sweet wicker serving piece has been in the family for at least 80 years – passed down from hubby’s granny to his mom…and happily, to me.
So – here’s to Monday and the magic of muffins. If I could, I’d send you a few. Let’s figure out how to share via the blogosphere. If not the actual muffins, maybe the aroma, at least? Not gonna lie; our house smells pretty good right now. 😉
xo,
-Vicki ❤
Yum, I can practically smell them from here, Vicki. Thanks for the great idea of what to do with extra apples! Enjoy your MMM!
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xoxoxoxox!
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Loving that wicker basket being in the family for 80 years. As for the muffins, they look delish AND pretty! I also have to say I loved the part about mixing the dry “stuff” in a bowl. That’s my kind of baking lingo. 😆 And… I’ll have to try this with almond flour and monk fruit. Thank you for sharing this!
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Thanks, Kendra. I’m not a fancy baker…thanks for appreciating that – I’m all for keeping it simple but I DO love watching ACTUAL bakers on tv. Wow. Artists, I think. Definitely “stuff”😉 I couldn’t do! xo!
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I loved the “dry stuff” too… my kind of cooking, keeping it simple and straightforward. Those look delicious!! I’ll have to give them a shot with fall right around the corner. YUM! 😋
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Thanks so much…and I agree…the ‘folksier’ the baking directions, the better. Otherwise, I won’t do it! 😉 xo!
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And now…I’m hungry.
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LOL! Wish I could share! 😉
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Muffin Mondays now that sounds like a way to make Monday’s something to celebrate! Hmm, I might have to steal that idea. Now to get up early to make the muffins? Hmm, may have to rethink that one. Muffins Friday, okay now that’s even better. Ha, ha, thanks for the idea! I’ll let you know how it works out next Monday.
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LOL – maybe muffins any day with a “y” in it??!! 😉😉😉
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Okay, I’m on board with that one!
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