Apple Cinnamon Muffins

These Apple Cinnamon Muffins pair perfectly with a warm cup of tea on a cold day. Granny Smith apple chunks give a pop of tartness, and leaving the skin on adds fiber. Throw in some warm cinnamon, apple pie spice and applesauce, and you get the perfect fall flavor combo. Low-carb and gluten-free almond and coconut flours bring a subtle nuttiness, while dark brown sugar adds a hint of toffee flavor. These muffins are just the right balance of sweet and tart and come out of the oven with a beautiful crisp exterior and moist interior. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to ensure a moist, tender muffin.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

• One way to ensure moist, tender muffins is to not overmix the batter. You’re just folding the batter until the ingredients are combined.
• Use a ¼-cup measure to scoop the batter for the muffin tins. This makes it easier to evenly portion out the batter and prevent overfilling (and a subsequent mess in your oven).
• You can use a loaf pan instead of muffin tins. Once baked, slice the loaf, toast it and enjoy with butter. If you want to add a cinnamon swirl, add half the batter to the loaf pan and sprinkle it with brown sugar streusel. Cover it with the remaining batter and swirl it with a butter knife. Bake the loaf until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• For some extra crunch and flavor, you can add nuts, chocolate chips or your favorite add-ins to the batter or on top.

Nutrition Notes

• Apples might seem like an unassuming fruit, but they’re loaded with antioxidants shown to protect your heart and brain. Leave the skin on for the greatest benefits—and to get all the gut-loving fiber that apples have to offer.
• Almond flour is simply finely ground blanched almonds. The blanching removes the almond skin. Because it’s made from only almonds, this flour is higher in heart-healthy fats, fiber and protein than whole-wheat flour. And it’s gluten-free.