Start your day the delicious way with these incredible Apple and Granola Breakfast Muffins! Each bite is a symphony of flavors and textures, featuring the luscious sweetness of juicy raisins and sweet dates, perfectly complemented by the tart freshness of apples and the delightful crunch of hearty granola. These muffins boast a wonderfully soft, fluffy, and moist crumb that makes them an irresistible addition to any breakfast spread. They’re also fantastic as a wholesome, healthy snack to enjoy on their own, anytime you need a pick-me-up.
What makes this recipe truly special is its remarkable simplicity and speed. You won’t need any fancy equipment; all the mixing comes together effortlessly by hand in just one bowl. This means less mess and more time to savor your freshly baked treats. Furthermore, these muffins are thoughtfully sweetened primarily with natural dates, making them a much healthier and lower-sugar alternative compared to many other muffin recipes you might find. They offer all the satisfying sweetness without the unnecessary sugar load, allowing you to indulge guilt-free.
Why These Apple Granola Muffins Are a Must-Try
As apple season hits its peak, there’s no better time to embrace the abundance of this versatile fruit. This recipe provides another fantastic way to utilize fresh apples, alongside other favorites like Apple Crumble Cupcakes. The classic combination of apples and cinnamon evokes a comforting warmth, filling your kitchen with an aroma that’s simply irresistible. Beyond their inviting scent, these homemade apple cinnamon muffins offer a truly wholesome and delightful experience.
The addition of granola is a game-changer in this recipe. It not only integrates beautifully into the muffin batter, adding a delightful texture throughout, but it also creates an irresistible, super crunchy topping that provides a wonderful contrast to the soft interior. The dates and raisins are not just about sweetness; they are excellent natural sources of energy and dietary fiber, contributing to a feeling of fullness and sustained vitality. By leveraging their natural sugars, we achieve a perfectly sweet muffin without needing excessive refined sugar, making these nutritious breakfast muffins a smart choice for a balanced diet.
The Perfect Breakfast or Snack Solution
Life can be hectic, and finding time for a nutritious breakfast often feels like a challenge. That’s where these quick apple granola muffins truly shine. Prepared in under an hour, with minimal fuss, they become your go-to solution for busy mornings. Bake a batch on Sunday, and you’ll have delicious, ready-to-eat breakfasts or healthy snacks for the entire week. Their portable nature makes them ideal for packing into lunchboxes, taking to work, or enjoying after a workout. They strike the perfect balance between convenience, flavor, and health, making them a staple in any kitchen.
Moreover, the versatility of these muffins extends beyond just breakfast. They can be served as a delightful accompaniment to an afternoon tea, a satisfying treat for school-age children, or even a light dessert. The combination of fruit, whole grains from the granola, and natural sweetness means you’re providing your body with good fuel, rather than empty calories. This recipe isn’t just about making muffins; it’s about crafting a delightful, health-conscious treat that brings joy and comfort to any part of your day.
Ingredients for Your Delicious Apple & Granola Muffins
Crafting these easy apple cinnamon muffins requires just 12 simple ingredients, most of which you likely already have in your pantry. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to create a batch of these delectable muffins:
- Dry Ingredients: Self-raising flour, golden caster sugar, ground cinnamon, your favorite granola, sweet dates, and plump raisins.
- Wet Ingredients: Extra-virgin olive oil, fresh milk, tangy buttermilk, large eggs, pure vanilla extract, and crisp apples.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Flour Alternatives: If you don’t have self-raising flour on hand, you can easily substitute it with plain flour. Simply mix 300g of plain (all-purpose) flour with 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder to achieve the same leavening effect.
- Sweetener Choices: While golden caster sugar is a wonderful choice for its delicate flavor and fine texture, you can certainly use white caster sugar, granulated sugar, or even brown sugar for a richer, more caramel-like note. All will yield delicious results.
- Apple Varieties: I often opt for Granny Smith apples in this apple muffin recipe because their tartness provides a fantastic balance to the sweetness of the dates and raisins. However, feel free to use any apple variety you prefer or have on hand. Sweet apples like Fuji or Gala, or baking apples like Braeburn or Honeycrisp, will also work beautifully, imparting a slightly different flavor profile to your muffins.
- Buttermilk Substitute: No buttermilk? No problem! You can use the same amount of kefir or plain yogurt for a similar tangy richness. Alternatively, make your own by adding ¼ teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to 60ml of regular milk. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly curdles.
Instructions: Baking Your Apple & Granola Muffins
Making these apple granola muffins is wonderfully straightforward. As mentioned earlier, there’s no need for any complex kitchen gadgets. The most labor-intensive part of the entire process is simply preparing the apples by peeling, coring, and grating them. Once that’s done, it’s smooth sailing to perfectly baked muffins!
- Preheat and Prepare: Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F). Line a 12-hole standard muffin tin or a 6-hole jumbo muffin tin with paper cases. If using a jumbo tin, tulip-style cases work particularly well and look beautiful. Prepare your apples by peeling, coring, and grating them, then set them aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, sugar, cinnamon, three-quarters of the granola (reserve the rest for topping), raisins, and finely chopped dates. Mix these dry ingredients thoroughly with a spoon or whisk until everything is well distributed.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate small jug or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, milk, buttermilk (or its substitute), eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl containing the dry ingredients. Add the grated apples. If your grated apples have released a lot of juice, gently squeeze out some of the excess liquid before adding them to the batter.
- Gently Fold the Batter: Using a large wooden spoon or a spatula, gently fold all the ingredients together. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to over-mix the batter, as this can lead to tough muffins. A few lumps are perfectly fine and even desirable for a tender crumb.
- Fill Muffin Cases: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cases. You can fill the cases quite generously, right up to the top, as these muffins don’t spread excessively. If you have any leftover batter, use it to fill a few additional cases in a second muffin tin. Sprinkle each filled muffin case generously with the remaining granola.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake the breakfast muffins for 20-25 minutes. If you’re using a jumbo muffin tin, they might require a few minutes longer, typically 25-30 minutes. The muffins are ready when they are beautifully golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once baked, remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool slightly in the tin before transferring them to a wire rack. They are absolutely delightful served warm, perhaps with a generous drizzle of honey or maple syrup to enhance their natural sweetness. They are equally delicious when enjoyed at room temperature.
Substitutions for Dietary Needs
This apple granola muffin recipe is incredibly adaptable, making it easy to adjust for various dietary preferences without compromising on flavor or texture.
- Gluten-Free Option: To make these muffins suitable for a gluten-free diet, simply substitute the regular self-raising flour with a high-quality gluten-free self-raising flour blend. Additionally, ensure that the granola you choose is certified gluten-free.
- Vegan Version: Creating a delicious vegan version of these muffins is straightforward. In place of eggs, you can use approximately 100g of plain vegan yogurt (such as soy or almond yogurt) or two “flax eggs” (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons water, allowed to sit until gelled). For the milk and buttermilk, substitute with your preferred dairy-free milk alternatives, such as almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk.
- Sugar-Free Approach: For those looking to reduce added sugars, you can confidently omit the golden caster sugar from the recipe entirely. The natural sugars present in the dates and raisins provide ample sweetness, making the muffins wonderfully flavorful on their own. If you desire a slightly sweeter result, simply add a few extra chopped dates to the batter.
Creative Variations to Try
Feel free to experiment with this recipe to tailor it to your personal taste or what you have available in your pantry.
- Fruit Swaps: While raisins are a classic choice, consider swapping them for dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots for a different flavor profile. A combination of all three dried fruits can also add a complex and delightful sweetness.
- Apple Texture: If you prefer more distinct apple pieces in your muffins, you can use chopped apples instead of grated apples. Aim for pieces about 1 cm in size to ensure they cook through evenly. For a varied texture, you could even use a combination of some grated and some finely chopped apples.
- Nutty Additions: For an extra layer of flavor and crunch, consider folding in a handful of chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, with the dry ingredients. This complements the granola beautifully.
- Spice it Up: A pinch of nutmeg or a touch of allspice can further enhance the warm, comforting flavors of these apple muffins, especially during the cooler months.
Storage Solutions
Proper storage ensures your apple and granola muffins stay fresh and delicious for as long as possible.
You can store these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. While they will remain tasty, they might become slightly drier over time. A quick warm-up in the microwave or a toaster oven can revitalize them, making them perfect to enjoy with your morning cup of tea or coffee.
For longer storage, these muffins freeze exceptionally well. To freeze, individually wrap each cooled muffin in a double layer of clingfilm, then transfer them into a freezer-friendly bag or container. They will maintain their quality in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy one, simply thaw it at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or gently reheat from frozen for a quicker treat.
Top Tips for Muffin Perfection
Achieving bakery-worthy muffins at home is easier than you think with these simple tips:
- Even Filling: As with any of my muffin recipes, I highly recommend using an ice cream or cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins or cases. This simple tool ensures that all your muffins are uniform in size and bake consistently, resulting in a beautiful, professional-looking batch every time.
- Avoid Over-mixing: This is arguably the most crucial tip for tender, fluffy muffins. Once you’ve added the wet ingredients and grated apples to the dry ingredients, use a large spoon or spatula to fold the mixture together. Mix just until the ingredients are combined and no dry streaks of flour are visible. My golden rule is to stop mixing as soon as the last ingredient added is no longer visible. Over-mixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, dense muffins. A slightly lumpy batter is perfect!
- Don’t Overfill: While it might be tempting to overfill your muffin cases, it can lead to muffins that spill over the sides. Fill them about two-thirds to three-quarters full to allow for proper rising and a classic muffin top.
- Hot Oven for High Tops: Starting the muffins in a slightly hotter oven for the first 5 minutes (e.g., 200°C/400°F) before reducing the temperature can help create those coveted domed tops. However, the temperature given in the recipe (180°C/160°C fan) provides excellent results too.
If you have any questions about this recipe or encounter any issues, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below, and I will be happy to assist you promptly.
If you tried these Apple and Granola Breakfast Muffins or any other of my recipes, I would absolutely love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave me a comment and a recipe rating below. Your feedback and experiences truly make my day.
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Apple and Granola Breakfast Muffins
Quick and easy apple muffins, packed with sweet dates and crunchy granola. They would make great addition to your breakfast or on-the-go snack!
Equipment
- kitchen grater
- 12 hole muffin tin or 6 hole jumbo muffin tin
- muffin cases
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples, peeled, cored and grated
- 300 g self-raising flour
- 130 g golden caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 200 g dates, pitted and chopped
- 80 g raisins
- 150 g granola
- 125 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 180 ml milk
- 60 ml buttermilk (see notes for alternative)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C fan). Line up the 12-hole muffin tin or 6-hole jumbo muffin tin with paper cases (if using jumbo tin, tulip-style cases will work really well). Prepare your apples and once grated, set aside. Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, dates, raisins and ¾ of the granola in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- In a small jug or a bowl, mix together olive oil, milk, buttermilk or kefir, eggs and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and add grated apples (if you have lots of juice from the apples, try to drain some of it before adding them to the mix). Using a spoon or spatula, mix the ingredients to combine. The batter is ready to use, but you can also rest it for 45min- 1 hour, if you’d like, this will produce slightly taller muffins.
- Divide the mixture into prepared muffin tin, then sprinkle on top with the remaining granola. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, or until inserted in the middle skewer comes out clean. Enjoy!
Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for a more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
- You can use any type/variety of apples in this recipe. I used Granny Smith, because I like their sharper taste.
- If no self-raising flour is available, use the same amount of plain flour but add 2 ½ teaspoon of baking powder to it.
- Buttermilk can be replaced by the same amount of kefir or yoghurt. You can also make your own buttermilk by combining the same amount of milk with ¼ teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Let the mixture sit aside for 3-5 minutes, allowing it to curdle.
- Store the muffins in the airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, wrap each muffin in a double layer of clingfilm, and place in the freezer friendly bag. Thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2018. It has been updated with new photos, tips, and a revised recipe in September 2021.
The recipe is adapted from Donna Hay Apple Granola Muffins.