Let the fall baking begin! Instead of grabbing a muffin at a local coffee shop or store try making these on your day off to make for a healthy go-to snack or breakfast on the go. Did you know that the majority of store bought muffins can pack a whopping 500-800 calories and 20 grams of fat per muffin? These apple pumpkin muffins do not supply a quarter of your days' worth of calories. Instead they offer a good dose of fruit, fiber and vitamins and minerals and are packed with the flavors of fall: apple, spice and pumpkin. So let’s get baking!
Fresh picked apples are one of my favorite fall treats, especially Gingergold apples! If you ever come across this variety of apple you have to try it! Gingergold's are a sweeter, crisp apple that is one of the first crops to produce for apple season. They are great for baking, applesauce and snacking! For this recipe you want to use a sweeter variety of apple such as Fuji, Honeycrisp or Gingergold's. The apples in this recipe help to sweeten the muffin so if you use a tart apple such as Grannysmith's you may need to add extra sugar to the recipe. Using apples helps to cut back on added sugars in this recipe. After all this is a muffin not a cupcake!
These muffins are made with all whole grains, (whole wheat flour and oats). The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 6 servings of grains per day with at least half coming from whole grains. Whole grains are a great source of fiber, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, folate, thiamin, vitamin B6, selenium and other nutrients. Refined grains lose these nutrients with processing but manufactures can choose to add some back and make the grains “enriched”. Enriching refined grains adds back iron and four of the B-vitamins (folate, vitamin B6, thiamin and riboflavin). Other nutrients and fiber are often lost in refined grains.
I choose to top off the muffins with pumpkin seed kernels (pepita's) and slivered almonds. This adds a nice crunch and festive flair. Nuts and seeds offer an array of nutrients including: magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, iron and plant sterols which are helpful in lowering cholesterol levels.
These muffins are a great kid friendly snack as you can tell by my unexpected hand model in the above picture! My two year old could not wait any longer for his snack.
Whole Wheat Apple Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 12 Muffins
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
¾ Cup Oats
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Cinnamon
½ Tsp Ground Ginger
¼ Tsp Nutmeg
2 Eggs, Beaten
¾ Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
½ Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
2 Cups Shredded Apple (~ 2 Large Apples)
Topping
1 Tbsp Unsalted Slivered Almonds
1 Tbsp Unsalted Pepita's (pumpkin seed kernels)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
Place the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir to combine.
In another bowl add the beaten eggs, pumpkin puree, canola oil, brown sugar and shredded apple and stir to combine. Add to the dry ingredients and mix till combined.
Place the batter in the muffin tins and top with the almonds and pepita's. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from muffin tin to a wire rack and allow the muffins to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
Per Muffin: Calories 144, Total Fat 3.1 g, Saturated Fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g, Sodium 203 mg, Total Carbohydrate 27 g, Dietary Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 3.8 g, Potassium 171 mg, Phosphorous 116 mg