This Healthy Gingerbread Loaf recipe is moist and fluffy, made with warming spices, applesauce and whole wheat flour. The result is a wholesome gingerbread based on a holiday classic!

More healthy holiday desserts we love are these healthy gingerbread cookies and healthy gingersnap cookies.

Healthy gingerbread loaf is a holiday quick bread that makes your house smell like Christmas!

It’s perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth while curled up with a mug of healthy hot chocolate or frantically wrapping Christmas presents.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Less “empty calories”: Instead, there is applesauce, less sugar, natural sweeteners, whole grain flour and avocado or coconut oil.
• Traditional flavor: An impressive healthier gingerbread that tastes like the classic. And much better than the Starbucks gingerbread loaf!
• Soft and fluffy: Rather than hard gingerbread cookies, this quick bread is soft, moist, and slightly sticky. 
• Super simple: Made primarily of pantry staples and in under an hour.

Ingredients for Healthy Gingerbread Loaf

• Applesauce: Unsweetened store-bought applesauce or Instant Pot applesauce. It replaces some of the fat and yields a moist gingerbread. I don’t recommend to replace it with yogurt or Greek yogurt because bread will not be sweet.
• Molasses: This will provide the classic gingerbread flavor. Use unsulphured blackstrap molasses or dark molasses rather than light molasses.
• Sweetener: I like to use maple syrup or honey. Agave or date syrup would also work.
• Eggs: You need just two large eggs.
• Flour: Use whole wheat flour or spelt flour. Recipe may work with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour but I haven’t tried.
• Oil: Avocado oil, coconut oil, or another neutral cooking oil will work best. Melted butter would also work.
• Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract will yield the best flavor.
• Leavening agents: This quick bread relies on both baking powder and baking soda to provide lift and texture.
• Glaze (optional): You will need orange juice (or water) and powdered sugar.

How to Make Healthy Gingerbread Loaf

This healthy gingerbread recipe requires just a few simple steps, including mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately, then combining and baking.

There is also a full recipe card below.

• Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, add flour and combine with all the spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until lump free, then set aside.
• Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs for ten seconds. Then add the applesauce, molasses, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.

• Combine the two: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and mix gently with a spatula until just combined and you no longer see large flour pockets.
• Bake: Pour the gingerbread batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Then, allow it to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack for an additional hour (or longer to completely cool if you want to use the glaze).

Gingerbread Glaze Options

To glaze the healthy gingerbread loaf after it cools, you can either brush some honey or maple syrup on top or combine icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl and drizzle it over the top of the loaf.

Instead of the glaze listed above, you could also top it with healthy cream cheese frosting or healthy buttercream.

Or make an apricot glaze, like lebkuchen stuffed with apricot, by heating apricot jam with a little water or orange liqueur.

Once glazed, allow it to set, and then use a serrated knife to slice into 12 slices. Enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

• To help release molasses: Spray inside of your measuring cup with cooking spray before measuring out any sticky ingredients like molasses. That way, they’ll slide right out!
• Do not overmix the batter: It’s important not to overwork the gluten, as it will impact the texture and rise of the gingerbread bread. In fact, I recommend allowing the mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes halfway, then continuing.
• For mini gingerbread loaves: Divide the batter between smaller loaf pans and reduce the baking time. I recommend monitoring them after 20 minutes, using a toothpick to check for doneness.
• Cool the cake entirely before glazing: Otherwise, you’ll end up with a drippy, sticky mess.
• Use the spoon and level method to measure the flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then use the back of a knife to level it off rather than scooping the cup into your bag of flour.

Variations

I recommend using up to 1/2 cup of any of the below larger add-ins for a healthy gingerbread loaf with a twist:

• Dried fruit: Cranberries or raisins will add little pockets of sweetness.
• Nuts and seeds: Chopped walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds would work.
• Chocolate chips: Use your favorite dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.
• Crystallized ginger: A few tablespoons of candied ginger will add extra heat and ginger flavor but also contains a lot of sugar, so don’t add too much.
• Zest: 1-2 teaspoons of orange zest add more depth to the gingerbread.
• Black pepper: A pinch of black pepper will further enhance bread’s warmth and spice.
• Cloves: Add 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

How to Serve Gingerbread Cake

You can enjoy a slice of homemade gingerbread loaf either chilled, at room temperature, or warm with:

• A dollop of yogurt or whipped cream
• A scoop of ice cream like this vegan vanilla ice cream
• A drizzle of additional maple syrup or honey
• Serve with a spread of apricot jam, like lebkuchen
• A sprinkle of chopped nuts, usually combined with yogurt, cream or ice cream
• A poached pear or poached apple would also pair wonderfully with a warm slice of this gingerbread

And, personally, I love enjoying a slice with either a warm mug of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate!

How to Store and Freeze

Store: Allow the gingerbread loaf to cool entirely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. It tastes even better on day two or three, so I fully endorse baking it in advance when possible!

Freeze: You can freeze whole or pre-sliced gingerbread loaf although it will stay more moist if left unsliced. If sliced, either place parchment paper between the slices or flash-freeze them first. Store wrapped in plastic and then in an airtight Ziplock bag and freeze for between 3-4 months.

You can either leave it to thaw in the fridge, at room temperature, or defrost from frozen in a microwave or toaster oven.

Reheat: You can warm the pieces in a toaster oven (if not iced) or in the microwave.

FAQs

More Holiday Recipes to Try

• Almond flour cinnamon bread
• Almond flour snickerdoodles
• Healthy cinnamon rolls
• Healthy cranberry orange muffins
• Healthy rum balls
• Almond flour snowball cookies
• Healthy pecan pie bars

You might also like to browse through my collection of healthy quick breads and my holiday recipes!

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Healthy Gingerbread Loaf

Healthy Gingerbread Loaf is moist and slightly sticky, made with warming spices, maple syrup, applesauce and whole wheat or spelt flour.

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12 slices

Calories 194kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Loaf pan
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

For Gingerbread Loaf:

• 2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup applesauce unsweetened
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil or any mild tasting
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Cooking spray I use Misto

For Glaze (optional):

• 1/2 cup icing sugar or powdered erythritol
• 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons orange juice or water

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line 9 x 5 loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, add flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk well until no lumps. Set aside.
• In another medium bowl, add eggs, applesauce, molasses, maple syrup, oil and vanilla extract; whisk well until combined.
• Pour into the bowl with dry ingredients and mix gently with spatula, just enough to combine or until you see no more white flour pockets. Do not stir vigorously or over mix. Also good idea let mixture sit for a 1-2 minutes and then stir again.
• Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for 1 hour or completely if using icing.
• You can coat gingerbread loaf in honey glaze by drizzling small amounts of honey or maple syrup on a pastry brush and brushing on top. Or in a small bowl, whisk icing sugar and orange juice until smooth and drizzle on top.
• Cut gingerbread loaf into 12 slices using serrated knife.

Notes

• Store: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat pieces in a toaster oven (if not iced/glazed) or in the microwave.
• Freeze: Sliced or unsliced up to 3-4 months.
• Cool the cake entirely before glazing: Otherwise, you’ll end up with a drippy, sticky mess.
• Flour tips: This recipe has only been tested with whole wheat and spelt flour. I do not recommend any other flour. Use the spoon and level method to measure the flour!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 195mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g

The post Healthy Gingerbread Loaf appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Almond Flour Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy and have a cinnamon sugar coating. Made with less sugar, butter and almond flour for a healthier classic cookie!

During Holiday season we also enjoy baking almond flour sugar cookies and almond flour shortbread cookies.

These almond flour snickerdoodles are super soft inside, chewy outside and simply so cute!

Perfecting a gluten free snickerdoodles recipe has been on my mind for years, and it was easier than I thought by using almond flour. It works really well in these pillowy soft cookies making them airy, chewy and at so delicious at same time!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Healthier swaps: Means less empty calories. I swapped white flour for almond flour, reduced butter in half, cut sugar by threefold and ended up with delicious snickerdoodles.
• Easy: No using a mixer or chilling of dough is required.
• Grain free: And gluten free. Perfect for those reducing carbs or avoiding gluten. 
• Classic taste: All the taste your remember from your childhood, the buttery cinnamon flavor that melts in your mouth!

Ingredients for Almond Flour Snickerdoodles

• Almond flour: Use superfine almond flour, not almond meal. You can buy it at any grocery store or here is step-by-step tutorial how to make almond flour at home.
• Eggs: Gives an almond flour snickerdoodle structure plus the protein aids in the chewiness.
• Butter: Classic buttery taste, also helps keeps cookies tender. If using salted butter, skip adding additional salt. I have not tried using coconut oil and in my experience, it results in more crunchy cookies in general.
• Sugar: I used cane sugar, you can also use white sugar. Coconut sugar may be used but keep in mind cookies will turn out darker. Sugar helps cookies become crisper by absorbing moisture in the dough.
• Cream of tartar: Adds to the tangy flavor classic snickerdoodles are known for!
• Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract vs. imitation for best flavor.
• Cinnamon: A warming spice that is classic for these cinnamon sugar cookies.
• Baking soda: Helps leaven the dough, resulting in a soft texture.
• Salt: Enhances taste.

How to Make Almond Flour Snickerdoodles

• Make cookie dough: Whisk eggs with sugar until creamed a tiny bit. Then add melted butter, vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk, add almond flour and stir until combined. No need to chill the dough.
• Roll cookies in cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Scoop dough with small scoop, roll into 1 inch balls in your hands, then drop into the bowl with sugar and roll until coated. Use spoon, hands or simply shake the bowl.
• Shape snickerdoodles and bake: Place cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on baking sheet and flatten gently with fingers. Snickerdoodles do not spread or puff up much. You will have leftover sugar, which I recommend to sprinkle some on top of cookies before baking.
• Bake: For 10 minutes, let them sit on a baking sheet for another 10 minutes, then cool a bit longer on a rack.

Tips for Best Results

• Follow the recipe: In years of baking healthy cookies, I learned cookies have to be made with sugar and butter. That is what makes cookies chewy and soft, and “a cookie”.
• For uniform size cookies: I love to use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, so my cookies are uniform in size and bake evenly.
• Do not overbake cookies: It is important to remove cookies while they appear underbaked and pale.
• Let them cool: For not crumbly almond flour snickerdoodles, let them cool before enjoying. Otherwise cookies will fall apart on you!
• Use proper measuring techniques: Baking is a science and I cannot stress enough that ingredients need to be measured properly to ensure best results. Use the scoop and level method for measuring the flour. Scoop your flour from the bag into the measuring cup (adds air to the flour) and then level with a knife.

Variations

• Brown butter: For additional flavor boost, brown butter in saucepan when you are melting it.
• Other warming spices: Roll cookies in pumpkin pie spice, gingerbread spice, chai spice or apple pie spice for different flavor profiles.
• Eggnog snickerdoodles: Replace vanilla extract with rum extract and add in some nutmeg to both coating and dough.
• Snickerdoodle “kiss”: Perfect for holiday baking, right after baking, add a chocolate kiss to the cookie.
• Add “chips”: Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips or crushed peppermint for fun seasonal variations.
• Zest: A small amount of orange zest or lemon zest could be added to the the cookie dough.

How to Store

Storing: The best place to store snickerdoodles is in a cookie jar for up to 5 days. You can add a slice of bread to help absorb moisture from air.

If you find your cookies start to dry out, place them in an airtight container. I would not recommend doing so at the start because you don’t want cookies to get soggy and floppy.

Freezing: Freeze cinnamon sugar cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours. Cookies will taste like freshly baked.

How to Ship

Gift a few snickerdoodle cookies to friends and family wrapped in a plastic bag with ties.

To ship, I would let cookies get 1 day old first, for better shape. Then wrap 2 cookies bottoms to each other with plastic wrap, and place in airtight container where they don’t tumble around much, with a slice of bread. Ship to a not long distant destination, like 5 days maximum.

FAQs

More Recipes to Try

• Almond flour snowball cookies
• Almond flour thumbprint cookies
• Almond flour skillet cookie
• Healthy gingerbread cookies
• Healthy gingersnap cookies
• Almond flour cinnamon bread
• Healthy pecan pie bars
• Healthy gingerbread loaf

You might also enjoy this list of 45 almond flour recipes and 21 healthy Christmas cookies!

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Almond Flour Snickerdoodles

Almond Flour Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy and have a cinnamon sugar coating. Made with less sugar, butter and almond flour!

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 18 cookies

Calories 115kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Small scoop

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup cane or coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 cups almond flour

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 1 tablespoon cane sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• In a large bowl, add egg and sugar; whisk for 20 seconds. Add butter, vanilla, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar; whisk well until no lumps. Add almond flour and stir until combined.
• In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon for coating.
• Using small cookie scoop, roll 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on baking sheet and gently flatten with your fingers until sides "crack" a bit. Repeat with remaining dough. Sprinkle more coating on top of cookies.
• Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

• Store: In a cookie jar for up to 5 days. You can add a slice of bread to help absorb moisture from air. If you find your cookies start to dry out, place them in an airtight container. I would not recommend doing so at the start because you don’t want cookies to get soggy and floppy.
• Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours.
• Cream of tartar substitute: It makes cookies tangy and chewy and differentiates them from regular sugar cookies. You can try using lemon juice or vinegar instead. I personally have not tested.
• Do not overbake cookies: It is important to remove cookies while they appear underbaked and pale. 
• Coconut oil: I have not tried using it to make snickerdoodles but in my experience, it results in more crunchy cookies.
• Any other flour: Gluten free flours are very finicky, all flours are. I recommend using only almond flour, not even almond meal, for proper snickerdoodle.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

The post Almond Flour Snickerdoodles appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Soft and chewy Healthy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are studded with bright red cranberries, cinnamon and orange zest. Made in one bowl, no dough chilling and ready in 30 minutes.

Other oatmeal cookies we love are these sugar free oatmeal cookies and healthy oatmeal cookies.

If you’re already eating your way through the holiday season, now is as good a time as any to switch gears a bit with these healthy oatmeal cranberry cookies.

Swapping out healthier alternatives doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing all the chewy and ooey-gooey goodness we love about any cookies!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy recipe: These healthy Christmas cookies come together in one bowl.
• No dough chilling: You can mix and bake cookies right away, which means they are ready to eat in 30 minutes. Perfect for any last minute holiday parties!
• Healthier: These cookies use less sugar, contain complex carbs and are protein packed by adding almond flour.
• Naturally gluten free: Perfect for gifting and parties.
• Gorgeous: Studded with bright red cranberries, these festive cookies will stand out on the dessert table.

Ingredients for Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

• Almond flour or almond meal: Both have the same effect and will result in the same cookie. I prefer almond flour as I buy it in bulk at Costco. Or follow this quick tutorial and make your own almond flour.
• Oats: Quick oats or rolled oats. Gluten free, if necessary.
• Sugar: Cane sugar or coconut sugar. If you are wanting a sweeter cookie, cane sugar is sweeter. You could try erythritol like I do in healthy sugar cookies and almond flour shortbread cookies.
• Coconut oil or unsalted butter: Both will work. Make sure to measure after it’s been melted.
• Pure vanilla extract: Not imitation, pure vanilla extract tastes best.
• Eggs: For binding, I have not tried a flax egg, but it may work.
• Baking soda: Helps leaven the cookie dough resulting in a soft and chewy cookie.
• Cinnamon and orange zest: Adds holiday flavor.
• Cranberries: You can use either fresh, frozen, or dried cranberries. If using dried, use less. And how about just folding in 1/2 cup of leftover cranberry sauce instead?!
• White chocolate chips: It’s totally optional to make white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies but they add a lovely chunky texture and added sweetness. The accents of white complement the red cranberries in a very festive way.

How to Make Healthy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

• Combine wet ingredients with seasonings: In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a hand mixer or whisk by hand. This frothing will invite air into them helping to make the cookies soft and moist. Add in the sugar, whisking vigorously for a couple of minutes before adding in the coconut oil, orange zest, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Continue whisking to combine.
• Add dry ingredients: Stir in the oats and almond flour until just combined and gently stir in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.
• Stir and scoop: Take your cookie scoop to scoop out the dough on the prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart from each other. Cookies won’t spread too much, so flatten them with your fingers into about 1 inch thick discs.
• Bake the cookies: Bake cookies at 375 F for 13 minutes. When the cookies start to turn golden brown they should be done!
• Remove and cool: As tempting as they are to eat right away, you’ll want to let them cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a rack. They will be very soft and cooling them will give them time to solidify. You don’t want cookies falling apart on you!

Tips for Best Results

• Line your cookie sheet: I like to use unbleached parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. It helps cookies bake more evenly and slows spreading, prevents cracking when removing from the sheet and most importantly, it prevents sticking!
• Don’t “cook” your eggs: Adding the sugar to eggs before the hot melted coconut oil will help to avoid “cooking” the egg. That’s definitely not what you want!
• Don’t over mix: When adding your oats, almond flour, cranberries and chocolate chips, fold them in gently until just mixed. I don’t recommend using a mixer for this step. 
• Invest in a zester: It’s the best way to remove zest from citrus without adding the bitter pith into your baking recipes. It comes in handy for healthy cranberry orange muffins. Also, use zest to garnish this healthy cranberry sauce!
• Frozen cranberries: No need to thaw them first.

Variations

• Raisins: Swap out the raisins for cranberries and you’ve got deliciously healthy oatmeal raisin cookies.
• Dark chocolate: Skip white chocolate chips altogether or swap them out for dark or milk chocolate chips.
• Nuts: Add pecans or walnuts for a toasty nutty crunchy bite. Depending on what nuts you use, it may add a bit of a salty balance to the sweet and tart combination of the cookie.
• Zest: Cinnamon and orange are in a committed relationship but sometimes lemon just comes along and gives orange a run for its money. Lemon zest might be a nice twist, but you can also omit the zest completely.
• Steel cut oats: Quick cooking steel cut oats can be used, however not regular steel cut oats as they will not have enough time to cook.
• Sugar: You can use brown sugar or even a sugar free sweetener. Just no liquid sweeteners.

How to Store

Store: These cookies store well uncovered in a cool dry place for up to 5 days. Unfortunately, because they get too soft when covered, they don’t ship well.

Freeze: If you’ve made a double batch or are wanting to freeze leftovers, freeze cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To plan for make ahead healthy dessert, just thaw them on the counter for a few hours before you’re ready to serve and eat!

FAQs

More Healthy Cookie Recipes to Try

• Oat flour Christmas monster cookies
• Healthy gingerbread cookies
• Almond flour chocolate chip cookies
• Protein cookies
• Healthy cookie dough
• Healthy banana oatmeal cookies
• Healthy snowball cookies
• Almond flour thumbprint cookies

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Healthy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Soft and chewy Healthy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are studded with bright red cranberries, cinnamon and orange zest. Made in one bowl, no chilling required and ready in 30 minutes.

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 27 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cookies

Calories 204kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Zester

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup cane sugar or coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil or butter melted (measured after)
• 1 tablespoon orange zest of whole large orange
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups quick oats or rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups almond flour or almond meal
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries or 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs for a few minutes with a whisk. You can also use a mixer.
• Add sugar and whisk vigorously for another 2 minutes. Add coconut oil, orange zest, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; whisk until combined. Stir in oats and almond flour until combined. Then stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
• Using a cookie dough scoop, scoop dough, place on prepared baking sheet 1" apart (cookies do not spread much) and flatten with fingers into a cookie shape, about 1" thick. Bake for 13 minutes or until cookies start to turn golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, cool on the sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool off for another 30 minutes. Cooling prevents cookies from crumbling.

Notes

• Store: Store in a cool dry place for up to 5 days uncovered, otherwise cookies will become too soft.
• Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 94mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g

The post Healthy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

These 4 ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies are not only rich and buttery, but also naturally gluten free. Dipped in chocolate or not, these Christmas cookies are delicious!

Want to enjoy more healthy cookies? Try these almond flour thumbprint cookies and almond flour sugar cookies.

Almond flour shortbread cookies have all the flavor and texture of regular shortbread but are more nutritious. With just 4 base ingredients, they make the perfect edible holiday gift!

Along with almond flour snowball cookies and almond flour snickerdoodles, they are one of my favorite healthy Christmas cookies!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Diet friendly: Grain free, gluten free, low carb, paleo, and optionally vegan!
• Low carb, if you need: Just 2 grams net carbs per cookie compared to 5 grams in regular shortbread cookies.
• Less “empty calories“: Replace bleached, processed flours for high protein, heart healthy, nutrient dense almond flour. It’s not a super low calorie cookie, but the calories are packed with healthy nutrients.
• Buttery and crisp: Just the way Christmas shortbread cookies should be!
• Perfect for shipping: Wrap and mail them for a delicious homemade Christmas gift! I recommend to omit the chocolate then.

Ingredients for Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies

• Almond flour: Use superfine blanched almond flour and not almond meal. The first creates almond flour shortbread cookies that are melt-in-your-mouth. The second one will make cookies crumbly and potentially fall apart.
• Butter: Use unsalted softened but not melted butter. I don’t recommend using firm coconut oil as the flavor won’t be the same.
• Sugar: Use either cane sugar or, for a sugar free alternative, use erythritol, monk fruit extract or another dry sweetener.
• Baking soda: To help the cookies achieve the correct consistency.
• Flour for rolling: Use regular all-purpose flour or coconut flour to dust and roll the cookie dough. Use white flour that won’t affect the color of the shortbread cookie dough. I don’t recommend using additional almond flour, as it doesn’t work well for dusting.

How to Make Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies

• Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until it’s a pale yellow. Be careful not to over beat the butter and lose the extra air.
• Mix into a dough: Next, add the baking soda and almond flour, and stir with a spatula until it becomes easier to knead by hand. Then knead by hand until a ball of dough forms.
• Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two balls, flatten them into disks, wrap tightly with cling film, and chill for 2 hours in the fridge or 1 hour in the freezer.
• Roll out the dough: Unwrap one of the dough disks and place it on a lightly floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out until around 1/3-inch thick or even slightly taller. The thinner, the crispier.

• Cut the cookies: Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can from the dough. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet with 1-inch between (they don’t spread much). Re-roll the remaining dough scraps for more cookies and then repeat with the second dough sheet in the refrigerator.
• Bake the cookies: Transfer both baking trays to your preheated 325 F oven and bake for 7 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 30 minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack to completely cool.
• Prepare the chocolate coating: In a small saucepan, using a double boiler, or in a bowl in the microwave (in 20-second increments), gently melt the chocolate and coconut oil, whisking until smooth and fully melted.
• Dip the cookies: Dip each of the cooled cookies halfway into the melted chocolate mixture, then transfer them to a wax paper or parchment lined baking sheet. Place that in the refrigerator until set and hardened.

Tips for Best Results

• Use softened butter: It needs to be soft enough to leave an indent when pressed, but not so soft that it’s melted and your finger can press all the way through. Melted butter can lead to spreading cookies.
• Use the spoon and level method: When measuring the flour, it’s important to spoon it into your measuring cup, then level that with the back of a knife. Don’t press down on the flour, or you’ll end up with the wrong amount and affect the cookie dough.
• Don’t skip the dough chilling step: Otherwise almond flour shortbread cookies will spread a lot!
• If the dough is very hard at first: Allow it to warm up on the counter for 5-10 minutes. Note that the dough is fairly sticky, so you’ll need to dust the surface and rolling pin with quite a bit of flour. Alternatively, roll the dough between two layers of parchment paper.
• Be careful not to over bake the cookies: Cookies should remain pale when removed from the oven (not golden).
• Adjust the baking time: Based on the size and thickness of your cookies. Thinner cookies will be the crispiest and bake faster.
• Allow the cookies to cool for 30 minutes before touching them: These cookies will be very fragile when first out of the oven. If you attempt to transfer or touch them before they cool, they’ll fall apart or deform.

Variations

This cookie dough is perfect for adapting into tons of flavors and shapes! Here are some of my favorite options:

• Citrus zest: My favorite way to easily add flavor to many baked goods is with some citrus zest. Add about 1/2-1 teaspoon of lime, lemon or orange zest. Dip the lemon shortbread cookies in white chocolate!
• Dried fruit: Add finely chopped 2-3 tablespoons of dried cranberries, apricot or other dry fruit to the cookie dough.
• Cocoa powder: Replace 2 tablespoons of almond flour with cocoa powder plus a pinch of instant coffee or espresso powder.
• Spices: You can easily add warm flavor with spices like cinnamon, gingerbread spice, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, etc.
• Coconut flakes: Add 2-3 tablespoons of raw or lightly toasted coconut.
• Extracts: Add a few drops of natural extract to easily scent these almond flour shortbread cookies. My favorite options include vanilla extract, orange, lemon, coconut, peppermint, coffee, almond, rosewater, etc.
• Nuts: Feel free to add a few tablespoons of chopped nuts like pistachios, pecans, or walnuts. Or sprinkle them over the melted chocolate.
• Crystallized ginger: A tablespoon or two of finely chopped candied ginger will add extra heat and ginger flavor.
• Herbs: You can enjoy these cookies sweet or savory, and adding some herbs works for either. Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary, thyme, or sage to the dough. Fresh, edible lavender would also work (only add 1 tablespoon to begin with).
• Flaky salt: A sprinkle of flaky salt over the melted chocolate topping not only looks great but adds crunch and enhances the flavor.
• Earl grey: Use around 2 tablespoons of finely chopped Earl Grey tea leaves.

Optionally, ice with a thin layer of healthy buttercream or vegan chocolate icing!

How to Ship These Cookies

These almond flour shortbread cookies are a perfect option for mailing with a few top tips:

• Cool them: Ensure they’re 100% cooled to avoid steam and bacteria growth in the packaging.
• Skip the chocolate coating: As it could melt somewhere along the way and become very messy.
• Airtight: Make sure the cookies are in airtight packaging like plastic wrap, plastic container with a lid or Ziplock bags.
• Line the box with bubble wrap or padding: To nest your cookies, so they don’t shake and break. You can use bubble wrap, packing peanuts, shredded paper or newspaper.
• If you’ve placed the cookies within a decorative box: Pad the outer cardboard mailing box too.
• Write “fragile”: On the top of the box. Not sure it works but just in case.

How to Store

Store: Once baked, you can store almond flour shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or slightly longer in the refrigerator.

Freeze: Flash freeze baked cookies on a tray, transfer them to a freezer safe container or bag, and store them for up to 6 months. When you want one, it will only take a few minutes to thaw on the kitchen counter.

Can I Make Them Ahead?

Yes. This cookie recipe is incredibly baking prep friendly. You can store the prepared dough either in a log (for slice and bake cookies) or as a dough ball, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Store for up to 1 week in the fridge or several months in the freezer. Then, simply shape or slice and bake when ready, adding an extra minute or two, if needed.

FAQs

More Almond Flour Recipes to Try

• Almond flour skillet cookie
• Almond flour chocolate chip cookies
• Healthy cookie dough
• Almond flour cinnamon bread

Or browse through this list of 45 almond flour recipes!

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Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies

These 4 ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies are not only rich and buttery, but also naturally gluten free. Dipped in chocolate or not, these Christmas cookies are delicious!

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 37 minutes minutes

Servings 60 cookies

Calories 69kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Mixer

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 cup cane sugar erythritol or monk fruit extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups almond flour super fine
• All-purpose flour or coconut flour for dusting and rolling

Dipping chocolate (optional)

• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until combined and creamy.
• Add baking soda and almond flour; stir with spatula and knead with hands towards the end until a ball of dough forms.
• Divide dough into two balls, place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap, flatten into discs, wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or in the freezer for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Remove chilled dough from the fridge (or freezer) and unwrap. If very hard, let it warm up on the counter for 5-10 minutes. Dust the surface and rolling pin with all-purpose flour or coconut flour (see notes). You will need quite a bit as this dough is wet. Roll the dough 1/3 inch thick or even thicker (I love tall shortbread).
• Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out cookies and transfer to previously prepared baking sheet (loosening with small spatula if necessary), leaving 1 inch in between. These cookies do not spread a lot. Combine the dough scraps into a ball, roll it out, cut out cookies and repeat until you run out of dough. Repeat the same step with the second disc of dough.
• Bake for 7 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven before any visible browning occurs. You do not want that with shortbread – they should be of light color. Remove from the oven and let them cool off first on a baking tray for 30 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool off completely.

Chocolate dipped shortbread (optional)

• In a small pot or bowl, add chocolate chips and oil. Melt on the stovetop or in a microwave in 20 second intervals, whisking until smooth and melted.
• Dip each cookie (it should be completely cooled off) in melted chocolate half way, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper, and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.

Notes

• Store: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months.
• Flour or oil substitutions? Unfortunately not with this recipe. You have to use only fine or super fine blanched almond flour. Coconut oil cannot be used in place of butter.
• Don’t skip these two things: Chilling the dough as cookies will spread a lot and don’t skip cooling down the cookies. Do not move or touch freshly baked cookies for first 30 minutes. They will fall apart and deform. Let them cool and solidify, even better overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie (with erythritol) | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Homemade Healthy Cornbread Muffins are tender, fluffy, and naturally gluten-free. Crispy golden tops and lightly sweetened with honey, they’re the perfect side dish to any meal!

These are just like my healthy cornbread but in a muffin form.

I made these healthy cornbread muffins to go with my Instant Pot ham and bean soup but they’ll also deliciously soak up the juices of healthy turkey chili, buffalo chicken chili or even a cup of hot, freshly made chicken broth.

Serve a muffin with your favorite comfort meal and reheat any leftovers for breakfast or a healthy snack with a bit of honey drizzle. To-die-for!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One bowl: My goal is to make healthy muffins recipes easy with minimal clean up. You can quickly whip up this batter with 10 minutes of prep using the same bowl.
• Moist: We make muffins more wholesome without sacrificing the texture or flavor.
• Simple ingredients: Although these corn muffins are made with almond flour, all other ingredients are kitchen staples.
• Healthier: These healthy muffins are refined sugar free, 100% gluten-free, and contain healthy fats.

Ingredients for Healthy Cornbread Muffins

I created this healthy cornbread muffins recipe using everyday 10 simple ingredients, so you can bake a batch any time.

• Eggs: You’ll need 3 large eggs to bind ingredients together.
• Milk: I used whole milk, feel free to use your milk of choice to cut back on calories.
• Butter: Melted butter is best for a buttery, moist crumb. You can also use coconut oil or any mild tasting oil. I also tried extra virgin olive oil with great results.
• Sweetener: Choose from any liquid sweetener like honey, maple syrup or agave.
• Vinegar and baking soda: Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be used. Vinegar together with baking soda create air bubbles which acts as a leavening agent and yields a better texture and crumb.
• Baking powder: This baking staple helps the muffins rise and gives them an airy texture.
• Yellow cornmeal: Make sure to use cornmeal and not corn flour. There are many brands that differ in texture, I prefer fine cornmeal but feel free to use your favorite.
• Almond flour: Use super fine almond flour for best texture, my favorite brand is Kirkland. If you would like to make your own, here’s an easy almond flour recipe.
• Salt: Needed to enhance and balance all other flavors.

How to Make Healthy Cornbread Muffins

Here’s a quick and easy overview of how to make healthy cornbread muffins from scratch.

There is a full recipe card below.

Start by preheating your oven to 400 F, line a muffin tin with parchment paper liners, and set aside.

• Make the batter: To a large bowl, add eggs, milk, butter, maple syrup, and vinegar. Whisk until combined. Next, add baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then whisk until smooth.
• Add cornmeal and flour: Use a spatula to gently stir in cornmeal and almond flour, just until combined.
• Bake: Evenly scoop batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 7 minutes at 400 F, then reduce temperature to 350 F and bake for another 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool and serve: Let almond flour cornbread muffins rest for 5-10 minutes before serving with a bowl of soup, chili or as a side dish.

Tips for Best Results

Follow these tips and you’ll make the best cornbread muffins every time!

• Don’t use other flours: You have to use cornmeal and almond flour. You might be able to use almond meal but muffins will be more dense. Any wheat flour, whole-wheat flour, coconut flour or gluten-free flour will not work.
• Type of cornmeal to use: Any coarse, medium, or fine grind cornmeal will work, just be sure it is yellow cornmeal for the most corn flavor. A finer cornmeal will yield a tender crumb and still have that little bit of grittiness, which is my favorite.
• Solidified butter is OK: Once you mix melted butter or coconut oil with other cold liquids, it will form into small pieces. That’s fine, it will melt during baking.
• Whisk well: Be sure to whisk liquids until there are no small lumps of baking powder and baking soda are left. It will help the batter rise evenly and makes this one bowl recipe possible.
• Use muffin liners: Unless you are 100% sure your muffin tin is non-stick, I highly recommend to use parchment paper liners or a silicone muffin pan. These muffins do stick!
• Do not overbake: Remove muffins when toothpick inserted comes out clean and they still look light on top.

Variations

These delicious cornbread muffins are healthy, seasonal, with lots of great variations to try.

• Dairy-free: Make dairy-free cornbread muffins using your favorite dairy free milk and coconut oil or vegan butter.
• Add corn: Up the sweetness by adding up to 1 cup of fresh corn, drained canned corn, or thawed frozen corn.
• Make them cheesy: Mix in some shredded cheddar cheese, or pepper jack cheese.
• Add heat: Stir in diced jalapenos, green chilies, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Breakfast muffins: Make savory muffins by adding bacon or enjoy a sweeter breakfast muffin with the addition of blueberries.

What to Serve with Cornbread Muffins?

I love serving these craveable cornbread muffins at Thanksgiving alongside wildly popular boneless turkey breast, or paired with soup and stew or chili.

Here are our favorites, be sure to enjoy warm or hot, see below for reheating.

• Breakfast: Warmed, cut in half, then spread with butter, honey, or jam.
• Chili: Dipped into healthy white chicken chili, Instant Pot turkey chili or white bean pumpkin turkey chili.
• Soup: With a bowl of Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup, vegetable beef soup or Instant Pot cabbage soup.
• BBQ meats: To sop up the sauce of healthy crockpot pulled pork or crockpot BBQ pulled chicken.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Allow muffins to cool completely and store them in an airtight container lined with paper towels on top and bottom. Here’s how to store muffins so they stay fresh and moist for 2-3 days. Irecommend to freeze them after to avoid mold build-up.

Freeze: You can freeze your muffins for up to 3 months, here’s everything you need to know on how to freeze muffins.

Reheat: It’s best to microwave these little breads in 15 second increments.

FAQs

More Recipes to Try

• Almond flour bread
• Quinoa bread
• Pampushky

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Healthy Cornbread Muffins

Homemade Healthy Cornbread Muffins are tender, fluffy, and naturally gluten-free. Crispy golden tops and lightly sweetened with honey, they're the perfect side dish to any meal!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 32 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 133kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Muffin tin
• Muffin liners

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup any milk I used whole milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil or any mild oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup + 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal fine
• 2 cups almond flour super fine

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line muffin tin with parchment paper liners. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add eggs, milk, butter, maple syrup, vinegar and whisk well until combined. Then add baking powder, baking soda, salt and whisk again until no small lumps are visible.
• Add cornmeal and almond flour, then mix with spatula just until combined.
• Divide batter between openings of a muffin tin, bake for 7 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake for another 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy hot or warm with a bowl of soup, chili or as a side dish.

Video

Notes

• Store: Cool muffins completely, store them in an airtight container lined with paper towels for 2-3 days.
• Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 321mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

The post Healthy Cornbread Muffins appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Here’s a look at How to Freeze Muffins so they stay fresh for 3 months. I’ll also share some helpful tips on thawing and reheating, so they remain fluffy.

Make a big batch of healthy muffins last longer by knowing how to freeze muffins correctly. My method is super easy, so you can enjoy your favorite healthy breakfast or healthy snack for months to come!

No more eating soggy or dry leftover muffins, although I share lots of tips how to store muffins for days so they stay fresh.

And in this post is everything you need to know about freezing muffins!

How Long to Store Muffins Before Freezing?

If you’re not planning on freezing your muffins right away, here’s how to best store them for the first few days.

• First 24 hours: After baking, let your muffins cool for 5-10 minutes in the muffin pan before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store them at room temperature on the counter covered with a clean kitchen towel.
• Up to 4 days: After the first 24 hours add a layer of paper towel to a large airtight container and place muffins inside in a single layer. Then add another layer of paper towel, seal with lid, and keep them on your counter for 4 days.

Supplies You Will Need

First and foremost, you’ll need Ziploc bags. I love them because they expand well and I usually wash them with warm soapy water, dry and reuse.

I do not love silicone reusable bags because they are very narrow and don’t expand, meaning you can’t fit many muffins in them. I also find they break along the seams eventually.

You’ll also need straws if you decide to suck air out of the bag, which I highly recommend!

How to Freeze Muffins

Here’s a quick overview of how to freeze muffins, this method works with any healthy muffin recipe.

• Bake and cool: Bake your batch of muffins as per recipe and let them cool, first in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, then on a wire rack.
• Transfer to freezer bag: Without overlapping, place as many muffins as you can into a gallon size Ziploc bag. You can also wrap each muffin in plastic wrap individually and then in a bag.
• Remove air: Seal the bag, leaving a small opening and suck out air as much as possible. A straw really helps for this step!
• Freeze: Pop them in your freezer, making sure they are laying flat.

How Long Do Muffins Last in the Freezer?

You can store muffins in your freezer for 3 months. Technically could be for up to 6 months but I do not love the stale smell and taste they get after 3 months.

How to Thaw and Reheat Muffins

Remove frozen muffins from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Or thaw in the fridge overnight and warm in the microwave.

If you’re not thawing the whole bag remember to remove air and reseal the bag before placing them back in the freezer.

If you have a sudden muffin craving place an unwrapped muffin on a paper towel or microwave-safe plate and reheat in the microwave. I find 15-20 seconds is perfect but may need a bit longer depending on muffin size.

You can also wrap your muffin in foil, place on a baking sheet, and reheat in the oven for 10-15 minutes on 350 degrees F.

5 Tips for Best Results

• Cool muffins completely: If the muffins are even a tiny bit warm when transferred to a container or bag the condensation will collect and you’ll end up with soggy muffins.
• Remove as much air as possible: Excess air in the bag allows ice crystals to form around the muffins which causes freezer burn and increased moisture when thawed. Get as much air out as possible, so your muffins don’t turn soggy once thawed.
• Don’t freeze too long: Maximum recommended freezing time is 3 months. Any longer and the smell, texture, and flavor will be off.
• You can thaw at room temperature: It is safe to thaw little quick breads at room temperature and should only take 2-3 hours.
• Reheat after thawing: I find muffins taste freshly baked when I reheat them after thawing instead of from frozen.

How to Freeze Store-Bought Muffins

Can you freeze muffins from the bakery or store? Yes! They are most likely already cool, so you can go straight to transferring them in a bag, removing air with a straw, and placing them in the freezer.

Storing Other Breads and Muffins

This storing method is foolproof and works great with your favorite quick breads, gluten free muffins, mini muffins, protein bagels, or scones.

So get baking, have fun, and stock your freezer!

FAQs

Reader Favorite Muffin Recipes to Try

• Almond flour banana muffins
• Healthy banana muffins
• Healthy carrot muffins
• Healthy zucchini muffins
• Healthy blueberry muffins
• Healthy banana zucchini muffins

Easy Muffins for Beginners

• Lemon muffins
• Healthy chocolate chip muffins
• Healthy banana chocolate chip muffins
• Almond flour yogurt muffins
• Chocolate zucchini muffins
• Oat flour banana muffins

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How to Freeze Muffins

Here's a look at How to Freeze Muffins so they stay fresh for 3 months. Plus tips on thawing and reheating, so they remain fluffy.

Course Muffins and Quick Bread

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Freezing Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 11kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Ziploc bags
• Wire rack
• Large plastic container
• Straws

Ingredients

• 1-12 muffins

Instructions

• Bake muffins as per recipe and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
• Place muffins in a gallon size Ziploc bag, as many as you can fit comfortably.
• Seal almost shut, leaving a small opening. Insert straw in it, suck out as much air as possible, remove straw and seal immediately.
• Lay muffins flat in a freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. Muffins should be frozen solid after 4 hours.

Notes

Thaw: Defrost muffins in the fridge overnight or on a countertop for 1-2 hours.

Reheat: Reheat muffins from frozen or thawed in a microwave in 30 seconds increments. Air fryer is also great for that!

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.1g

The post How to Freeze Muffins appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are light and fluffy with a rich creamy center, and sweet streusel topping. They’re the perfect breakfast on a cool crisp morning.

If pumpkin is your favorite fall flavor these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and banana pumpkin muffins are a must try!

Simple, delicious, and in season, these pumpkin cream cheese muffins are a win-win-win. Perfectly sweet with layers of flavor, I’m loving this addition to my collection of healthy muffin recipes!

Whether it’s a filling in healthy pumpkin muffins or the topping on a healthy pumpkin cake, cream cheese and pumpkin are a match made in heaven.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Uses entire can of pumpkin: Just like with healthy pumpkin bread, we use an entire can of pumpkin puree which keeps these pumpkin spice muffins moist for days.
• Starbucks copycat: You can still hit the drive thru for a PSL, but skip the extra calories with this healthier Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins recipe.
• Versatile with flour: Make them with white flour for more of a dessert, sort of like a healthy cupcake, or whole wheat flour for a healthy breakfast or snack.
• Refined sugar free: Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and no added sugar, except the streusel topping.
• Easy: No electric mixer required! These homemade muffins are easy and make your home smell like a bakery.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Cream cheese pumpkin muffins are made with simple ingredients and warm fall spices, I’m betting you already have most on hand.

• Cream cheese: Bring 5 ounces of plain cream cheese to room temperature, it can be from a block or a tub.
• Liquid sweetener: If you’re a fan, you know I always sweeten my healthy muffins with maple syrup or honey. For this pumpkin muffin recipe we’ll be using some for the muffin batter, and some for the sweet cream cheese filling.
• Eggs: 2 large eggs are needed for structure and binding.
• Pumpkin puree: Pick up the standard 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree, make sure the label does not read pumpkin pie filling. During fall I love making my own pumpkin puree, if you’d like to try it here’s how to cook a pumpkin and make puree out of it.
• Oil: A mild oil helps make your muffins super moist without adding strong flavor, I recommend avocado oil.
• Pumpkin pie spice: You can use store-bought or make your own pumpkin pie spice substitute, both add the well loved autumn flavor.
• Baking essentials: Pure vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Flour: I used all purpose flour this time for an indulgent treat, but you can also use whole wheat flour.
• Sugar: A little bit of sugar adds sweetness to the streusel topping. I’m a fan of cane sugar, you can go with any kind of sugar you like.
• Coconut oil or butter: To bring the streusel together you’ll need room temperature coconut oil or unsalted butter.

How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Pumpkin cheesecake muffins are divided into three parts: the muffin, the filling, and the crumb topping. Each section is super easy and the total prep time is just 15 minutes.

There’s a full recipe card below.

Preheat your oven to 375 F, spray muffin tin with cooking spray or add muffin liners.

• Make cream cheese filling: To a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and maple syrup together until smooth. Set aside.
• Make streusel topping: Same simple process as my raspberry muffins. Add flour, sugar, and coconut oil to a small bowl and mash with a fork until small crumbs form.

• Make muffin batter: To a large bowl, add the eggs, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well until smooth.
• Fold in flour: Add flour to the muffin mixture and gently mix just enough to combine.
• Add first layer of batter: Starting with the first layer, spoon 2-3 tablespoons of muffin batter in each muffin cup.

• Fill muffin pan: Next, add a spoonful of cream cheese filling then equally distribute the remaining pumpkin mixture on top.
• Top with streusel: Lastly, sprinkle the sweet crumb topping on top.
• Bake: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, roughly 22-23 minutes.
• Cool and enjoy: Remove pumpkin muffins from the oven, let them cool in the pan for the first 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips for Best Results

Make these pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling the best fall treat with these easy tips.

• To substitute pumpkin pie spice: Make your own! Mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Or just use cinnamon, measure with your heart up to 3 teaspoons.
• Use flour you like: Select from whole wheat flour, spelt flour, white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour and sub cup for cup.
• To hide cream cheese: I like it a bit protruding on top. But for more of a surprise, add only 1 tablespoon of batter to the bottom of muffin tin, then filling, and then majority of batter.
• Measure flour correctly: This is my top tip to avoid dry muffins. Measure correctly using the scoop and level method, scoop the flour into the measuring cup then level off with the flat edge of a knife.
• Don’t skip oil: A lot of times people like to substitute with applesauce, but don’t in this case. With its high moisture content you’d have to decrease the puree and both taste and texture will be off.
• Don’t over bake the muffins: Once your toothpick comes out clean, it’s time to remove them from the oven.

Variations

• Omit streusel: Even without the buttery crisp topping, these pumpkin cream cheese muffins will still be a huge hit.
• Cinnamon sugar topping: Add a fragrant cinnamon topping like I did with these apple cinnamon muffins, it’s really easy and adds so much flavor! Mix some cinnamon with sugar, brush muffin tops with melted coconut oil or unsalted butter, then dip.
• Add chocolate chips: Because no one ever turns down a chocolate chip muffin.
• Sliced almonds: Like in blackberry muffins, a sprinkle of sliced almonds make a wonderful crisp topping.
• Pumpkin seeds: Add more earthy pumpkin flavor with the addition of pumpkin seeds.
• Omit cream cheese: You could leave these muffins plain without the creamy filling, or add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt for a tangy pumpkin muffin.
• Other add-ins: There’s lots of ways to add flavor and texture. Toss in some walnuts, pecans, coconut flakes, raisins, or dried cranberries. If you love cinnamon, you could even swirl some in with the cream cheese filling.

How to Store

Store: Once muffins have cooled, place them in a resealable bag or airtight container. They’ll stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Freeze: Store muffins in a freezer safe airtight container and enjoy within 3 months.

FAQs

More Pumpkin Recipes to Try

• Healthy pumpkin chocolate chip bread
• Healthy pumpkin bars
• Pumpkin protein bars
• Almond flour pumpkin bread
• Banana pumpkin bread

Print

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are light and fluffy with rich creamy center, and sweet streusel topping. Perfect breakfast on a cool morning.

Course Muffins

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 48 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 316kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Muffin tin
• Muffin liners

Ingredients

For Cream Cheese Filling:

• 5 ounces cream cheese softened
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

For Streusel Topping:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar any kind
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter room temperature

For Muffins:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 2/3 cups pumpkin puree 15 ounces can, not pumpkin pie filling
• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 5 tablespoons any mild oil I used avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups flour

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Make cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, add cream cheese and maple syrup, then whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• Make streusel topping: In a small bowl, add flour, sugar and coconut oil. Using a fork, mash until small crumbs form. Set aside.
• Make muffin batter: In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk well to combine. Add flour and gently mix until combined.
• Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of muffin batter in each opening of a muffin tin, then top with approximately 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling, and finish with equal amount of remaining batter. Sprinkle streusel topping on top of all muffins.
• Bake muffins for 22-23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

• Store: To prevent muffins from drying, place in a resealable bag or airtight container and store on a counter for 2-3 days. Keep lid ajar if muffins start to get soggy.
• Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• Substitute pumpkin spice blend: Use 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Alternately, use 2-3 teaspoon of cinnamon if you are out of all other spices.
• Other flours: You can use the same ratio of whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 312mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g

The post Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Learn How to Store Muffins the right way! Here’s everything you need to know about keeping your homemade muffins fresh for days, weeks, or months.

To save time and money I’ll almost always make a double batch of healthy muffins, that way we can enjoy some fresh and store the rest for later because we all know they make the easiest breakfast or on-the-go snack!

But how long do muffins last? If stored correctly they’ll stay moist and flavorful for up to 3 months.

How to Store Muffins First 24 Hours

If you know the entire batch of muffins will be gobbled up in the first 24 hours, then storing muffins is easy.

Bake and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Then all you’ll need to do is cover them with a clean kitchen towel, that’s it! They’ll keep fresh at room temperature without drying out, even overnight.

How to Store Muffins for Up to 4 Days

Here’s a quick overview of how to store muffins for up to 4 days. Want a hint? The secret is paper towel.

• Cool: Let your muffins cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Storing them when they have even a little bit of warmth will result in soggy muffins.
• Line an airtight container: Grab a large plastic container and layer the bottom with paper towel, I find one large paper towel folded in half works great.
• Add muffins: Place muffins on top the paper towel in a single layer, then add another layer of paper towel on top. Don’t skip the additional layer! This will help absorb moisture from all sides.
• Store: Seal with airtight lid and store on a counter at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Why Do You Use Paper Towels?

The best way to store muffins is at room temperature, and paper towel is the key to peak freshness.

As muffins age, any moisture that forms will travel to the surface making them unpleasantly soggy. The paper towel acts like a sponge to soak up that moisture.

Another neat trick for removing moisture is using saltine crackers, just stick a few in the container.

Can I Store Muffins in the Fridge?

Most muffins no, because it alters their taste and texture. Regular whole grain muffins and banana muffins do well at room temperature.

However, some muffins are more wet than others like almond flour strawberry muffins and strawberry muffins.

Also many muffins made with almond flour, or any other nut flour, gluten free muffins have a lot of moisture. So do heavy on pumpkin puree muffins like healthy pumpkin muffins with cream cheese or any other heavy loaded fruit muffins like healthy apple muffins.

So I would say these types of muffins would benefit from refrigeration for 2 more days after initial 24 hour storage on a countertop. Then freeze after that.

Can I Freeze Muffins?

Yes! Here’s how to store muffins in the freezer and lock in flavor for up to 3 months. Also be sure to check out our full post how to freeze muffins for more tips and tricks.

Storing in a Ziploc bag is the easiest method.

In a single layer, set your muffins inside and suck out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn, I find using a straw helps. Seal the bag and set flat in the freezer.

You can also wrap each muffin in plastic wrap individually and then place in a bag.

How to Defrost Muffins

When you’re ready to enjoy a healthy treat grab a frozen muffin and let it thaw at room temperature.

Alternatively, place unwrapped muffin on paper towel and microwave, 20-30 seconds is perfect.

Top 7 Tips for Storing Muffins

• Cool in a muffin tin for 5-10 minutes: That initial 5-10 minutes in the pan allows them to cool slightly and keep their structure, but any longer in the hot pan and you run the risk of overbaked, dry muffins.
• Cool them completely: Make sure to cool muffins completely on a wire rack before storing in a container, the condensation will collect if they aren’t fully cooled.
• First 24 hours: Most muffins keep well covered with a kitchen towel on the counter for the first day.
• All muffins differ: Read your healthy muffin recipe carefully, some muffins need refrigeration after 24 hours or they get moldy fast.
• Humidity where you live matters: By the ocean, at sea level is less dry for me. If you live in the mountains or prairies, it is more dry. Any moisture from the air can make your muffins soggy but storing them in an airtight container will help.
• Replace paper towels: Check on the paper towels, if they get soggy after a day or two replace them for optimal freshness.
• Summer vs. winter: In the summer it’s more hot and more humid in most places, therefore you might have to freeze muffins sooner. Keep an eye on your muffins and watch out for signs of mold.

FAQs

Reader Favorite Muffin Recipes to Try

• Almond flour banana muffins
• Healthy banana muffins
• Healthy carrot muffins
• Healthy zucchini muffins
• Healthy blueberry muffins
• Healthy banana zucchini muffins

Easy Muffins for Beginners

• Lemon muffins
• Healthy chocolate chip muffins
• Healthy banana chocolate chip muffins
• Almond flour yogurt muffins
• Chocolate zucchini muffins
• Oat flour banana muffins

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How to Store Muffins

Here's everything you need to know how to store muffins fresh for days, weeks, or months the right way!

Course Muffins and Quick Bread

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 11kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Wire rack
• Large plastic container

Ingredients

• 1-12 muffins

Instructions

• Bake muffins as per recipe and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the first 24 hours, just cover them with clean kitchen towel and store on a counter.
• To store muffins for another 2-3 days, line large container with a lid with double folded paper towel. Place as many muffins on top as you can fit comfortably covering with another double folded paper towel sheet.
• Place lid on top and store on a counter for 2-3 more days.
• After transfer any leftover muffins into the freezer.

Notes

Reheat: Reheat muffins in a microwave in 15 seconds increments. Air fryer is also great for that!

Freeze: See our post on how to freeze muffins.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.1g

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Extra soft and moist Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins made with a full can of pumpkin puree and dotted with chocolate chips. Rise and shine with a healthy breakfast!

In the fall, we also make mornings easy with these healthy pumpkin muffins, healthy chocolate chip muffins and banana pumpkin muffins.

Any healthy muffin sweetened with chocolate chips is a winner in this household, and these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are the best! Rich pumpkin, warm fall spices, and gooey chocolate belong together.

This recipe came from my popular healthy pumpkin chocolate chip bread, I added a splash of vanilla and made irresistible bakery-style muffins.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No leftover pumpkin puree: Just like with healthy pumpkin bread, we rely on an entire can to make these muffins moist.
• Your choice of flour: Different types of flour that work with this recipe include whole wheat flour, spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour.
• Refined sugar free: Chocolate chip pumpkin muffins are fluffy and delicious with no added sugar, except chocolate chips. They taste decadent and make the perfect healthy snack or healthy dessert.
• Easy: All the prep is done in one bowl! No mixer needed, easy to make, and easy clean up.
• Moist: No dry muffins here! A full can of pumpkin puree adds sweetness and moisture. And if you love everything pumpkin, homemade pumpkin puree is perfect for all your fall goodies.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

This pumpkin chocolate chip muffins recipe is made with simple, pantry friendly ingredients. You can enjoy them now and throughout the year.

• Eggs: Add structure to the muffins.
• Pumpkin puree: You’ll need the standard 15 ounces canned pumpkin, make sure to get pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You can also use homemade pumpkin puree, it’s so easy! Here’s how to cook a pumpkin and make puree out of it, I like to keep it in the fridge for all my fall baking.
• Liquid sweetener: These healthy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey. Other liquid sweeteners would work too, but taste will be different.
• Oil: Stick to a mild oil like avocado oil or olive oil. You could substitute with the same amount of melted coconut oil or melted unsalted butter.
• Pumpkin pie spice: This warm spice helps deepen the pumpkin flavor. I like to make my own pumpkin pie spice substitute but you can use store-bought too.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds a deep, warm flavor and transforms these muffins from delicious to irresistible.
• Baking essentials: As always you’ll need baking powder, baking soda, and salt to help muffins rise, have structure, and enhance the other flavors.
• Flour: I’m all about using wholesome ingredients in my healthy muffins recipes, I recommend whole wheat flour or spelt flour. But you can also use white flour.
• Chocolate chips: I used dark chocolate chips but feel free to add semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips instead.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Bite into freshly baked pumpkin chocolate chip muffins in under an hour! Grab a bowl, mix your wet ingredients with dry ingredients and bake, it’s that easy.

Here’s a quick photo overview, there’s also a full recipe card below.

Start by preheating your oven to 425 F and spraying a 12 cup muffin tin.

• Make the batter: To a large bowl, add eggs, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine until no white lumps are visible. Next, add the flour and gently mix just enough until combined.
• Add chocolate chips: Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly incorporated so each bite is loaded with chocolate-y goodness.
• Fill the prepared muffin pan: Evenly distribute the batter, I always use my trigger ice cream scoop.
• Bake: Set them in the preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes, we start baking at a higher temperature for bakery-style dome top muffins. Then reduce to 375 F and bake for another 10-11 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, a few moist crumbs is OK.

Tips for Best Results

These tips help make this pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe the best.

• To substitute pumpkin pie spice: If you find yourself without pumpkin pie spice, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Or up to 3 teaspoons of just cinnamon.
• Flours that will work: Choose from whole wheat flour, spelt flour, white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour.
• Don’t use dry sweetener: I’ve created this recipe with the perfect wet to dry ratio therefore, granulated sugar will not work.
• Add more chocolate chips on top: I decided to add 3 extra chocolate chips on top each muffin to make them prettier.
• Measure flour correctly: If too much flour is added, your muffins will be dry. Scoop and level is the best way to correctly measure flour – scoop the flour into the measuring cup then level off with the flat edge of a knife.
• Don’t over bake the muffins: Remember all ovens and pans vary, it’s important to remove your muffins as soon as a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Use liners or skip: These muffins don’t stick and are easy to remove. Feel free to use parchment paper liners or skip all together.

Variations

• Add streusel: Make a crumb topping by mixing flour, sugar and butter together, just as I did for these raspberry muffins.
• Cinnamon sugar topping: Cinnamon and pumpkin are the perfect pair, and I loved the sweet topping on apple cinnamon muffins, so why not try it here?! Just whisk brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, brush the top of the muffin with melted butter or coconut oil, and dip the muffin until coated.
• Cream cheese: Add a creamy filling by swirling 1-2 teaspoons of cream cheese in the middle, follow the same method in healthy pumpkin muffins. This is sure to satisfy your craving for a Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffin.
• Add texture: Go crazy with add-ins and mix whatever you like into the pumpkin mixture. Try pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, or toasted coconut. You could also sprinkle pumpkin seeds or oats on top before baking.
• Spread: For breakfast and afternoon snacking I love spreading peanut butter or nut butter on top for extra protein.
• Switch up the chocolate chips: Try white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips instead.

How to Store

Store: Once cooled, place muffins in a resealable bag or airtight container and store them at room temperature for 3 days, this will keep them moist. If you notice they get too moist, keep the lid ajar a bit.

Freeze: Transfer to an airtight container and pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

FAQs

More Pumpkin Recipes to Try

• Almond flour pumpkin muffins
• Healthy pumpkin cake
• Healthy pumpkin pancakes
• Healthy pumpkin bars
• Pumpkin protein bars
• Almond flour pumpkin bread
• Banana pumpkin bread

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Extra soft and moist Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins made with a full can of pumpkin puree and dotted with chocolate chips.

Course Muffins

Cuisine North American

Diet Low Fat

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 37 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 256kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Muffin tin
• Muffin liners

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 2/3 cups pumpkin puree 15 ounces can, not pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
• 3 tablespoons any mild oil I used avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour or spelt flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips I used dark

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk well to combine. Add flour and gently mix until combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
• Using an ice cream scoop, distribute batter evenly between 12 openings of a muffin tin. I added 3 more chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
• Bake at 425 F for 7 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and bake for another 10-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove muffins from the oven, let them cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

• Store: To prevent muffins from drying, place in a resealable bag or airtight container and store on a counter for 3 days. If you notice they get too moist, keep the lid of a container ajar a bit.
• Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• Substitute pumpkin spice blend: Use 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Alternately, use 2-3 teaspoon of cinnamon if you are out of all other spices.
• Other flours: You can use the same ratio of whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 291mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 15g

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Sweet Apple Cinnamon Muffins are filled with fall flavors, grated apples, and dipped in a fragrant cinnamon topping. They’re quick, healthy, and delicious!

If you love everything apple, you’ll also enjoy these healthy apple muffins.

I personally need a bit more time before diving into all things pumpkin, but I am ready for my favorite fall apple cinnamon muffins recipe!

The flavors of fresh apples and warm cinnamon really shine in these healthy muffins. They remind me of an apple pie, only better, because you can enjoy it as a healthy breakfast or healthy snack.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Fluffy: The same batter base like for my healthy apple bread and healthy morning glory muffins, which have proven to bake tender and fluffy every time.
• Delicious topping: Just a dusting of sugar and cinnamon adds a slightly crumbly topping and irresistible taste.
• Nutritious: Made with whole wheat flour and sweetened with maple syrup, applesauce, and grated apples.
• Customizable: These cinnamon apple muffins can be made with whole wheat flour, spelt flour or all-purpose flour.
• Use up lots of apples: Apple season is in full swing, and this easy muffin recipe is perfect for using up a few of those fresh apples. If you have lots, you can even make your own Instant Pot applesauce!
• Easy recipe: You’ll only need one bowl, no mixer, and simple ingredients. Better yet, muffins are ready in 45 minutes and freezer-friendly, so they’re perfect for your busy back-to-school schedule.

Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Muffins

The best apple cinnamon muffins are made with everyday ingredients. Here’s a short list of everything you’ll need.

• Apples: Choose 3 sweet apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Gala apples. We will be grating them to add more moisture and sweetness, and you can peel them or keep the skin on for more nutrients.
• Eggs: Use 2 large eggs for binding and structure.
• Applesauce: I use unsweetened applesauce. You can use sweetened applesauce and end up with a bit more sweet muffins.
• Maple syrup: Any other liquid sweetener would work like honey or agave nectar. I prefer the hint of caramel flavor maple syrup adds to these apple muffins.
• Oil: Avocado oil or coconut would yield the healthiest results. Other neutral oils such as light olive oil or grapeseed oil would work too.
• Baking essentials: The muchly needed essentials for healthy muffins recipes include pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Flour: I used whole wheat flour. However, you can sub an equal amount of spelt flour or use all-purpose flour but will need more, see recipe card below.
• Cinnamon topping: Melted butter or coconut oil, sugar – I used coconut sugar, and cinnamon enhances the flavor of apples.

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins

The recipe for these apple cinnamon muffins comes in three folds – grating the apples, baking the muffins and then dipping them into the delicious topping (don’t skip!).

Here’s a step-by-step overview, there is a full recipe card below.

• Prep: Set your oven to 375 F, grab your muffin tin, add parchment paper liners (if using), and spray with cooking spray. Then grate apples on large holes of a box grater.
• Combine wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, oil and vanilla extract together until combined.
• Add dry ingredients: Add cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the same bowl and whisk until baking powder and soda are dissolved.
• Mix in apples: Transfer grated apples and stir.

• Add flour: Finish the batter by adding flour to the bowl and gently stirring just enough to combine. Be careful not to over mix, so muffins don’t turn out tough.
• Bake: Fill your prepared muffin pan with batter, the cups will be very full but should not spread. I always use my trigger ice cream scoop, so each muffin is the same size. Bake for 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Let muffins cool: After removing muffins from the oven, allow them to cool in the tin first for roughly 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until they have reached room temperature or completely cooled.

How to Add Topping to Apple Muffins

• Mix cinnamon sugar: In a medium size bowl, whisk sugar and cinnamon together.
• Brush muffin tops: Starting with one muffin, brush the top with the melted coconut oil or butter works well too.
• Dip in cinnamon sugar: Gently dip muffin top into the bowl with cinnamon sugar until it’s well coated.
• Finish muffins: Repeat the same three steps with the remaining apple cinnamon muffins and enjoy!

What Apples Are Best When Baking Muffins?

Truthfully, any apple is good for baking as long as they are sweet!

I recommend using any sweet variety such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, or Gala apples. I also like to combine one tart apple, like Granny Smith, with two sweet apples but that is 100% personal preference.

And if you have different sweet apples in your region I have not listed, go ahead and use them.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my top tips for making these fall favorite muffins.

• Grate the apples: Grate your apples on the coarse side of a box grater, they add moisture vs chopping them. Don’t grate them on the smallest holes because it will take a while and it will be more of an apple puree.
• Measure flour correctly: Scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with the flat edge of a knife. Don’t scoop the cup directly into the flour bag! The scoop and level method always yields better results.
• Don’t overbake: Your apple muffins could come out dry if baked for too long. Remove from the oven as soon as the toothpick comes out clean. A few crumbs is OK but not wet.
• Use any sugar in topping: Any sugar like turbinado sugar, cane sugar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coarse white sugar will add a sweet crust.
• Follow the recipe: I’ve kept this recipe simple but baking is a science, so be sure to follow the measurements and instructions.
• Don’t skip oil: Oil is important as it keeps the muffins moist and tender, and without even a little bit of fat your muffins will be rubbery.
• Don’t use granulated sugar: Only liquid sweetener will keep the wet to dry ingredient ratio. If you use granulated sugar, the batter consistency will be off.

Variations

Add up to 1/2 cup of each or 1 teaspoon of these simple variations to these already delicious cinnamon apple muffins.

• Nuts: An easy way to add crunch, taste, and extra nutrition is to incorporate nuts into the batter. You can add walnuts, pecans, or almonds as chunks or chop them, so they spread evenly throughout the mixture.
• Almond extract: Add a nutty flavor without the added crunch with a dash of almond extract.
• Dried fruit: Bring a pop of color and even more sweetness with dried apricots, cranberries, or blueberries.
• Coconut flakes: Unsweetened coconut flakes can be added to the batter mixture and the muffin top for a fun tropical twist.
• Chocolate chips: Because chocolate chips taste good in any muffin!
• Citrus: A splash of lemon, lime or orange juice and zest will enhance all the flavors.
• Streusel instead of cinnamon sugar: Just like in my raspberry muffins, you can make crumb topping by combining 1/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Mix until small crumbs form and sprinkle on top of muffins before baking.

How to Store

Store: Transfer muffins to an airtight container and keep them in a cool dry place for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Let them cool completely, then arrange in a single layer in either a resealable plastic bag or any freezer safe container with a lid. If using the bag method, be sure to remove as much air as possible. Straw works well to suck it out!

Set in the freezer and enjoy within 3 months.

FAQs

More Apple Recipes to Try

• Healthy baked apples
• Healthy apple crisp

More Muffin Recipes to Try

• Oat bran muffins
• Healthy pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin banana muffins
• Healthy carrot muffins
• Zucchini carrot muffins

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Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple Cinnamon Muffins are filled with fall flavors, grated apples, and dipped in a fragrant cinnamon topping. One bowl, easy recipe!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes minutes

Total Time 43 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 245kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Muffin tin
• Trigger ice cream scoop
• Box grater

Ingredients

For Muffins:

• 3 cups Honeycrisp, Fuji or Gala apples coarsely grated (3 large apples)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup applesauce unsweetened
• 2/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup mild tasting oil I used avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour or 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• Cooking spray I use Misto

For Cinnamon Topping:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line muffin tin with parchment paper liners and spray with cooking spray. Set aside. Grate apples.
• In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine. Then add cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk very well again, making sure baking powder and soda are dissolved.
• Add grated apples and stir. Add flour and stir gently just enough to combine. Do not over mix.
• Using large ice cream scoop, fill muffin 12 tin openings with batter. They will be very full. Bake for 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Remove muffins from the oven, let cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool until room temperature or completely.
• In a medium bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon, whisk. Brush each muffin top with coconut oil and dip it into cinnamon sugar until well coated. Repeat with remaining muffins.

Video

Notes

• Store: Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 3 days or in a fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Bake and cool muffins completely. Arrange in a single layer in resealable plastic bag or any container with a lid. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Apples: Best apples to use are any sweet variety like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady or Gala apples work. You can also use one sweet apple and one tart apple like Granny Smith. Grated is better than chopped, and it’s up to you if you want to peel it or not.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 238mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 18g

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