Healthy Apple Cider Muffins

Vegan; gluten, soy and nut free

Recipe by: Jennifer Coatanroch

I do love apple cider donuts! But I don't love the calories and unhealthy ingredients that go with them. Sure, it's totally okay once in a while, but why limit it to once in a while when you can have these healthy muffins whenever you want?!?!

Determined to come up with a healthy, vegan alternative to the classic Apple Cider Donut, this recipe was born.

A classic Apple Cider Donut has about 300 calories, 15g of fat, and 18g of sugar (refined). These muffins have 146 calories, 4g fat, and 10 grams of sugar. With ZERO refined sugars!

• These muffins are high in fiber and protein.

• Fiber helps to: Lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and inflammation, normalize bowel movements, control blood sugar levels, and helps to maintain a healthy weight (it keeps you feeling full, so you eat less and and feel full for longer than when you eat empty carbs!).

• Oats have been proven to help lower bad cholesterol. Research shows eating oats is linked to an average 7% drop in LDL cholesterol.

• Buckwheat is gluten free, a good source of fiber, and it is rich in minerals, antioxidants, and protein. It's also low in fat.

Dairy free, gluten free, nut free, soy free, refined sugar free... GUILT free. Enjoy with a cup of tea, or even with a scoop of dairy free ice cream!

Bon Appetit!

Serving ideas: top with nut butter or sunflower butter, or dip into plain yogurt…

Muffin variation ideas: replace applesauce with pumpkin, and add 1 tsp dried ginger; add raisins; add cranberries; top with pumpkin seeds...

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Healthy Apple Cider

Muffins

Healthy, vegan alternative to the classic Apple Cider Donut

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Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Yield: 12 muffins _________________________________________

Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup oat flour* (GF if necessary)

• ½ cup buckwheat flour (GF if necessary)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• ½ tsp allspice

Wet Ingredients

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1/3 cup plain yogurt (I use non-dairy)

• ½ cup maple syrup

• ¼ cup apple cider

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 fresh apple, diced (2 tablespoons reserved)

• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Spray a muffin pan with coconut oil or another nonstick spray.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients until evenly combined.

4. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients except the 2 tablespoons reserved diced apple, and mix well.

5. Stir the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. (If the batter fizzes up, it’s just the baking soda reacting with the apple cider vinegar.)

6. Pour the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups. Garnish the tops of the muffins with the reserved diced apple.

7. Bake muffins for 25-30 minutes (until a tooth pick comes out clean). Once done, let cool for a few minutes.

*To make oat flour, place old-fashioned oats in a blender (I use a Nutribullet), and blend until a flour forms (about 15 seconds). Store in the refrigerator.

*Although oats themselves don't contain gluten, they can get tainted with gluten when they're being processed or growing. If you are gluten free, be sure to get certified gluten-free oats.

Bon Appetit!!

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12.0

Amount Per Serving

Calories 146

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 4 g 6 %

Saturated Fat 2 g 11 %

Monounsaturated Fat 0 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g

Trans Fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %

Sodium 115 mg 5 %

Potassium 69 mg 2 %

Total Carbohydrate 25 g 8 %

Dietary Fiber 3 g 10 %

Sugars 10 g

Protein 3 g 7 %

Vitamin A 0 %

Vitamin C 2 %

Calcium 3 %

Iron 6 %

* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.