These apple and granola breakfast muffins will guarantee a delicious start of the day! Packed with juicy raisins and sweet dates, as well as tart apples and some crunchy granola. They have soft, fluffy and moist crumb, and will make a delicious addition to your breakfast, but could also be enjoyed as a healthy snack, on their own.
Best part of this recipe is that it is super quick and incredibly easy to make. There is no fancy equipment, and all the mixing is done by hand, in one bowl. As they are largely sweetened with dates, these muffins are much healthier and lower in sugar than many other options out there.
Apple season is in full swing, and this recipe, along with my Apple Crumble Cupcakes, is another great way to use them up. There is something very comforting about that apple cinnamon combination, not to mention that it always makes the house smell so good!
Granola works great in this recipe, it adds extra texture to the muffin, and creates this super crunchy topping. They are stuffed with raisins and dates, which are a great source of energy and fibre. Plus, they also add extra sweetness to the muffins without adding millions of calories!
Ingredients
This quick and easy apple cinnamon muffins recipe is made out of 12 ingredients. Here's what you will need:
- Dry ingredients: self-raising flour, golden caster sugar, cinnamon, granola, dates and raisins.
- Wet ingredients: extra-virgin olive oil, milk, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and apples.
If you don't have any self-raising flour, you can use plain flour instead. As self-raising flour already has baking powder added to it, you will need to add some to your plain flour. For this granola muffins recipe, I would recommend using 300g of plain flour mixed with 2 ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
Golden caster sugar is often my go-to, when it comes to baking, but you can also use white caster or granulated sugar. Brown sugar will also work well.
As for the apples, I opted for Granny Smith, but any type or variety can be used here.
Instructions
Making these apple granola muffins couldn't be easier! As mentioned above, this recipe doesn't require any fancy equipment. The hardest and most time consuming part is to peel, core and grate the apples. But after that, it's plain sailing.
Start by placing the flour, sugar, cinnamon, granola (reserve small amount for the topping), raisins and chopped dates in a large bowl. Mix to combine all of these ingredients.
Next, in a small jug, combine the olive oil, milk, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and add grated apples.
Use a large wooden spoon or spatula to combine all of the ingredients, until you have smooth, thick batter.
Divide the batter between the muffin cases and sprinkle each muffin with the remaining granola on top. Fill the muffin cases right up to the top. If you have any batter left over, use it to fill up two or three more paper cases in the second muffin tin.
Bake the breakfast muffins for 20-25 minutes (or few minutes longer if using jumbo tin), until they are golden brown, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. They can be eaten warm or cold, with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Substitutions
- To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free self-raising flour and gluten-free granola.
- Try it vegan! I made a vegan version of these muffins in the past and they are just as delicious! Use vegan yoghurt instead of eggs (you will need about 100g), and replace milk and buttermilk with vegan alternatives.
- Go sugar-free. Feel free to omit the sugar from the recipe. Dates and raisins have natural sugars in them, and will make the muffins sweet enough. But you can also add few extra dates to compensate for the lack of sugar.
Variations
- Swap raisins for dry cranberries or apricots, or use the combination of all.
- If you prefer, you can use chopped apples instead of grated apples in this recipe. I would recommend chopping them into 1 cm pieces. Or use the combination of some grated and some chopped apples.
Storage
You can store these apple granola muffins for up to 3 days. Keep them in the airtight container at room temperature. They will become a bit dry with time, but will still taste delicious with a morning cup of tea or coffee.
To freeze, wrap each muffin individually in a double layer of clingfilm, then transfer into freezer friendly bag. They will last for up to 3 months in your freezer. Thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Top tip
As with any of my muffin recipes, I recommend using an ice cream or cookie scoop to divide the batter between the muffin tins/ cases. It's really helpful, as this way all of the muffins will look identical.
Try not to over-mix the batter. Once you add the wet ingredients and grated apples into the dry ingredients, fold the mixture few times, but don't over-work it. My golden rule is to stop mixing, once you no longer can see the last ingredient added to the batter.
If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to drop them in the comments section below, and I will answer them promptly.
If you tried these Apple and Granola Breakfast Muffins or any other of my recipes, feel free to leave me a comment and a recipe rating. I love hearing from you!
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📖 Recipe
Apple and Granola Breakfast Muffins
Equipment
- kitchen grater
- 12 hole muffin tin or 6 hole jumbo muffin tin
- muffin cases
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples peeled, cored and grated
- 300 g self-raising flour
- 130 g golden caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 200 g dates pitted and chopped
- 80 g raisins
- 150 g granola
- 125 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 180 ml milk
- 60 ml buttermilk see notes for the alternative
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C fan). Line up the 12-hole muffin tin or 6- hole jumbo muffin tin with paper cases (if using jumbo tin, tulip-style cases will work really well). Prepare your apples and once grated, set aside. Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, dates, raisins and ¾ of the granola in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- In a small jug or a bowl, mix together olive oil, milk, buttermilk or kefir, eggs and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and add grated apples (if you have lots of juice from the apples, try to drain some of it before adding them to the mix). Using a spoon or spatula, mix the ingredients to combine. The batter is ready to use, but you can also rest it for 45min- 1 hour, if you'd like, this will produce slightly taller muffins.
- Divide the mixture into prepared muffin tin, then sprinkle on top with the remaining granola. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, or until inserted in the middle skewer comes out clean. Enjoy!
Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for a more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
- You can use any type/ variety of apples in this recipe. I used Granny Smith, because I like their sharper taste.
- If no self-raising flour is available, use the same amount of plain flour but add 2 ½ teaspoon of baking powder to it.
- Buttermilk can be replaced by the same amount of kefir or yoghurt. You can also make your own buttermilk by combining the same amount of milk with ¼ teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Let the mixture sit aside for 3-5 minutes, allowing it to curdle.
- Store the muffins in the airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, wrap each muffin in a double layer of clingfilm, and place in the freezer friendly bag. Thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2018. It has been updated with new photos, tips and revised recipe in September 2021.
The recipe is adapted from Donna Hay Apple Granola Muffins
Toni
Such an amazing day starter! Everyone at my house loved these muffins!
Anna
That is great to hear Toni, thank you very much!
Amy Roskelley
Love this recipe!
Anna
Thank you!
Kayla DiMaggio
These muffins are so perfect! I love a good grab and go breakfast! Can't get enough of these!
Anna
They are my favourite breakfast on the go too, thank you Kayla!
Audrey
My family loved these!
Anna
That's so great to hear, thanks Audrey!
Rachel
I’ve made these twice now and they’re delicious! I did use regular yogurt and cows milk. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
annabanana
Hi Rachel, thanks so much for your lovely feedback! I'm so happy to hear that you've been enjoying this recipe!
Jenna-lea
Thanks for the recipe. I adapted it a little with ingredients I had (cows milk, extra spice, some seeds, plain full cream yoghurt). They’re delicious and somehow I got 24 out of the mix. Yum!
annabanana
Hi Jenna! Thanks so much for this great review, I'm so happy to read that! And yay for the extra muffins!!! 😉
Jess @ Living on Leaves
Mmmm, these look so good! I love eating cake for breakfast so will have to try these as they make a healthier alternative to the type I usually eat!!
annabanana
Hey Jess!
Cake for breakfast is always a good idea! 😉 I'm so glad you like this recipe, thanks so much for popping by!
Nicole | What She Ate
Beautiful muffins! Better than you'd find in any bakery! I imagine these don't last long in your house.
annabanana
Hah, you imagine that right Nicole!
Thanks so much for kind words! Glad you like them!
Jen
mmm muffins this one looks good
annabanana
thanks Jenny!
Cassidy
Ohhh, these sound delicious! I bet the granola on top is just perfect!
annabanana
It soooo is Cassidy!
It gives them that lovely crunch! And thanks so much, glad you like them.
Shaakya
Mmm apples and cinnamon and baked goods.... 😀 Also the addition of yogurt always elevates things, so I might make a simplified version of this one of these days when I want to be cozy:)
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter
Well Anna, I'm now dreaming of having these fluffy muffins in front of me right now! They look so scrumptious indeed. And well done for eating clean (this time it was ME stealing your chips from your plate yesterday, haha). Have a great weekend my beautiful friend xxx
annabanana
Hahaha! Hey Tania!
Thanks so much my lovely friend! And I don't mind you stealing my food 😉
Have a great week!
Darlene
They look delicious. How do they hold up in the freezer?
annabanana
Hi Darlene, thanks for stopping by! I honestly never tried freezing them (they never last long in my house), so unfortunately won't be able to tell. But please let me know if you try doing so and what results you've got!
Katarina
Hi, wich flour do you recommend for these ones if you want it gluten-free? 🙂 Looks delicious!
annabanana
Hi Katarina,
Unfortunately I do not have any recommendations, as I have not tested the recipe with gluten-free flour, so sorry, but can't help there. But I would love to know if you try it and have successful results! Good luck!
Tiffany
Yum! I bet granola in a muffin is delicious! I like how you changed up the ingredients to make it healthy. My 2 year old would love these as an after nap snack so I will be making these very soon!
annabanana
Thanks Tiffany!
That's great to hear! I hope you and the little one will like them!
Natalie
YUM! These muffins look soooo good and just perfect as a sweet breakfast (or even a pre-workout treat!). Can't wait to try it!
annabanana
Hi Natalie, and thanks so much!
They are perfect for any time of the day really 🙂 And happy to hear you will be trying it out, let me know what you think!
Leslie
A couple of these warm from the oven would be great right now! I'm fascinated by your muffin liners.
annabanana
Ahhh thanks Leslie! They are delicious while still warm! And the cases are called 'tulip cases' (at least here, in UK). Hope that helps 😉
Cliona Keane
These look like the perfect healthy breakfast! Perfect for on the go busy days!
annabanana
Thanks Cliona, they would be great for busy day, although they taste best almost straight from the oven!
Hope you will get to try them!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
These look so delicious - I would definitely opt for one of these for breakfast! What a great idea to use granola
annabanana
Thanks so much Bintu!
Granola works so well in this recipe, glad you also like it!