Muffins are so great. They are an easy and yummy breakfast option to grab when you are on the run, and  both kids and grownups alike love them. But commercially made muffins are often so filled with sugar that its like eating a cupcake. Turning a potentially handy breakfast or snack item into a bad choice.

I’ve cut out the bad stuff and filled these muffins with real ingredients your body will thank you for. The bit of cinnamon apple on the top gives you the feeling that you are eating something special, but your thighs won’t be as mad at you if you end up eating 2 or 3!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

2 medium-large apples, peeled, cored and diced small

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon dried ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 Tablespoon Whole cane sugar (evaporated cane juice)

1 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

¾ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ cup organic light cane sugar

¾ teaspoon + pinch of salt, divided

2 Tablespoons Kuzu (measure in rock form)

¾ cups soy or other nondairy milk

1/3 cups melted coconut oil

1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a standard muffin ti.

Peel, core and chop apple into small dice. In a small bowl, add apples, lemon juice, ginger, ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon, nutmeg, whole cane sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir to mix.

In a lightly oiled sauté pan, add the apples. Cover and let cook about 3-5 minutes over low/medium until apples are softened and some of the liquid has evaporated. They will be a bit gooey from the sugar. Set aside.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, the remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine. Add ½ of the apples to the flour mixture and stir to mix, coating the apples well.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and kuzu until dissolved. Add melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vinegar and vanilla and whisk to blend.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix enough to get rid of the large lumps, but do not overmix.

Using a ¼ cup measure, fill each well about 2/3 full. Divide remaining apple mixture to the top of each. Bake for 10 minutes then rotate and cook for 8-10 more. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife carefully around each muffin and turn pan over to release muffins.

Enjoy!