I love these super moist and tender apple protein muffins. These yummy little snacks are protein-packed, 100% healthy, naturally sweetened with maple syrup (could be replaced with honey) and extra easy to make. They are the perfect on-the-go, clean eating breakfast or post-workout lunch. These are also gluten-free, dairy-free and can be made vegan by replacing the eggs with flax eggs or applesauce.
It’s been almost two weeks since my last post already! Wow! Life goes fast. It’s summer and boy… So many things to work on around the house!
Anyway, back to the blog, finally!
I made these muffins last week. I needed some quick snacks while working hard outside the house. There are only 24 hours in a day (wish there was more!) and I needed to maximize my working time, so I didn’t really stop to have a proper lunch. These were little life savers!
Healthy on-the-go breakfast and snack recipes like these blueberry protein bars are very popular around the house, they disappear pretty fast! So I always try to come up with new recipes to try to mix things up a little bit
Why apples this time? Well, I simply had a bunch of apples which were about to turn bad, so making muffins was the perfect way to make the best use of them.
Apple Protein Muffins
This recipe is 100% healthy, as always. They are made without using any unhealthy fats (close to being fat-free, actually!) and processed sugar-free.
But what I prefer about them is actually their texture! Who knew they would get so cakey and moist while being entirely flourless? Clean eating recipes like these always puzzle me.
I mean, why are people still baking with all-purpose flour?
For this recipe, I seeded the apples and processed them, skin on, in a food processor for a few seconds.
For a different texture, you could dice them, it’s all about personal preference.
The top part of these muffins is totally kid-approved… My 2-year-old literally DEVOURED the top part of half of this batch.
“Another one Daddyyyyy”
#lifewithatoddler
Which type of protein powder should be used? Use the one you have on hand, really. As long as it is vanilla flavored or flavorless, it’ll do the trick.
Happy baking!
More Breakfast Recipe(s)
Apple Protein Muffins
Ingredients
Whey Version
- 2 cups rolled oats divided
- 1 cup vanilla protein powder*
- 2 large apples seeded
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp baking powder
Plant-Based Version
- 1 3/4 cups rolled oats divided
- 1/4 cup vanilla plant-based protein powder (I used VEGA)
- 2 large apples seeded
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 cup plant milk plain
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Prepare a muffin pan with paper muffin cups or grease with coconut oil.
- IMPORTANT: Turn 1 cup rolled oats into a fine flour using a food processor (about 1 minute).
- Process the seeded apples, skin on, in a food processor for about 10-15 seconds. They should have the same texture as if they were shredded.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients and stir well.
Divide the batter among 10 to 12 muffin tins, filling them all the way to the top. (Nutrition information is for 10 muffins)
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
For the Plant-Based Version
Same instructions, except:
- Process 3/4 cup rolled oats (instead of 1 cup)
- Bake for 28-30 minutes (instead of 18-20))
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information was calculated for the whey version only.
These sound amazing! Since many protein powders are different, how many grams of protein were in your 1 cup?
Hi Lauren,
1 cup of the particular protein powder I used weighs 117 grams. (Whey powder)
Hope that helps! =)
Thanks for sharing! These look so good! Do you have a favorite brand of protein powder?
Yum! I can’t wait to try these! About how long do they last? Thanks!
Hi Suzanne!
They will last a week in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer.
Cheers!
I have/ already prepared oat flour. How much does 1 Cup of oats after they are ground
1 cup of oats will give you 3/4 cup oatmeal flour, more of less.
Happy Baking!
Have you tried making mini muffins with this recipe??
Hi Krissy!
No, I haven’t, but they do hold very well together so I wouldn’t think there would be any problem doing so.
Happy baking! =)
Hi, Gabriel, just took a batch of these delicious looking muffins out of the oven! I’m a little confused, though, at the start of the recipe it says 10 servings and gives the calories, but in the recipe it says to divide among 12 muffin cups. My daughter is working hard to lose weight and counting calories religiously, so want to be able to tell her correctly! Where in Canada are you? I spend 6 months a year in Cape Breton. Thanks a million! ~karen
Hi!
Nutrition information was calculated using 1/10 of the whole recipe. So if you made 10 muffins of a similar size, you have the correct info. Not sure how that typo happened, but the number of servings has been modified in the recipe text to avoid further confusion. Thanks for letting me know!
I live in the Montreal area (QC).
Hope you like the muffins! =)
What if you don’t have a food processor, will a blender or ninja do the same?
Hi Jillian,
Although I haven’t tried your particular unit, what I think is this:
A blender will turn anything you put inside into a fine flour/puree pretty quickly. What I would suggest is that you process the oatmeal using your Ninja, but chop the apples using a knife, or else you might end up with semi-pureed applesauce instead of chopped/shredded apples.
Now, I don’t think it would be catastrophic, but the muffins will not have the same texture as the ones in this recipe, and since I haven’t tried making these with applesauce instead of shredded apples, I will not recommend.
Hope that helps
Happy baking! =)
Your comment about the egg substitue of either flax eggs or applesauce; how much applesauce would be used in place of the eggs?
Hi Darlene,
1/2 cup of applesauce will do the trick. As a general rule, you can replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup applesauce in a baking recipe.
Happy baking!
I made these with Granny Smith apples and they came out really bland. I can’t think of what else would affect the flavor… did I use the wrong type of apples?
Hi Lizzy,
If you’d prefer them to have a more intense apple flavor, try replacing the 2 eggs with 1/2 cup applesauce.
Happy baking!
Is it a typo that the plant-based version only requires 1/4 cup of protein powder when the whey version requires 1 full cup?
Yes 1/4 is the exact measurement. Plant-based protein powder absorbs much more moisture than whey.
HI, you say divide the oats – what’s the other half for, topping?
Do you think you could use powdered milk in place of the whey protein?? I really want to try these muffins but I never buy protein powder ~ it’s so expensive
Hi Morgan,
I can’t say for sure, but I would definitely give it a try, I don’t think it would change the recipe that much.
Hi Gabriel,
This is a wonderful recipe. I am on a very strict diet due to health issues and finding something that is agreeable for me is very difficult. The ingredients here are all safe for me. However, I live in Sri Lanka and we don’t get protein powder here. Is there anything I can use as a substitute ?
Hiranthi
Sent from my iPad
Oh hi!!
First, let me thank you for your very, very kind comment. It feels so good to know that my work is making a difference for some people, as it is the main reason why I started this blog in the first place!
As for your question, simply replace 1 cup whey protein powder for an additional 1/3 cup oat flour, 1 tsp vanilla extract and as protein powder brings some sweetness to the recipe, you might also want to add 1-2 drops liquid stevia, but this is optional. =)
Happy baking and I’d love to know how you liked the muffins!
Gabriel
Hi! I’m excited to try these muffins. Have you tried using a plant based milk? If so, which one or do you have a recommendation if not?
Thank you!
Hi Natasha!
Any plant-based milk will do, as long as it is unsweetened. I use unsweetened almond milk for most of my recipes.
I’d love to know how they turned out!
Happy baking! =)
Please help! I made these with a plant based protein but they came out very mushy even after baking for 45 minutes. What did i do wrong? By the way, the warm mush tasted delicious, but would love for them to be actual muffins 😊
Hi Jennifer!
It is hard to tell exactly what went wrong. Maybe it is the type of plant-based protein you used? Or maybe you put too much of one of the ingredients by mistake?
Mushy means too much liquid (or not enough dry ingredients to absorb moisture). For your next recipe, I would suggest using the same brand or protein powder I have used (Vega). Also, make sure to follow the measurements carefully. Always check your muffins with a toothpick before you finish baking them. You did the right thing by increasing baking time.
Hope that helps, and I’d love to know how your next batch turned out!
Made these this morning and they smell like apple pie is baking. Definitely super moist! I used Atkins Vanilla powder because that’s what I had on hand and it seemed to work pretty well. Not sure if I didn’t ground everything up fine enough because I ended up with 16 muffins, but I’m not complaining because they are delicious. I also threw in Tablespoon of Flax meal for good measure. Thank you for the recipe.
You are very welcome!! =)
Can you make the plant based muffins with 2 eggs instead of applesauce?
Hi Courtney!
Yes, I believe it would work perfectly.
Happy baking! =)
Quick question – the 1 cup of oats you grind to powder, what do you do with the other cup – just mix it in as is??
Thank you!
Yes, exactly! 😉
I am getting ready to make my second batch of these muffins. I wanted to thank you for this wonderful recipe! Muffins are so moist and tasty and healthy too.
Hi Terri,
Thank you for such a nice comment! So glad you like them! =)
Have a great day!
Hello 🙂 Really excited about this recipe but wondering if I can use Gluten-Free oats? I’m assuming the gluten in the oats is what works as the binding agent as there’s no flour – any advice on using GF oats instead?
Hi Marie, yes GF oats is perfectly fine!