These apple protein muffins are quick and easy to make in one bowl! Filled with sweet apples and plenty of cinnamon spice, these apple muffins are hearty, healthy, and satisfying. A delicious snack or breakfast option that’s freezable too!
Muffins are always a hit in my house! They’re freezer-friendly, portable, and perfect for make ahead breakfasts and snacks. Some of our favorite muffins include pumpkin muffins and banana oatmeal muffin cups. And during the fall months, I make a ton of these apple protein muffins. They’re the perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors!
This is the kind of muffin that I would refer to as fuel food – it’s like a muffin on a mission. It’s purpose it to deliver protein and some carbs after a workout or first thing in the morning to get your day started off right! They just so happen to taste REALLY good too.
How Do You Make Muffins Healthier?
When I’m creating a healthy muffin recipe, there are three ingredients that I replace or reduce with more nutritious options: the white flour, the fat/oil, and the sugar. For these apple protein muffins:
- Use old fashioned rolled oats instead of all purpose flour. Oats work great in these muffins because the oats give them a nice hearty texture. If you use certified gluten-free oats, these muffins will naturally be gluten-free.
- Replace butter/oil with Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt in this recipe makes your muffins soft and moist, not dry.
- The apple in this recipe acts as a natural sweetener, so you will only need to use a small amount of sugar.
How Do You Make Apple Protein Muffins?
This is a simple one-bowl muffin batter made with oats, protein powder, egg whites, Greek yogurt, a small amount of sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. A generous amount of chopped apple is stirred into the batter too!
Start this recipe by pre-heating your oven to 350ºF. Prepare a muffin pan by either brushing each cup with a little coconut oil or spraying with some cooking spray. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Once everything is combined, divide evenly amongst 12-muffins. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
Variations:
- Try using chopped pear in place of the apple for a different flavor.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon maple extract for maple flavor.
- Throw in some raisins and/or chocolate chips for extra deliciousness!
What To Serve With Muffins:
One of my favorite ways to eat these healthy apple muffins is to crumble one on top of some Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. I highly recommend giving it a try. So good! Another delicious option is to serve these apple protein muffins with almond butter or peanut butter spread over the top. For a complete breakfast, add a piece of fruit and yogurt or scrambled eggs.
Can You Freeze Apple Muffins?
Muffins are one of my favorite foods to freeze. It is so great to have a healthy muffin treat ready-to-go for busy mornings or straight after a workout. Some tips for freezing and thawing muffins:
To Freeze:
- Allow muffins to completely cool to room temperature.
- Place muffins on a plate or tray in your freezer for about an hour until they are mostly frozen before packing them in an airtight container. This will keep them from getting smashed or from sticking together.
- Place your muffins in an airtight container like a sealable baggie to keep air out.
- Frozen muffins will stay good for up to 3 months.
To Thaw:
- You can let your muffins thaw at room temperature and this will take about 30 minutes.
- Or you can microwave your muffin for about 30 seconds.
- Another option is to wrap your muffin in foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes.
You’re going to love these wholesome, fruit- and protein-packed muffins. They’re absolutely delicious, perfectly sweet and satisfying!
Keep these muffins on hand for a quick, on-the-go breakfast or snack. I love having a batch of these on-hand instead of having to buy super sugary and processed alternatives.
These muffins are high in protein and are perfect for a post-workout snack. What are some of your favorite post workout meals? Do you try to get some protein in after a workout? I would love to hear all about it down below. 😉
More Apple Recipes To Enjoy:
I’d love to know if you make this (or any) recipe! Tag @clean_and_delicious on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy, delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 apple, diced
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I used whey)
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp. turbinado sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.
- Prepare a muffin pan by either brushing each cup with a little coconut oil or spraying with some cooking spray.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Once everything is combined, divide evenly amongst 12-muffins.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
- Makes 12 muffins.
Kellie says
I made these this afternoon.
I had a fridge full of cherries so I used those instead of apple, and put a slither of banana on the top !! YUM !!
Kitchen smells divine.
Dani says
sounds good! enjoy:)
Jillian says
making these now! but mini!
Jillian says
Kitchen smells amazing i used vega protein and greens lil extra protein and 2 servings of greens hopefully they are amazin!
Nicholas says
Made these yesterday, I wasn’t totally disappointed(my own recipes pale in comparison), but they came out a tad dry, and a tad chewy and left me with the impression that more flavor could be infused in them. The only substitutions I made were regular salt for kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon of a stevia baking blend instead of turbinado sugar.
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You can see the texture is a bit rubbery in the last picture there. Was this due to a technical error on my part or are they supposed to be like that?
Any idea how I could make these a bit fluffier?
Perhaps whole eggs instead of eggwhites? maybe add a bit of applesauce to the batter?
I’d love to get your input.
Oh. I made your “protein pancakes” and shredded salsa chicken today. Both were great!
I used raisin bran crunch instead of fiber one, and added two tablespoons of raisins to match, but I was extremely happy with the recipe regardless!
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Dani says
By nature, these muffins are bit dry and rubbery b/c of the protein content. I so think whole eggs would make a difference – so that may be worth a try. PS – thanks for the photos. So fun to see them.
Shayne says
Thank you for these 🙂 I made them twice already and thought they were awesome. I did modify it a little by using 1/2 an apple and 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce as I didn’t have a full cup of yogurt – used the single serving 5.3 – 6 oz containers that were in the fridge. Then I made it again with 1/2 a pear as I was out of apples at that point – either way, they were perfect
Dani says
Perfect! I’m glad your substitutions worked and you enjoyed them 🙂
Genie says
Has anyone tried freezing the muffins before baking? Can they be frozen after baking and cooling? I cook only for myself but would love to have a freezer friendly alternative. Thanks to all for the comments and hoping everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving!
Dani says
Hi Genie, hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, too! I haven’t tried freezing before baking, but they can definitely be frozen after baking and cooling. Enjoy!
Lenore says
Dani, you are so right about accepting your body for what it is ! Not to say we can’t still aim at losing or gaining a bit of extra weight, a few stronger muscles or whatever. But the idea of appreciating what we have, is so much better than being critical! Thank you, very well articulated.
Dani says
Thanks Lenore, I’m so glad the message resonated. xo
Jess says
Can i Just omit the yogurt? I am trying to cut out dairy, so I was wondering if I can leave it out or maybe substitute? 🙁
Dani says
I don’t think omitting it would work. You may be able to sub in some applesauce… but I havent actually tried this myself so I’m not positive. Let me know if you decide to give it a try!!
Linda says
I am wondering how long would these last stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator? Anyone?
Thanks in advance!
Dani says
They will happily last up to 5 days!
Aimee says
I only have quick oats — will those suffice? I’ve been experimenting with protein-snack-baking, so thanks so much for publishing this!
Dani says
I think that would work just fine 😉
Sarah says
These are delicious little bite size breakfast snacks! I did add some nutmeg and cloves, because I’m a little crazy about spices. I also think that they turned out a little bit better as breakfast cookies rather than breakfast muffins. The texture lended itself better to the cookie form. I made the first batch as muffins, and then the second batch as cookies.
Dani says
This is a great tip Sarah!! I want to try them as a cookie. thanks for sharing.
Christiana says
Hi Dani,
what can I use instead of vanilla protein powder?
Can I use almond flour or coconut flour? If so, what quantity?
Dani says
Hi Christiana, this is meant to be a protein muffin, so swapping in flour for the protein powder may not work very well. I wish I could be of more help, but I would need to experiment with that one.