Healthy Apple Protein Muffins

Ok ok, I know you've heard me talk about apples galore the last few weeks but I swear this is the last apple recipe you're going to see for a while! This was the last 30 apples we had and I just went crazy trying to make something out of them, so a ton of applesauce was made and these delicious little bit-size snacks for Aiden's lunches and mama's mid-afternoon snack attack.

I'm really not that big on snacking. I often feel too busy to stop for snacks, and I personally prefer to have larger main meals that make me feel fuller longer. But kiddos are snacking machines, and I like to have something healthy on hand for late-night cravings that I can't kick with a tea or bone broth.

So my process when I bake (95% of the time) is to (1) find ways to make it taste great with less sugar, and (2) add protein. Most baked goods are usually super sweet and really carb heavy, and not that carbs are "bad", but these two factors alone are a big reason why you get a crash and feel hungry again soon after consuming something like this. So reducing the sugar, and balancing it with protein will help to make you feel fuller, balance your blood sugar levels, and avoid the crash.

A note on protein before you jump in:

I used my favourite clean plant-based protein powder from Isagenix (IsaPro Vanilla), which is made of a blend of brown rice protein and pea proteins. There are a bit of carbs in this protein powder because of it being plant-based, and so it will act a bit like flour and the dry ingredients. When you use a dairy-based protein powder like whey, or substitute for things like Greek yogurt (wet ingredient), you will need to play around with the proportions of dry ingredients. So I can't speak to what your muffins will turn out like if you substitute here, so my suggestion is to use a plant-based protein powder like the one I use, or sub it out completely for regular flour. It just won't be a high protein muffin, but it will be just as tasty!

We tested this recipe twice before posting this, so I feel pretty confident that you and your family will love it too if you give it a try! It's also a great weekend activity to do with the kiddos if you're looking for something to do :)

Enjoy!

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Healthy Apple Protein Muffins

Prep time: 15min | Bake time: 18-20min | Total time: 33-35min | Yield: ~15 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose baking flour (I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour)

• ½ cup vanilla Isagenix IsaPro plant-based powder (substitute equal parts baking flour if you don't have/want to use protein powder)

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup grated apple (~2 apples)

• 1 cup apple diced into ¼” cubes (~2 apples)

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil

• ½ cup honey

• 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature

• ½ cup plain 2% Greek yogurt

• ½ cup applesauce (You can grab my recipe for homemade applesauce here)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, for sprinkling on top

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place muffin holders in the tin or grease all 12 cups in your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Blend well with a whisk. Add the grated apple (if it is dripping wet, gently squeeze it over the sink to release some extra moisture) and chopped apple. Stir to combine.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil and honey and beat together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the yogurt, applesauce and vanilla and mix well. (If the coconut oil solidifies in contact with cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30 second bursts.)

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). The batter will be thick, but don’t worry! Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with brown sugar. Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

5. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (if they last that long ;) )