These wholesome kid-friendly Apple Cinnamon Muffins are filled with whole wheat, fiber-rich apples, pecans, dried cranberries and heart-healthy olive oil. While I first made them for a healthy snack for the girls, they have quickly become our favorite go-to breakfast on crazy mornings.

Graphic for post - apple cinnamon toddler muffins - whole wheat - dairy free! - with muffins in a muffin tin.

It’s Muffin Monday peeps!! Who’s excited?!?!

Nah.. you didn’t miss anything, there really is no such thing. But in my world, there should always be a warm pan of muffins sitting on your counter and ready to eat on the most dreadful day of the week – Monday morning.

So glad we can agree on that!

But I’m taking it back, the most dreadful morning is ANY morning where your baby/toddler/kid doesn’t sleep through the night and instead thinks it’s time for a 2 o’clock crib dance party (thanks but no thanks Parker) or needs you and only you to put socks on their feet in the middle of the night (really Ellie REALLY?!?).

For us moms, dreadful mornings are probably happening more then once a week.

So to that, we can make these tasty muffins any day of the week! Score for us!

psssst.. you can also make these even if your baby/toddler/kid does sleep all the way through the night, but you only get to have one muffin;)

So while these muffins aren’t nearly as glamours as some other apple cinnamon muffins out there on the web (see this or this recipe) where I want to lick the screen and then fall into a endless sugar coma.

Not that I don’t want to have one of those muffins sitting next to me right now with my last cup of coffee for the day.

But have you ever given your toddler a muffin with a crumble topping?

Please do it at least once for funzies <—– and yes, I have a five year old slang vocab. Deal!

Toddlers tend to consume all of the crumble topping (I don’t blame them in the slightest) and any crumble that doesn’t get woofed into their tiny mouth falls onto your just vacuumed carpet (it is always on the JUST vacuumed carpet!) along with the entire remaining muffin. Then 20 minutes later, you have a little monster on your hands. Well, the little monster part usually happens for me regardless of crumble consumption, not saying a snack made entirely of sugar and butter helps any.

I like to think of these apple cinnamon muffins as not a piece of carb candy or dessert, but really as a humble wholesome harvest muffin that you can serve for a healthy breakfast or an any-time snack and feel good about it.

apple muffin with a knife next to it.

The kind that are so simple that they get overlooked in the apple muffin line up.

But don’t let their humbleness fool you. These muffins have it going on.

Moist and tender with just enough crunchy and chewy goodies to keep your attention. They are filled with maybe a little too much cinnamon and allspice but rounded out with a good pour of heart-healthy olive oil.

Because putting some yummy goodies inside of a muffin is a must. MUST!

These muffins are so good that Ellie grabbed two of them from the muffin pan that was cooling on the counter and started nibbling on them while Parker was following her around the house acting like a freaked out muffin zombie…  Graaaaph! Mufffiinnnnnn! Graaaaa!!! Minnnnnnneeee!

Nope. Sisters don’t always share.

apple muffin next to a tray of muffins cut in half with butter on top.

apple muffin with a knife next to it.

Get the recipe: APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS

5 stars (5 ratings)
These wholesome kid-friendly Apple Cinnamon Muffins are filled with whole wheat, fiber-rich apples, pecans, dried cranberries and heart-healthy olive oil.

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (see notes)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/3 cup olive oil, avocado oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup applesauce or apple puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1 apple, grated
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line or spray a standard or mini muffin pan.
  • Take the grated apple and layer between a couple paper towels, pressing down slightly to soak up some of their juices.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice.
  • Add in olive oil, applesauce, egg and grated apple and mix until batter is just combined.
  • Stir in pecan and cranberries until just combined.
  • Evenly scoop batter into muffin tin, filling 3/4 of the way and bake for 25-30 minutes for standard muffins or until a toothpick comes out clean. For mini muffins bake for 20-22 minutes.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

Notes

Age: 1 year and up
Yield: 12 standard muffins or 36 mini muffins
Storage: 1 week in fridge or on counter in air-tight container. Will freeze well for 2 months.
Flour Notes: You can use whole wheat, white whole wheat, all-purpose or gluten free flour in this recipe.
Sugar Note: You can sub out the sugar for maple syrup or stevia but honey did not work for me in this recipe.
Toppings: You can also use chopped walnuts, raisins and dried blueberries in this recipe. If you want a more densely filled muffin you can add up to 2 cups of extras for a more goodies per bite ratio:)

Did you make this recipe?

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