Apple cider muffins are soft, sweet and bursting with apple flavor. They’re also whole grain and naturally sweetened for a healthy fall breakfast or snack.

You know we love our healthy muffin recipes in this house.

My kids have been muffin munchkins since they were toddlers and we are showing no signs of slowing down. (They are currently 8 and 10.)

They eat spinach banana mini muffins and whole wheat pumpkin muffins all the time for lunch.

We have whole wheat peanut butter banana muffins and healthy blueberry muffins for breakfast and also for school lunches on the regular.

And my healthy chocolate chip muffins are also a long-time favorite, from even before we had kids.

Today I’m sharing a fall favorite with these apple cider muffins.

They are soft, perfectly sweet and bursting with apple flavor from the apple cider and chopped apples in the mix.

They’ve also got a rustic, homey sort of feel to them with the oats and apple chunks running throughout the muffins. (Plus some optional walnuts if you’d like to add those.)

And bonus, they’re healthy! These are whole grain and naturally sweetened, so you can feel good about reaching for one any time of day.

Because they work for breakfast, but also for an anytime snack or for packing in a school lunch or grabbing for an on-the-go afternoon.

Such warm, cozy delicious flavors. They are perfect for healthy fall baking!

OK, let’s get to making some.

Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up below on how to make apple cider muffins. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on making apple cider muffins:

• Flour: I use white whole wheat flour, but you could easily substitute the same amount of all-purpose flour. Or use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour.
• Oats: You’ll need regular old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe. You could also use quick oats, but I don’t recommend substituting steel cut oats.
• Canola oil: You could also try substituting melted coconut oil or butter if you prefer.
• Apples: One large apple should be enough to yield 1 cup of chopped. Be sure to chop them small so you don’t have huge chunks of apple in your muffins. Any good baking apple, like Gala or Red Delicious, Braeburn, Jonagolds, Melrose, Rome and even Honey Crisp will work.
• Walnuts: These are optional but a good flavor add-in for these muffins.

Need this to be vegan? I haven’t tested it this way, but I think it would work. Here’s what I recommend.

How to make vegan apple cider muffins:

– Substitute two flax eggs for the eggs.

– Choose maple syrup or agave syrup instead of honey for the sweetener.

Now, we are going healthy with these muffins as is.

However, if you wanted to spruce them up a bit or if you’re serving them for a special snack or party, I think a cream cheese drizzle over the top would be divine!

I do that with my carrot cake muffins sometimes and it’s so yummy!

Here’s a quick recipe for it if you’d like to add some to your muffins.

How to make healthy cream cheese frosting:

- Combine 4 oz. plain cream cheese, 2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth and well mixed. Taste and add up to an extra tablespoon of maple syrup if desired.

- For a thinner frosting to drizzle, add a splash or two of your milk of choice.

You could also serve these with a smear of butter or peanut butter.

But more often than not, we enjoy them on their own. They’re plenty tasty!

OK, let’s talk about what to do with the extras.

I love making muffins and having the leftovers on hand for later in the week - or in the weeks to come.

Muffins freeze great, and it can be such a relief to have something like this to pull out of the freezer in a pinch.

How to store apple cider muffins:

– These muffins will keep, covered, at room temperature for 3-4 days. After that, you can move them to the refrigerator, where they will keep for another 2-3 days.

– You can also freeze the extras. Let the muffins cool completely. Place them in a freezer-safe ziptop bag (that’s labeled!) and freeze for up to 6 months.

– I like to wrap them individually in aluminum foil before putting them into the bag. It adds an extra layer of protection from freezer burn and ice accumulation.

– To thaw, just place one or more muffins in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold from the fridge or warm in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

– You can also warm a muffin in the microwave straight from the freezer in a pinch. Be sure to unwrap it from the foil. Start with 45 seconds and add time (and possibly turn it upside down) as needed.

Alright, I think you are all set! If you do have other questions, as always, let me know in the comments below. I’m happy to help!

I hope you give these a try, whether you want to enjoy them at breakfast, for an afternoon snack or to send as part of a school lunch.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn