Sugar-Free Apple Muffins are made with olive oil, date sugar, almond flour, and whole wheat flour. These moist, fluffy muffins are laced with late-season homegrown apples and spiced with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. They are not only very healthy but also diabetic-friendly making them ideal for a nutritious breakfast with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee!
While my apricot and cherry trees blossom in early spring, I have the pleasure of watching the velvety peach-white colored apple blossoms. These sun-loving trees produce succulent, tangy and sweet Pink Lady apples that are perfect in my Sugar-Free Apple Muffins. The Pink Lady apples are sweet and slightly tart, and they complement these Sugar-Free Apple Muffins made with olive oil and not butter. These delicious muffins are moist due to the addition of olive oil and baked with a generous scoop of chopped walnuts.
Inspiration for the Sugar-Free Apple Muffins:
Carrot cakes with cinnamon were my favorite for a long time until I stumbled upon the Apfelkuchen (or Apple cake) from one of my besties who was from Heidelberg, Germany. Being an excellent baker, she inspired me to make several of her baked goods without having to prepare a day ahead. I modified her Apfelkuchen using Pink Lady apples and rounded off with nutmeg. I adapted her recipe to make it more American using olive oil instead of butter.
My dad loves muffins. Every time my parents visited us in the US, my father would love to try various types of muffins here. Unfortunately, I could not find sugar-free muffins for him because they are generally not available or they would make them with artificial sweeteners. So I wanted to make Sugar-Free Apple Muffins for him. Even though he is not diabetic, he is careful about his health and his sugar intake. Natural fruit sweeteners such as date sugar and even the sweetness of the apples are healthy options.
My father’s healthy choices motivated me to create sugar-free and diabetic-friendly dishes. This recipe for the Sugar-Free Apple Muffins is one such creation. I cannot think of a healthier muffin as I have used olive oil, date sugar, almond flour and whole wheat flour in this recipe. Most people think that something healthy is invariably something that tastes bad. I have not compromised on the taste of the muffins. The verdict from my family is that these muffins taste much better than the regular ones made with butter and sugar. Additionally, these Sugar-Free Apple Muffins have always turned out moist and fragrant with the freshly picked and grated apples, and a hint of nutmeg to heighten the taste buds. I encourage you to try these muffins, for they will be worth your time and effort.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How to measure the flour?
- Gently scoop out the flour into a measuring cup. Do not pack the flour into the cup but instead, gently scoop the flour into the cup and level off with a butter knife or the scoop. The key is to measure the cup precisely- too much flour and the muffins will be dry.
- Sieve the flour to “aerate” it so that the flour is not clumping together. Then, add the salt and the leavening agents per the recipe.
Which apples are ideal for baking?
Pink Lady, Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp have been a few of my favorites for baking. I have also used the Golden Delicious in some of my baked goods.
What are some of the substitutions in the Sugar-Free Apple Muffins?
- Carrots or pears have been quite good in these muffins. I have liked the taste of Bosc pears or even Anjou pears.
- You could use either coconut or peanut oil. In my opinion, coconut oil has paired well with pears rather than apples.
- Spelt flour can be substituted for whole wheat flour.
If you’ve tried this recipe or have questions, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to share (below) your thoughts, comments, or any questions that you might have. And if you like my recipes, you could subscribe to my mailing list for the latest recipes that will be delivered straight to your inbox. From my pen to your table, Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
- Oil: Olive oil; one main advantage of oil is that its chemistry produces airy and light muffins, whereas butter tends to make muffins slightly denser. While butter tends to alter the flavor of the muffin, oil mostly has a neutral profile, its principal purpose being to moisten the batter. Finally, oil has no water content, therefore, it extends the shelf life of the muffin; peanut oil or even canola oil can be substituted.
- Flour: almond flour and whole wheat flour; you could use spelt instead.
- Sugar: date sugar
- Spices: nutmeg and cinnamon; nutmeg is native to Indonesia (known as ‘pala’). I grew up eating food flavored with nutmeg. Its fresh, rich, bittersweet aroma adds warmth to a baked good. While you can use the related mace as a substitute, I find that adding a pinch of nutmeg provides a subtle woodsy contrast to an otherwise sweet muffin.
- Apples: Pink Lady; Granny Smith is a great alternative in muffins or any apple will work.
- Nuts: walnuts – crushed walnuts add a subtle buttery flavor when baked, which is why, I did not use butter in my apple muffins. Their health benefits have been well-documented. In addition to having higher antioxidant activity than other nuts, walnuts are a source of plant-based Omega 3s.
How to make the Sugar-Free Apple Muffins:
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this recipe. Please refer to the recipe card below for the measurements.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the ingredients.
2. Mix/beat the olive oil with the date sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat between each addition. Sift the whole wheat flour with the baking soda and salt and fold them in with the almond flour into the mixture until combined. Add the peeled and grated apples with the cinnamon, nutmeg and half of the chopped walnuts and fold until combined.
4. Line a muffin tray with baking cups and scoop the batter into the cups. Fill the cups three-quarters of the way up to the brim of the cups. Sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top of the batter in each cup. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake skewer comes out clean.
5. Serve the Sugar-Free Apple Muffins with coffee.
1. For perfectly domed muffins, you could try baking them at 425 degrees F for the first five minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
2. Baking for a longer time or even opening the oven door while baking may cause the muffins to dry out or rise and then collapse.
3. The flours must be added little by little and not in one large addition.
4. Apple muffins baked with oil seem to be more moist, tender and taller than muffins baked with butter. It is a good practice to not overfill the baking cups.
Serving suggestions:
We have enjoyed these Sugar-Free Apple Muffins with a hot cup of coffee. I also like warming them right before serving. My kids love these muffins as snacks for school and for a quick breakfast.
Storage:
Let the muffins cool on a rack and then store them in an airtight container. Keep in a cool, dry pantry. Apple muffins taste fresh when refrigerated for a week and can be frozen in airtight containers for three months.
Other apple recipes that you might like:
Sugar-Free Apple Muffins
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer, muffin tray
Ingredients
- ¾ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1¼ cup date sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup Bob's Red Mill almond flour
- 1¼ cup Bob's Red Mill whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp nutmeg freshly grated
- 1½ cup apples peeled and grated
- 1 cup walnuts shelled and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the ingredients.
- Mix/beat the olive oil with the date sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat between each addition. Sift the whole wheat flour with the baking soda and salt and fold with the almond flour into the mixture until combined. Add the peeled and grated apples with the cinnamon, nutmeg and half of the chopped walnuts and fold until combined.
- Line a muffin tray with baking cups and scoop the batter into the cups. Fill the cups three-quarters of the way up to the brim of the cups. Sprinkle crushed walnuts on top of the batter in each cup. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake skewer comes out clean.
- Serve the Sugar-free Apple Muffins with coffee.
Video
Notes
- Pour the muffin batter directly into greased muffin tins if you do not have baking cups.
- Pecans are a good substitute for walnuts; cinnamon goes well with pecans. Add a little more cinnamon powder if you are using pecans.
Nutrition
could I use melted butter as a substitute?
Absolutely, Neetu – melted butter is another option besides peanut or canola oil.
really tasty!!
Turned out wonderful!
If you add whole wheat flour, this recipe is really healthy and good for you! Thanks for sharing, Kanchan!