My Dad is not supposed to have sugar or gluten so it’s been challenging finding baked treats he can have that don’t taste terrible. This adaption of Confessions of a Fit Foodie’s Healthy Apple Muffins fit the bill. I used organic Pristine apples (tart cooking apple) to make the apple sauce (jazzed up the spices with allspice and a cinnamon stick) and used more Pristine apple in the muffin.

I used Gluten Free Palette’s Recipe 3 (Self-raising Gluten Free Flour) but still added the baking soda and powder called for in the recipe and the muffins rose really well.

Great muffin all around.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup melted butter
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 large eggs room temp
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce. I made this 3 ingredient apple sauce recipe from Minimalist Baker.
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ¾ cup gluten free baking flour. I used Recipe 3 from Gluten Free Palate (Self-raising Gluten Free Flour – the extra leavening helps these muffins rise beautifully).
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp allspice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups sliced tart apples, no need to peel

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 (convection).
2. Grease or line a 12 space muffin tin with parchment liners.
3. In a medium sized bowl, beat butter and maple syrup together, then beat in eggs.
4. Add in applesauce and vanilla and set aside.
5. In a larger mixing bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
6. Fold sliced apples into dry mixture and coat evenly.
7. Stir wet ingredients into the dry and incorporate well using a folding method – try not to over mix.
8. Divide muffin batter into prepared cupcake tins.
9. Sprinkle tops of muffins with raw sugar if you want to – I didn’t.
10. Cook for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.Makes 12 muffins

Healthy Apple Muffins [Gluten Free + Dairy Free]

Original recipe here: Confessions of a Fit Foodie:  Healthy Apple Muffins Gluten and Diary Free.