Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is on the horizon, so I thought it would be a good idea to bake something festive this weekend. It is customary to eat apples and honey together on Rosh Hashanah because it represents a “sweet new year.” I was definitely in the mood for something sweet yesterday morning, so I decided to bake these apple honey muffins in honor of the holiday.
Sadly, I am unable to celebrate the New Year with my family this year, but I will be thinking of them as I dig into these yummy muffins every day this week. I will seriously miss my mom’s traditional brisket and matzoh ball soup, as well as my brother’s rave-worthy kugel (Dave freeze me a piece of that, would’ya!?)
These muffins are made with whole wheat flour and are packed with chunks of sweet apples. I added a light cinnamon streusel topping that gives every bite an addictive crunch. Although it’s not required, I highly recommend this extra step.
I know I’ll be making these muffins regularly throughout the fall. They’re perfect for a weekend brunch and your guests will be shocked that they are secretly healthy! You can also freeze any leftovers you have. Just make sure to wrap them tightly in tin foil and then place them in an air-tight freezer bag.
Happy New Year to those of you celebrating, but very importantly, happy EATING to all of you!
- 1 large apple, peeled and diced into ¼ inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ Tablespoon +1/4 cup honey (divided)
- ⅛ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon cinnamon (divided)
- 1.5 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
- 4 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar, unpacked
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cold and chopped into 4 pieces
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tray with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl combine the diced apple with the lemon juice, ½ Tablespoon honey and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the additional ¼ cup honey, egg whites, oil, applesauce and vanilla extract. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Stir in the diced apples. Be careful not to overmix.
- In a small bowl combine the streusel ingredients. Use your fingers to pinch the butter pieces and form the crumbly topping.
- Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with the streusel topping. Place the muffin tray on the center rack of the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for at least 20 minutes and then remove them from the tray and place on a wire rack to continue to cool. Store the muffins in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Millie l Add A Little
Mmm these look delicious and much healthier than store bought!
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Thanks, Millie! I hope you try them!
Emma
Love 100 % whole wheat bakes, these look wonderful Rachel! Will defs give them a try 🙂
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Thank you, Emma! Please let me know how you like them!
Mira
These look delicious and simple to make! Thanks for sharing, I pinned the recipe! I;m curious to try them with whole wheat flour, as I always mix whole wheat with some white flour 🙂 Adding pecans, too!
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Thanks, Mira! I used white whole wheat flour because it yields a less dense muffin than if i were to use regular whole wheat. I found them to be very fluffy! I hope you enjoy 🙂
The Food Explorer
Hi Rachel,
Your delicious recipe has been nominated as one of the “Top 100 Best Apple Recipes of 2014 for National Apple Month”. You and your readers can vote for it here: http://thefoodexplorer.com/fruit-2/100-delicious-apple-recipes-for-national-apple-month/ (position #64 – random order).
Happy National Apple Month! 🙂
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Thanks for the nomination!
Francoise La Prune
They look mouth-watering!!!! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Thank you, Francoise!
Shelby
These are amazing! Whipped them up super fast 🙂 I just love them! Thank you so much for this great recipe 🙂
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Shelby, so glad to hear it! I need to whip up a batch again soon!
nsqueen
Do you think I can make these mini muffins? And How long do you think they would bake for?
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
I’m honestly not sure since I haven’t made them as mini muffins, but I would suggest checking them around the 8-10 minute mark. Let me know how they turn out!