I’m changing things up and bringing you a brand new recipe on a Monday – this time it’s these amazing Pumpkin Apple Oat Muffins! I originally made this recipe as one of my normal breakfast prep oatmeal muffins, but decided to get a little fancier the 2nd time around and added a crumb topping AND maple icing. Yum and yummier.
Because I added flour to the batter, these muffins are much more fluffy and tender than my usual oatmeal muffins, which tend to be super moist but pretty dense (I mean, they’re just oatmeal baked into muffin form. What’d you expect?). I also swapped the plant based protein for a combo of casein and whey, which also makes for a more tender muffin.
What’s the Difference?
Whey vs Casein Protein
I recommend using a whey/casein blend in this recipe. Whey protein is the most common dairy protein you’ll find on the market. It’s tasty and absorbs quickly, but using whey alone for baking recipes tends to yield a chewy baked product that doesn’t rise nearly as much.
Casein protein is less common to find than whey and is a super creamy, slower absorbing protein supplement. Using casein alone in a baking recipe will suck up too much moisture and result in dry muffins that aren’t as tender.
A blend of the two gives you the best of both worlds and a great texture for baked goods. You can buy pre-mixed whey/casein protein blends or just make your own mix.
One note of warning here – don’t expect big tall muffin tops with this recipe! They might puff up a bit more if you use granulated sugar instead of maple syrup in the batter, but I honestly was happy with them as is and love the hint of maple in there. If you try out the granulated sugar, be sure to let me know how it worked!
Storage
These muffins will keep their incredible texture for 2-3 days covered on the counter. You can make them last longer (5-7 days) by storing them in the refrigerator. Just be sure to warm them up in the microwave for about 10 seconds before serving so they soften up a bit. You could also leave them to warm to room temperature on the counter before serving.
I haven’t tried freezing them myself, but they should freeze well – just remove as much air from their storage container as possible (without crushing the muffins). Thaw them in the refrigerator at room temperature or on the counter before serving.
Shop for This Recipe
Recipe
Pumpkin Apple Oat Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, (120 grams)
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour, (60 grams)
- 1 scoop Dymatize Elite Vanilla Casein Protein Powder, (34 grams)
- 1 scoop Cellucor Whipped Vanilla whey protein powder, (32 grams)
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, (240 grams)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (5.33 fl oz)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, (122 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped, (165 grams)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, (2 fl oz)
- 2 eggs, room temperature, (100 grams)
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, (67 grams)
- 1 tbsp sugar, (15 grams)
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, (45 grams)
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour, (42 grams)
- 1/3 cup rolled oats, (27 grams)
Icing (Optional – not included in nutrition info)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, (90 grams)
- 1 1/2 tsp milk of choice
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425°.
- Make the muffin batter: Mix all dry muffin ingredients with chopped apples and set aside.
- Whisk all wet muffin ingredients until well combined. Add to dry mixture and mix until just combined. Divide evenly into 14 non-stick baking cups.
- Make the crumb topping: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Stir in the melted butter, and then gently mix in the flour and rolled oats using a fork. Keep the mixture as large crumbles and do not over-mix. Using your hand or a spoon, divide the topping among the 14 muffins and gently press into the tops of the muffins so it sticks.
- Bake: Bake at 425° for 5 minutes, then lower heat to 350° and bake for 22-25 minutes or until tops of muffins begin to brown slightly and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Optional – add icing: Whisk milk and maple extract into the powdered sugar until it reaches a runny consistency. Drizzle on top of cooled muffins.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
Leave a Reply