Healthy Cinnamon Apple Banana Muffins
Yields: 12 muffins
 
These healthy muffins are great for quick grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks! They’re really tender with lots of sweet fruit flavor and the perfect amount of cozy spices. Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • 2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • ¾ cup (200g) mashed banana (about 2 medium)
  • 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
  • 1 ¼ cups (156g) diced apple (about 1 large)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar. Mix in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Mix in the mashed banana and maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Set aside 2 tablespoons of the apple, and gently fold in the rest.
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and gently press the remaining apple into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 18-21 minutes, or until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ¾ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

I don't recommend substituting for the allspice, if at all possible! It adds a richness and depth to the spice flavor. (In a pinch, you can substitute cinnamon, but you'll miss out on that irresistible flavor!)

The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the banana muffins rise and create a more tender texture. Don’t skip it! (And I promise you can’t taste it!)

For best results, use the ripest, darkest, most spottiest bananas you can find! The ones with more brown color than yellow are ideal. (See my photo in the blog post above for reference!) Measure the bananas by cups or grams. Not all “medium” bananas are the same size!

The mashed banana and Greek yogurt combined need to measure 1 cup. If you have slightly more than ¾ cup mashed banana, then reduce the Greek yogurt by the same amount, and vice versa.

Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

For sweeter-tasting banana muffins, substitute 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup for an equal amount of milk.

I use red Fuji apples because they have a great texture for baking and are naturally very sweet.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/04/10/cinnamon-apple-banana-muffins/