Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

Ahhhh, I love apple season!! I miss Michigan so much this time of year. I miss going to the apple orchards and the apple festivals…and drinking fresh apple cider instead of getting it from Trader Joe’s! Apples are my favorite fruit, and my kids LOVE apples too. I wanted to infuse our love for the season's flavor into our breakfast, and I am a sucker for a muffin. This Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffin recipe is something you can easily make with your kids to encourage them to spend some time with you in the kitchen!!

Tips:

• Warm the milk before mixing it with the oats. It helps to plump up the oats with all the creamy flavor.

• Use a tart apple. I would err on the side of using an apple that isn’t overly sweet. I used Pink Lady Apples for this recipe, but something similar would work. It just helps to balance out the flavors.

• I love baking muffins without the liner. It makes it so that you don’t lose any of the muffin in the liner. Do this by spraying the muffin tin with cooking spray. If you have issues with your muffins sticking then it may be time to get a new muffin tin.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk, warm

• 1 egg; room temperature

• 1/4 cup butter; melted and cooled

• 1/4 cup oil; I like using sunflower oil

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 1/4 cup flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup shredded apples; peel the apple and use a cheese grater on its largest holes and grate enough apples to have 1 cup

  Topping

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Heat the milk so that it is warm

3. Combine the milk and oats together in a bowl and allow to stand for about 15 minutes

4. Stir in the egg, brown sugar, and cooled butter and oil into the milk and oats mixture

5. In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt using a whisk

6. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture using a whisk

7. Stir until just combined

8. Fold in the shredded apple with a spatula until evenly mixed in

9. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray so that it evenly coats each cup; this spray makes it so that you don't have to use liners and the muffins will come out of the tins without a problem

10. Fill each cup of the 12 cup muffin tin

11. Mix together the ingredients for the topping

12. Sprinkle each muffin with the topping mixture

13. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted

14. Allow to cool completely

15. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days