These healthy apple cheddar muffins are a delicious sweet and savory breakfast or snack. Made with whole wheat flour and sweetened with just two tablespoons of honey, these muffins are great for anyone trying to minimize added sugar in their diet. Plus, adding cheddar cheese boosts the protein content, so each muffin packs in 7.5 grams.
Ingredients
This recipe is fairly simple, and most (if not all) of these ingredients are probably pantry staples:
- Eggs
- Milk – I recommend using 1% milk for this recipe, but any milk you have on hand will work.
- Olive oil
- Honey – If you don’t have honey, you can substitute pure maple syrup.
- Flour – see notes below
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Pepper – Yes, pepper! While it sounds strange to add this to muffins, it makes the final flavor more savory.
- Apple
- Cheddar cheese – You could also mix this up and use smoked gouda.
What is whole white wheat flour?
This deserves it’s own section, because it’s a bit confusing. The name sounds like a misnomer, but it’s not.
There are actually several different types of wheat. We are mostly familiar with red wheat, but there’s also a form of wheat called white wheat.
Whole white wheat flour is made from the entire kernel of white wheat. This is different than all-purpose flour, commonly called “white flour”, which is made from red wheat but is missing portions of the grain kernel due to refinement.
Whole white wheat is a bit milder in flavor and texture compared to traditional whole wheat, which is whole red wheat.
It sounds super confusing, but just look at the packages at the store. If you can find whole white wheat, grab it. You can also order it online from King Arthur.
If you have trouble tracking this down, just grab regular whole wheat flour. That works just fine! It’ll simply have a bit of a heartier texture and taste.
You can also use all-purpose flour, just keep in mind it falls a little short nutritionally compared to whole grain flour.
Step by Step Instructions
You can find the full recipe instructions and amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a helpful overview though:
You’re going to start by whisking together the liquid ingredients – the eggs, milk, olive oil, and honey.
Then go ahead and add your dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
Conventional baking wisdom calls for mixing those dry ingredients separately first. But I always just add them on top of the liquid ingredients, stir them lightly on top, then give it a full stir to mix in the liquids below. Hasn’t failed me yet!
Next, go ahead and fold your chopped apples in and cheddar cheese in. You want the apples pretty finely chopped, like this, so you get little bits of apple goodness in each bite:
Last step is to pour that in a muffin pan. The batter will be thick; that’s normal. Fill up each muffin tin just about all the way full, like this:
Now go ahead and bake ‘em! When they come out, you’ll have a delicious savory muffin to enjoy.
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you prepare this recipe:
- Which apples are the best for muffins? Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Pink Ladies are all delicious and hold firm in the oven, so they’re a top choice. Cortland and Jonagold also work well. Avoid softer apples like McIntosh or Macouns (they’ll do if you’re in a pinch, but the texture isn’t as great).
- How should you store these? Because the muffins have cheddar cheese in them, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend eating within 3 days for best flavor and texture. You can eat them cold out of the fridge, but I prefer them slightly warmed up in the microwave (about 15 seconds).
- Can you freeze apple cheddar muffins? Yes. Feel free to freeze extras in a large zip-top bag in the freezer. When you’re ready to enjoy one, reheat it in the microwave on high for 30-45 seconds.
More Apple Recipes
In the fall, I’m always looking for more apple recipes to use up all the fresh-picked ones we are able to get locally in the Northeast. If you also love making creative dishes with apples, you’ll enjoy these tasty ideas:
- Healthy caramel apple salad – Made with just four ingredients, this is anything but a traditional salad – instead, you’re looking at a delectable dessert!
- Maple apple bacon pizza – Another sweet and savory combo! It’s an easy tortilla pizza that packs in a ton of flavor.
- Mini apple burgers – Beef and mushroom sliders skip the bun and instead are sandwiched between apple slices in this unique recipe.
- Turkey apple chili – Apples in chili might sound strange, but it’s a delightful combination. I love making this recipe in the fall – and since it makes a big batch, I’ve often got lunch leftovers for the next day.
- Apple peanut butter energy balls – These are a great option to quell your sweet tooth in a more nutritious way.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to try it, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Apple Cheddar Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup 1% milk
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 cups whole white wheat flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 large apple, peeled and chopped finely
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-count muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, olive oil, and honey.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Fold in the apple and cheddar cheese.
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until the muffins are a cooked through and a toothpick pulls out clean from the center.
- Let cool in the pan, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Share: When it comes to muffins, are you team sweet, savory, or both? If you tried these apple cheddar muffins, what did you think?
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GREAT! Followed recipe to a T with a honey crisp apple. Teenage son ate 3.
Awesome! Glad you and your son enjoyed them!