Spiced Apple & Date Oat Muffins

Every fall since my oldest daughter was born we’ve driven the 5 miles up the road to our favorite organic apple orchard to pick up enough apples to get us through the winter. If you live in the area I highly recommend Mount Hood Organic Farms. Not only is it one of the most beautiful places around, but I really love the family who runs the operation. Plus they have dozens of different variety of apples to choose from.

These muffins were a fun treat to make with my oldest daughter after we ran up to the farm. These are sweetened with dates, perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, and they are held together with oat flour and eggs. The taste is sweet, nutty, and absolutely cozy.

I hope you and your little ones love these muffins as much as we do.

Happy fall baking everyone!

Spices Apple & Date Oat Muffins

PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 25-30 minutes    SERVES: 15 muffins

• 8 large Medjool dates, pitted

• 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

• 1/3 cup melted ghee or coconut oil

• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

• 2 eggs, whisked

• 2 cups oat flour (sprouted if possible- see note)

• 1 cup millet flour (sprouted if possible-see note)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 cup finely diced apples

• Sprinkle oat oats for topping (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a standard size muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Soak the dates in a bowl of boiling water for 5 minutes to really soften them up. Add the soaked dates to the food processor along with 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. Blend until a smooth paste forms (adding more liquid if needed)

3. Add the date paste to a large bowl with the apple sauce, ghee, vanilla and eggs. Mix until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, mixing well until fully distributed. Fold in the diced apples.

4. Divide the muffin batter between the muffin tin. Top each muffin with a few sprinkle of oats (if using). Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin. About 25-30 minutes.

5. Store at room temperature for one day and then in the fridge for up to 5 days.

   Note- Sprouted flours are easier to digest and more nutritious because of the sprouting process. You can find sprouted flours at a lot of grocery stores these days but my preferred place to get them is to order from Second Spring.