whole wheat applesauce oat muffins

despite what my blog full o’ decadent foods might suggest, i’m actually a pretty healthy eater. sure, i love a good malted chocolate sandwich cookie, cake batter truffle, or slice of chocolate-ricotta icebox cake on occasion, but most of the time, i keep it healthy. i’ve found that one of the easiest ways to eat healthy is to always have good-for-you foods in the house. i try to always keep nutritious leftovers in the house, as well as ingredients that can be made into a healthy meal/snack in 15 minutes or less.

i normally prefer savory food for breakfast rather than sweet – veggie sausage with an egg white/veggie omelet is one of my favorites – but yesterday morning, i was jonesing for a breakfast sweet. i looked around the cabinets to see what sort of ingredients i had handy, did a couple online searches, + came across this muffin recipe. i made a couple adaptations to healthify them even more + utilize what ingredients i had or didn’t have in the house, + got baking!

these muffins? they turned out sooo good! the hearty flavor + texture of the oats + whole wheat balance wonderfully with the sweetness + moisture of the brown sugar + applesauce. to me, someone who doesn’t love overly-sweet breakfasts, they balance earthiness + heartiness perfectly with lightness + sweetness. i loved them just as is, warm out of the oven, but i have to be honest – they’d be amazing with a big ol’ pat of butter on ’em, too. everything in moderation, right? =)

whole wheat applesauce oat muffins

makes a dozen muffins, adapted from taste of home

ingredients

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, sifted (you can substitute all-purpose flour if you prefer)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg white

topping:
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted + cooled slightly

directions

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. prepare a muffin tin by spraying cups lightly with cooking spray.

in a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. in another bowl, combine the applesauce, oil + egg white. stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter.

in a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter in muffin cups. bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

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