Apple Pie Muffins

I have always found baking extremely intimidating. I am someone who enjoys cooking because there are no rules. Want to add some of this spice? Go ahead. Want some more vegetables in that dish? Throw them in. While cooking is an art, baking is a science. There are rules to follow, recipes to read, and instructions to stick to. Because of these restrictions, and the fact that one quarter cup of an ingredient can automatically ruin your recipe, I have always steered clear of baking. Then, my friend Lara of @_littlemissfoodie kept posting all these insanely decadent baking photographs and encouraging and inspiring me to finally take the plunge. So as the notorious muffin (wo)man she is, I decided to tackle this baked good first. While I was contemplating what muffins to make, simultaneously my next-door neighbor’s 3-year-old daughter knocked on my door and told me she was having a farmer’s market with all of the apples she harvested at her house outside the city. As she handed me over a bushel of massive beautifully bruised and imperfect apples, I knew exactly what I was going to thank her with: a batch of homemade apple pie muffins. I put my big girl pants on and got to work in my kitchen and after a few test runs can proudly say I have officially created a recipe that revolves around baking. These will definitely be on repeat in my kitchen throughout the fall and they should be in yours also!

Ingredients (makes 12):Dry:

• Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour (2 cups)

• Baking soda (½ teaspoon)

• Baking powder (½ teaspoon)

• Coconut sugar (¼ cup)

• Cinnamon (1 teaspoon)

• Allspice (½ teaspoon)

• Nutmeg (½ teaspoon)

• Ginger powder (½ teaspoon)

• Sea salt (dash)

Wet:

• The New Barn unsweetened almond milk (½ cup)

• Eggs (2) – room temperature

• Coconut oil (¼ cup)

• Honey (1 tablespoon)

• Pure vanilla extract (½ teaspoon)

Other:

• Apples (2)

• Coconut oil (1 tablespoon)

Special Equipment: muffin tray and muffin liners (I love these silicone ones)Directions:

1. Dice the apple into ¼ inch cubes or smaller

2. Place the apples on a hot skillet with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and some cinnamon. Cook until the apple softens and begins to somewhat mash together

3. Sift the almond flour into a bowl and mix in all of the dry ingredients listed above

4. In a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients

   1. Make sure the ingredients are room temperature before adding in the coconut oil to avoid it from hardening

5. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while simultaneously stirring

6. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, fold in the sautéed apples

7. Pour the mixture into the lined muffin tray

8. Cook @ 375 for ~25-30 minutes or until cooked through

9. Allow to cool and then enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge if not eating that day

Compliant w/ the following diets:

1. Gluten free

2. Dairy free