This recipe combines two of my favorite things to create a treat that’s even better. These cinnamon apple monkey bread muffins are seriously my new favorite dessert. They’re just sweet enough, soft on the inside, chewy on the outside, made with chunks of real apple. Tear them apart, bite into them whole. They’re WW friendly too, and just 117 calories each.
Making Cinnamon Apple Monkey Bread Muffins
These are as simple to make as they are to enjoy. First you’ll make your dough and set that aside. Then, cut up your apples. Lastly, make your sugar mix. A few shakes of sugar and some time in the oven are all that stand between you and a truly delicious treat.
For the dough, you’ll need:
- Nonfat greek yogurt (I use Fage 0%)
- All purpose flour, baking powder, and salt (you can substitute self rising flour, in which case you’ll omit the baking powder and salt)
- Cinnamon to flavor it
Mix together your dry ingredients, add the nonfat Greek yogurt, and combine to create a dough. Dust with a little extra flour so its easier to handle (the dough can be sticky), and cut the dough into 4 pieces. Cut each piece into 8 and set aside.
Peel and chop your apples and mix your sugar mix. Toss apples in 2 tbsp of sugar mix and set aside. Toss dough chunks in remaining sugar mix. Spray muffin pan well (makes 8) and put 3 pieces of dough in the bottom of each cavity. Top with some of the apple mix, and then top with remaining dough pieces. Spray well with cooking spray and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Let cool slightly and enjoy warm!
Serving, reheating, storage
I like to serve these with a bit of maple syrup or a simple glaze (powdered sugar + a little milk just until it’s runny enough to drizzle). They’re also delicious on their own though, no additional sweetness required!
I love making a batch of these and enjoying them throughout the week. You can easily store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, just microwave for 20-30 seconds or bake for a few minutes if you like them crispier on the outside.
Cinnamon Apple Monkey Bread Muffins
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Muffin Pan
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar replacement
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup apples granny smith, chopped into small cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add greek yogurt and gently combine until dough is solid and uniform. Flour outside of dough so it's easier to handle (it can be sticky) and cut into 4 equal parts. Cut each part into 8 cubes. Set aside.
- Peel and cut apples. Combine sugar mix ingredients and toss apples in 2 tbsp of sugar mix, set aside.
- Toss dough chunks in remaining sugar mix.
- Spray muffin pan well and put 3 dough pieces in each. Layer on a bit of apple mix, then top with additional dough to round out 8 muffins. Spray tops well with cooking spray.
- Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and caramelized on the outside. Let cool slightly and enjoy warm. (Optional: make a basic glaze with powdered sugar and a bit of milk for some extra sweetness, track points/calories accordingly)
