Apple Cinnamon Oat Bars and Low Sugar Wholewheat Apple Muffins
I was in Lidl yesterday and picked up a four pack of bramley apples for 49c. Actually I had no plans to cook with apples but at 49c decided I would find something nice to bake! After peeling and chopping them up, I let them simmer in a pot with a little splash of water and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon for 20-25 minutes until they were soft. I then made up my Banana Chia Seed Bar recipe without the bananas and replaced them with half of the stewed apple sauce. The other half I mixed into a low sugar muffin recipe and made 20 really moist apple buns. When they cooled I placed them in three separate airtight containers, one for the weekend and the other two into the freezer for the next week's school lunchboxes/sports refuelling snacks. 1/2 hour work and a week of healthy snacks in the freezer .. well worth the work!
Alva’s apple cinnamon Oat Bars
Ingredients
120mls milk (almond milk if you prefer dairy free)
6 tablespoons of chia seeds
120g of butter melted (coconut oil for dairy free)
2 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 large bramley apples stewed
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
250grams of porridge oats
120grams of unsweetened coconut
120grams of wholewheat flour (or a mix of wholewheat and self raising)
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Method
In a bowl mix chia seeds, melted butter (or coconut oil), milk, honey, and vanilla extract. Add stewed apples (prepared as above) to mixture. In another bowl mix dry ingredients and add wet mixture to dry and stir well. Scoop batter into a greased pan and smooth out. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes until its begin to go golden and its slightly firm to touch. Allow to cool fully before cutting into small squares. Makes about 30.
Low sugar wholewheat apple muffins
Ingredients
200grams butter
100grams sugar
100grams self-raising flour
100grams wholewheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
2 bramley apples with cinnamon stewed (as detailed above)
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and flour and finally the apples and mix well. Prepare two muffin tins with muffin cases. Add mixture to the cases. Bake for approx. 15-18 minutes until browned and firm to touch in the middle.