Sugar-free and nut-free kids apple muffins - perfect little lunch box snacks

Technically these aren't totally sugar-free as they do have apples in them, which still contain fructose.  If you want to be super duper good, then you could always leave the apples out.

I've had one of those weeks, with birthday parties and two school BBQ's, where I feel like my kids have eaten nothing but junk (and the amount of whinging going on today is just confirming it!).  So this morning I decided to try and make some sugar-free snacks.  This recipe was actually a bit of a trial and error experiment and I was half expecting it to turn into a complete disaster - especially as I'm not the most talented baker out there.  However I totally surprised myself and they're actually really super yummy.  They are not the sweetest muffins out there, so if you have a sweet tooth you might not like them.  My kids have devoured them though, so that must be a good sign.

This recipe makes approx. 40 muffins

(*I have used my thermomix for this recipe*)

Ingredients:
3 large red apples
100g butter
4 eggs
1 and 3/4 cups coconut cream
300g plain flour
200g rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarbonate soda
2 heaped tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
6 tbs stevia
(chia seeds and desiccated coconut for toppings)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line (or grease) your muffin trays.
2. Peel, core and quarter the apples and put them in the thermomix.  Chop on speed 6 for 3-5 seconds and set aside in a separate bowl.
3. Add the butter, stevia, cinnamon and salt to the bowl and mix on speed 6 for 30 seconds.
4. Add the flour, oats, baking powder and bicarbonate soda and mix for 3-5 seconds on speed 5.
5. Add the coconut cream and the eggs (one at a time), mixing on speed 5 until all the ingredients are well combined.
6. Finally add the chopped apples and mix on reverse speed 3 for 15-20 seconds until well combined.  
7. Divide the mixture into the muffin tins and sprinkle a little desiccated coconut and chia seed on top of each one.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown (or stick a knife in a it comes out clean).

I put half of the muffins in pairs into little zip lock bags and put them in the freezer.  I pull them out on school mornings and put a frozen one into each lunch box.  By the time morning tea comes around they are perfectly defrosted and fresh.  A little tip I got from The Organised Housewife. The other half didn't last long today.........

Do you ever experiment in the kitchen??

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