These Apple Hemp Muffins are hot! These whole-grain, vegan muffins by Dreena Burton are easy to make, delicious, tender, and also nut-free and oil-free.
These Apple Hemp Muffins are hot.
Recipe, I mean. Muffins too, but you know, let ’em cool at least a little before taking a bite.
Who would imagine that hemp muffins could be so popular? Readers have loved this recipe for years now, so much that I revised it for Plant-Powered Families.
The original version appeared in Vive le Vegan back in 2004. Yep, I’ve been using hemp seeds in my recipes for many years, before it was a trendy superfood.
When I started using hemp seeds and talking about them in my recipes, I got that “ohhhh, you are that kind of vegan!” sort of reaction.
People didn’t know that hemp seeds were a highly nutritious food – a ‘superfood’ if you will.
No, instead they thought they’d get high from my brownies. Of course they wouldn’t! Because I saved it all for muffins. #kidding #relax!
Jokes aside, it took a few years for the worth of hemp – high in protein, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants – to be recognized in the world of healthy eating. Thank goodness it has, because it has made these virtuous bitty seeds widely available (and accepted)!
For Plant-Powered Families, I freshened up the recipe and made them oil-free. Even without the oil, these muffins are still beautifully moist and tender. To ensure they don’t stick to the muffin liners, try using these parchment muffin liners. They do the trick!
I make these muffins often for school lunches, because they are substantial, healthy, and of course nut-free.
Apple Hemp Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole-grain spelt flour
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2/3 – 3/4 cup hemp seeds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom can substitute freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup plain or vanilla non-dairy milk
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup raisins or chopped raw banana spears use kitchen shears or knife to cut in small pieces about size of raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, sifting in the baking powder and baking soda. Stir through until well combined. In another bowl, combine applesauce, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and vanilla, and mix together. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and gently fold and mix through, until just combined (do not overmix). Spoon the mixture into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners (this will fill 12 muffins quite full). Bake for 21-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (See notes above about cooling to help remove from liner.) Makes 12 large muffins.
Have you tried these Vegan Apple Hemp Muffins? What is your favorite way to eat hemp seeds?
John marmaro says
Hi there
A most interesting recipe.
I am diabetic and my blood sugar level is on a hair-trigger, so I not only have to avoid sugars, but starches as well– I try for things with the lowest Glycemic Load possible: no dried fruits allowed! Do you happen to know what the Glycemic Index or Glycemic Load is for hulled hempseed?
I have no problems with gluten, nor with wheat. Instead of flour I use a low-carbohydrate substitute, tradenamed “Carbquik” (a reference to the baking mix Bisquick); and instead of sugar I use, in baking, either Isomalt or Xylitol, with a little added Splenda or Stevia. I was wondering whether you think the substitutions I have named would work well enough in your recipe. (I am aware that such things aren’t traditionally “natural” or “organic”, but with my extreme diabetic reaction to most starches and to glucose(=dextrose), sucrose, or to a lesser extent fructose, I am forced to make accommodations.)
Ayaka says
At what degree and how long did you cook? Did you make any other change besides toppings?
walterbyrd says
I wonder if I could GF Namaste flour to substitute for spelt flour?
Julie Sediq says
Just bought my first bag of hemp seeds. I think My two year old will love these muffins. Can you confirm how much whole wheat flour I should use? And can I sub rolled oats for the oat flour, or just use more w/w flour? Also if I add the 2 tsp of oil should I adjust something else, like the applesauce? Would you do chopped apple in addition to the raisins or banana or instead of? Thanks!
Dreena says
Our little one loves these, I think they’ll be a hit with your 2 yr old! Wheat flour: use a little less, maybe 1 1/4 cups. If the batter seems a bit loose later, just sprinkle in another few teaspoons. Rolled oats: you can blitz them in a food processor or blender to make a flour, I’d do that! If you add any oil, I’d reduce the milk equally. Yes, you could add chopped apple, but not too much as it’s very moist, maybe 1/2 cup for whole recipe.
Jeannie says
Hi, I just came across these muffins today and would love to make them. Can you use flax hemp blend instead of the spelt?
Dreena says
Hi Jeannie, do you mean help flour and flax seed? I’ve never tested it with it, but suspect those two alone will be a little too dense/heavy. You can try other flours to blend in, maybe oat. (Is it a GF thing?) If you’re familiar with alternative blends and know how they differ (ie need more milk, less milk, etc) then I say go for it. But, if it’s experimental you might waste the batch… and hemp seeds a little pricey for that. 🙂