Granola and Applesauce Muffins

I got this recipe at Whole Foods and ended up using it when I had too much granola on my hands. As with most muffins, these are highly adaptable, especially since you can use pretty much whatever kind of granola you want! I’d use more sugar next time, as these were a bit bland (though they’re fine for breakfast, really, since muffins shouldn’t be sugar bombs). They were very good, though, and had a great crumb. Note that I used 1 2/3 cups of white whole wheat flour instead of the mix of white and whole wheat called for in the recipe.

1 ½ cup granola
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. golden flax seed (ground if desired)
2 tsp. non-aluminum baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
½ cup lactose-free milk or non-dairy milk substitute
¼ cup brown sugar (or more if you wish)
5 Tbsp. canola or other vegetable oil
2 eggs
granola or rolled oats for topping

Preheat oven to 400°F. Oil a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper muffin cups (I ended up with 15 muffins, and some people online say they got 18, so plan ahead).

Combine granola, flour, whole wheat flour, flax seed, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together applesauce, milk, sugar, oil and eggs. Add applesauce mixture to dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Pour batter into muffin tins and fill them ¾ full. Sprinkle extra granola or rolled oats on top and bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool slightly in pan before removing muffins to a cooling rack.