Looking for healthy snacking inspiration? Search no further than these Bramley apple and almond muffins

Made with tasty, seasonal Bramley apples, these little treats are the ideal healthy snack.

Around this time of year, many of us are looking for ways to snack healthily, and one smart way to do so is by incorporating more seasonal fruit and vegetables into our treats.

To help you with your healthy snacking habits, we've teamed up with Bord Bia's 'Life Is Better With Fruit and Vegetables' campaign to bring you this recipe for Bramley apple and almond muffins from foodie and blogger Rachel Hornibrook. These delicious muffins carry a soft apple flavour, complemented with almonds, cinnamon and maple syrup, and they're a quick, easy and nutritious breakfast or snack.

The Bramley apple is the star ingredient of this recipe. Their lower sugar content and fluffy texture makes them perfect for baking, while also incorporating some of your seven a day! Bramley apples are currently at their seasonal best. Eating fresh, local and in season fruit and vegetables optimises both nutrition and taste. Plus, selecting seasonal fruit and vegetables supports local growers and domestic industry. Also remember, when shopping for fruit and vegetables, always look out for the Bord Bia Quality Mark.

Rachel Hornibrook's Bramley Apple and Almond Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 Bramley apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 20g flaked almonds
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 100g oats blitzed into flour
• 60g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 100ml buttermilk (or use regular milk with the juice of 1/4 lemon)

Method

• Mix the Bramley apple pieces with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and sugar, then set aside.
• Mix together the salt, oats, flour, baking powder and the remaining cinnamon with a whisk, then make a well in the centre.
• Whisk together the egg, vanilla and buttermilk. Add to the centre of the dry mix along with the coconut oil.
• Add the apple pieces and flaked apples and mix again.
• Scoop the mixture into muffin cases in a muffin tin and bake for 20-23 minutes.
• Serve and enjoy!

The ‘Life is Better with Fruit and Vegetables’ millennial campaign is a three-year Bord Bia campaign supported by the European Union to encourage more consumption of fresh, locally grown and seasonal fruit and vegetables by increasing knowledge of the nutritional benefits of fruit & vegetables, their versatility, how simple they are to prepare and their compatibility with a healthy lifestyle.  

For more delicious fruit and vegetable recipes and other information, visit fruitnveg.ie.