Gluten-free Cranberry Walnut Applesauce Muffins

(Note: This recipe was originally posted by Daryl in his Cooking with Kids column on Examiner.com in 2012.)

Here’s a quick and easy way to make tasty gluten-free, dairy free muffins that doesn’t require any special ingredients or much effort. Since our family went GF last spring, we’ve tried a lot of recipes that have been disappointments. This is one of the outstanding successes. It’s healthy, and you’d be hard-pressed to tell it was GF without someone telling you.  It’s also easy to make vegan.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c dried sweetened cranberries
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts
• 1 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 c canola oil
• 1 egg, beaten (or one flax egg for vegan)
• 2 c all-purpose GF flour (like Bob’s Red Mill) or make your own, but make sure it has xanthum gum to help it stick together
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Grease 24 muffin cups. A fun way is to fill one cup 1/3 full of canola oil, and let your helper use a pastry brush to paint the inside of the other cups.
3. In a small bowl mix the applesauce, oil, and egg. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the egg mixture, stirring until just moistened.Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.
4. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Cool for 2 minutes before removing them from the cups.
5. Have 2 bowls ready, one with a couple of tablespoons of melted margarine and one with 1/4 cup of cinnamon-sugar mixture. Have your helper dip the top of a muffin into the margarine, let the excess drip off, and then press it into the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
6. Put the finished muffins on a plate and serve.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Gluten-Free Made Simple: Easy Everyday Meals That Everyone Can Enjoy. (Note: This is an affiliate link.  Purchases made through our links earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

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