Prep-ahead for busy fall mornings with a batch of Apple Butter Oatmeal Mini Muffins! Kids love these warmly-spiced freezer-friendly treats for an easy breakfast or snack on-the-go.

Hey, friends! I’m back from The Seasoned Mom to visit my friend Megan and to bring you all a basket of fresh-from-the-oven mini muffins that will rock your socks! Can’t you just smell the cinnamon and nutmeg?

As soon as my calendar flips to “September” (and maybe even a wee bit sooner), I can’t get enough of the quintessential autumn flavors. I’ll spare you another pumpkin recipe and instead focus on apples…and specifically apple butter!

Apple Recipes for Fall

The idea for these tasty little gems came to me when I was cleaning out my deep freezer a few weeks ago. I uncovered a couple of jars of my Slow Cooker Apple Butter that had been stashed away since last year. You see, when apple season officially hits Central Virginia we tend to go a little bit crazy and pick ALL THE APPLES. They’re fresh, they’re local, and they’re so darn good.

Inevitably, our overzealous apple picking results in bushels of apples that need to be used sooner rather than later. My go-to solution is always Slow Cooker Apple Butter or Slow Cooker Applesauce (<–a favorite with my boys) because those recipes don’t require much effort. When it comes to the kitchen, I’m ALL ABOUT maximum results with minimum effort. Are you with me?!

Apple Butter Oatmeal Mini Muffins

These muffins definitely meet that criteria — they deliver a simple and FAST breakfast or lunchbox solution in a delicious little package. Just 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes in the oven and you’re DONE! You can wrap them for the freezer to thaw as you need them, or you can leave them on your counter for a quick grab-and-go option throughout the week.

Kids love these with a glass of milk, but on a cool fall morning I don’t think there’s anything cozier than a hot mug of Pumpkin Spice coffee and an apple butter mini muffin on the side!

Yield: about 36 mini muffins

Apple Butter Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup quick cooking oats
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
½ cup apple butter
½ cup loosely packed brown sugar
¼ cup melted butter, slightly cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper cups and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (oats through nutmeg).
In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (milk through vanilla extract).
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined (be careful not to overmix).
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.