Applesauce Muffins

These applesauce muffins are my go-to when I want something that feels like a treat but is actually a wholesome breakfast the whole family will love. No oil, less sugar, one bowl, and they are ready in 25 minutes.

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Ingredient Notes

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Applesauce: I love using my homemade crockpot applesauce during apple season, but store bought unsweetened applesauce works just as well. Make sure you grab unsweetened, not the flavored or sweetened kind, since the recipe is already balanced for sweetness.
• Banana: One small ripe banana helps add moisture and acts as a binder so you don’t need any oil. The browner the banana, the better it works. If you don’t have one on hand, you can sub 1/4 cup coconut oil or melted butter instead.
• Milk: Any milk works here. Use dairy free milk like oat, almond, or soy if you need to keep these muffins vegan.
• All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour is what I use, but you can swap in a mix of half whole wheat and half white flour for a heartier muffin. Just know the texture will be a little denser.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon is the main warm spice here, but feel free to add a small pinch of nutmeg or cloves too. It gives the muffins a cozy, almost apple pie kind of flavor.
• Optional add-ins: Stir in up to 1/2 cup of any mix-ins you like. Chopped walnuts or pecans add a nice crunch, dried cranberries or raisins add a little chew, and cinnamon chips are a favorite in our house. You can also sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top before baking for a slightly crisp top.

How to Make Applesauce Muffins

Start by mashing one ripe banana in a large bowl using a fork. You want it pretty smooth with just a few small lumps. Then mix in the applesauce, milk, and vanilla until everything is combined and looks uniform.

Next, make a well in the center of your wet ingredients. This is just a little indentation where you dump all the dry stuff, and it helps you mix without overworking the batter.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon right into that well. Stir gently just until you don’t see dry streaks anymore. A few small lumps are totally fine. If you are adding any mix-ins like walnuts, raisins, or cinnamon chips, fold those in now with a spatula.

Spoon the batter into your lined muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full. An ice cream scoop makes this really easy and keeps the portions even, but a large spoon works just fine too.

Here is the trick that gives these muffins a nice domed top: bake at 425°F for the first 5 minutes, then without opening the oven, drop the temperature down to 350°F and bake for another 15 to 18 minutes.

That initial blast of high heat is what helps them rise quickly. You’ll know they are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Baking Tips

• Use room temperature ingredients. Cold applesauce and milk can make the batter uneven. Just set them out for 15 to 20 minutes before you start and they will mix in much more smoothly.
• Measure your flour carefully. Too much flour is the most common reason muffins turn out dry. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife rather than scooping straight from the bag.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Stir just until the dry streaks are gone. Over-mixing develops the gluten and leads to dense, gummy muffins instead of light and fluffy ones.
• Always use paper liners. These muffins have no oil in the batter, so they are more likely to stick than a standard muffin. Paper liners make removal easy and save you the frustration of a muffin that falls apart in the pan. I like to line my pan then spray the muffin liners with baking spray.
• Want to make them feel more like dessert? A crumble topping or streusel topping takes these from a simple breakfast muffin to something you could serve at a brunch.