Delicious, moist and flavorful applesauce muffins are made with applesauce in the batter giving them a hint of natural sweetness and soft texture! Quick and easy to make breakfast or on-the-go snack option.
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Easy Applesauce Muffins
When it comes to easy breakfast muffins, my family can’t get enough and they are always a favorite treat with both kids and adults! These applesauce muffins aren’t just for breakfast though, they are perfect for both the lunchbox or for a snack.
While, I love these more decadent cinnamon apple muffins that are rolled in cinnamon and sugar, this healthier applesauce muffin recipe is lighter while also being egg free, oil free and can be made dairy-free, too.
Double the recipe and store some in the freezer for busy days when you crave a comforting muffin with warm apple pie spice flavor. While you are at it, make some pumpkin muffins and zucchini muffins to have on hand, too!
Why This Recipe Works
- Soft and moist: Applesauce keeps these muffins tender with the best light texture.
- One bowl recipe: No mixer is required to make these easy muffins!
- Healthy: Applesauce muffins are made with wholesome ingredients and can even be made dairy free and oil free!
- Versatile: Add in some mix-ins for additional texture and flavor!
Applesauce Muffin Recipe Ingredients
Soft and full of cinnamon spice taste, you just need a few ingredients to make these classic muffins.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Applesauce: During apple season, I love to use my homemade crockpot applesauce but store bought works just as well too!
- Banana: I small brown mashed banana helps add moisture and binding without using oil. If desired, you can sub 1/4 cup coconut oil or melted butter.
- Milk: Adds additional moisture, use dairy free if needed to keep these muffins vegan.
- All-purpose flour: Flour adds structure to the muffins.
- Granulated sugar: A bit of granulated sugar is added to the muffins to add sweet taste.
- Salt: You can use sea salt or table salt.
- Vanilla extract: Adds rich flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both are needed for list and rise to keep these applesauce muffins light and fluffy!
- Apple pie spice: I love my homemade spice blend but you can use a combination of warm cinnamon and nutmeg.
Variations
With a muffin recipe this simple there are a few options to customize it to make it your own!
- Flour: Feel free to use white whole wheat flour or a combination of wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
- Nuts or dried fruit: Add up to 1/2 cup of these additional add-ins including chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch or dried cranberries, dried raisins or coconut for additional texture.
- Mini muffins: Use a mini muffin pan and baking time will decrease. Start checking on your muffins at 10 minutes
- Topping: Turn these muffins into an easy apple dessert recipe by adding a crumble topping or streusel topping!
How to Make Applesauce Muffins
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Mix in the applesauce and milk until well combined.
- Make muffin batter: Make a well in the wet ingredients and add dry ingredients including flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice. Stir just until combined then fold in any mix-ins if desired.
- Fill muffin pan: Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. You can use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon for this step.
- Bake: Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 15 to 18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Serve your fresh applesauce muffins with a spread of butter or honey if desired!
Expert Tips
- Room temperature ingredients such as the applesauce, milk and if using butter will incorporate better into the muffin batter.
- Learning how to measure flour accurately will ensure you don’t add excess. I like to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then level it with a knife.
- Avoid over mixing your muffin batter! Stir only until the batter is combined to prevent dense muffins that are gummy.
- Use paper liners in your muffin tin so they don’t stick and are easier to remove!
- Use the toothpick test to check your muffins for doneness. When inserted into the middle of the muffin, the toothpick should come out clean.
Recipe FAQs
Applesauce adds moisture, tenderness and natural sweetness to baked goods.
Yes, applesauce can replace eggs and oil in most baking recipes. This recipe does not use eggs or call for any added oil because we also add a banana to the recipe to act as a binder. If you opt to not use a banana I recommend adding oil or melted butter.
Yes, you can add up to 1/2 cup finely diced apples such as Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith or Pink Lady.
This applesauce muffin recipe is light and fluffy for a few reasons! Room temperature ingredients, a combination of baking powder and baking soda and using a high baking temperature at first then reducing the temperature all help keep these muffins light and fluffy. Using white flour will also produce a lighter muffin than using whole wheat flour.
Storing and Freezing Muffins
Store muffins at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage up to a week, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Applesauce muffins can also be stored in the freezer to enjoy later! Place in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Heat in the microwave if desired.
Love apple recipes? Try these apple cinnamon pancakes, brown bag apple pie or my favorite apple butter!
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Applesauce Muffins
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 small browned banana , mashed (can sub 1/4 cup oil or melted butter)
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional mix-in's: 1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins, chopped walnuts, or cinnamon chips
For serving: Butter and honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Mix in the applesauce, milk, and vanilla until well combined.
- Make a well in the wet ingredients and add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice. Stir just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in any desired mix-in's.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. You can use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon for this step.
- Bake 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the muffin tin a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve plain or with butter and honey, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Bread, Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Kid-Friendly, Meal Prep, Muffins, Muffins, Nut-Free, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
I used brown sugar instead of white since I was out, and the muffins completely stuck to the liner. They were only half edible. Not sure what happened.
Hi Ashley, I’m sorry they stuck to the liner. I think it was because you swapped the sugars (brown sugar has more moisture causing it to stick).
Used 1 c. white flour and 1/2 c. wheat flour – otherwise followed the recipe and they turned out amazingly moist and flavorful. Finally a good muffin recipe with no eggs or oil!
Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins Cathi :)
These muffins tasted amazing. I cooked them at least 20 min after the 5 min and the knife came out clean but they were still super doughy…any thoughts or ideas on that?
My kids loved them and they were gone quickly even though doughy on the inside. I did sub Oat flour…
The oat flour could have make a difference and may need to be baked a little longer. I am glad that your kids still enjoyed them!
This was the best way to use this applesauce that was sitting in my fridge! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
These are such a great quick breakfast in the morning now that the kids are headed back to school. My kiddos love them.
Is it possible to keep the recipe as is, but add chunks of apple as well?
That sounds delicious! I love that idea. Yes, that will work too! Great idea!
I’ve never tried applesauce in muffins before but they are so delicious and the texture was amazing, thank you!