These healthy applesauce muffins are moist and flavorful with a soft texture from applesauce and warm taste from cinnamon. Easy to make with less sugar and no oil!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Soft and moist: Unsweetened applesauce gives muffins a tender light texture.
- One bowl recipe: No mixer is required to make these easy applesauce muffins!
- Healthy: Applesauce muffins are made with wholesome ingredients, use less sugar and contain no oil.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Applesauce: During apple season, I love to use my homemade crockpot applesauce but store bought unsweetened applesauce 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: Use dairy free milk if needed to keep these muffins vegan.
- All-purpose flour: A combination of whole wheat flour and white flour can be used.
- Cinnamon: Homemade apple pie spice can be substituted.
- Optional add-ins: Add up to 1/2 cup of whole grain oats, chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, or coconut. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.
How to Make Applesauce Muffins
In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Mix in the applesauce and milk until well combined.
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.
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 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.
Baking Tips
- Room temperature ingredients such as the applesauce and milk 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.
- For light and fluffy muffins, do not over-mix. 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!
- Turn these muffins into an easy apple dessert recipe by adding a crumble topping or streusel topping!
Storage
- 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.
- Freeze muffins 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.
When it comes to easy breakfast muffins, my family can’t get enough cinnamon apple muffins, pumpkin muffins and zucchini muffins are favorites, too!
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Applesauce Muffins
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened 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
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mash one banana with a fork. Mix in 1 cup applesauce, 2 Tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Make a well in the wet ingredients and add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in any desired mix-in's.
- Fill muffin pan with batter. 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 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.
- Cool. Let cool in the muffin tin a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve. 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 the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts 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!