Applesauce muffins

These applesauce muffins are hands-down one of our favorite healthy muffin recipes! Made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients – likely already in your pantry – they’re moist, super flavorful and delicious. Double or triple your batch and freeze ahead for easy “go-to” breakfasts or desserts. Serve with my Instant Pot breakfast casserole.

My daughter loves baking for our family (she especially enjoys making my gluten-free chocolate chip scones and orange cranberry scones recipes), and although she has become a great baker herself, she and my son still ask me to make my banana bread muffins, peanut butter chocolate chip muffins and carrot zucchini muffins with apples often enough for me to add muffins into my monthly meal plan.

We love muffins because they’re moist, delicious and so fun to eat! Not to mention they’re quick and easy breakfasts for mornings on the go; healthy desserts packed in their school lunches; or perfect “go-to” snacks.

You can double or triple muffin batches and freeze them ahead of time, so all you have to do is pull a few at a time from the freezer to thaw and devour. Yep, I said devour – because that’s just how good the muffin recipe is that I am about to show you!

Applesauce muffins!

Now, my kids LOVED applesauce when they were younger, but as teens, they’re not huge fans (unless they’ve had their braces tightened, in which case they live on applesauce and yogurt for the whole week).

But let me tell you, they really, really like the applesauce in these muffins. It’s such an easy recipe using pantry ingredients that you likely have on hand. Plus, applesauce muffins are great to make in the winter – when fresh fruit is limited to citrus (and you’re tired of oranges). Without having apple chunks in the recipe, the wholesome apple flavor from the applesauce really shines!

Trust me, these amazing applesauce muffins will be a family favorite for the kids, teens and adults alike!

Applesauce Muffins Ingredients

Wet ingredients:

• maple syrup
• honey
• eggs
• butter, melted
• coconut oil (melted if solid)
• vanilla
• unsweetened applesauce (or sweetened / cinnamon, or can your own)
• plain Greek yogurt

Dry ingredients:

• flour (I use all-purpose, but you can also use whole wheat)
• baking soda
• salt
• cinnamon

See recipe card below for complete ingredient measurements

Notes on Applesauce Muffin Ingredients

Applesauce:

• I use unsweetened plain applesauce, but you can use sweetened if that’s what you have. I definitely think cinnamon flavored would be great here too.
• It’s cheaper to buy applesauce in big jars rather than individual cups, but there will be some left over. You can make double or triple muffin batches and freeze to use up your applesauce, or use your leftover applesauce as a side for maple glazed pork chops.

Yogurt:

• Be sure not to substitute regular yogurt for the Greek yogurt, because it’s too thin for this recipe. You can always substitute sour cream, but the flavor will be slightly different.
• If you only have regular plain yogurt, you can strain it to make Greek yogurt. Be sure to reuse the whey – here are some great suggestions for how to use whey!

Flour: I use all-purpose flour for simplicity, but go ahead and sub whole wheat flour if you prefer, or if that’s what you have in your pantry.

Sweetener:  The honey flavor really comes through, so if you don’t like it, just use all maple syrup rather than honey.

How to Make Applesauce Muffins Step by Step

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2. Prepare muffin tin by greasing each cup, or lining with paper liners if you prefer (you can also spray paper liners with cooking spray).

Step 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine maple syrup, honey, eggs, melted butter, melted coconut oil, vanilla, unsweetened applesauce, plain Greek yogurt and whisk very well. Set aside.

Step 4. In another large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, then sift into the wet ingredients. Mix, but do not overmix.

Step 5. Measure 1/4 cup batter into each prepared muffin tin cup, makes 18.

Step 6. Bake for 17-20 minutes (mine took 21 minutes) or until tops of muffins are firm to the touch. Let cool for 15 minutes before enjoying.

Note: Store muffins in an airtight container. Freeze in freezer-safe container for up to 3 months (I like to use gallon plastic storage bags and then re-use them until they fall apart).

Recipe Notes for Applesauce Muffins

• For fun recipe variations, try adding in 3/4 cup raisins, or 1 cup peeled and chopped apple chunks, or 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
• Freeze in freezer-safe container for up to 3 months (I like to use gallon plastic storage bags and then re-use them until they fall apart).

Applesauce Muffins FAQs

More Healthy and Easy Muffin Recipes

• Banana chocolate chip muffins
• Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
• Corn dog muffins
• Banana nut muffins with crumb topping
• Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins