Make a batch of delicious muffins in no time at all with this easy applesauce muffin recipe. With just 10 minutes of prep time, these muffins are a great snack to make when you are short on time, and they are wonderfully sweet and moist.
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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
Let's be honest, there is never a bad time for a muffin! These easy applesauce muffins are super quick to make and they are quickly becoming my favorite snack to enjoy with my afternoon cup of coffee.
They come out so soft and moist and they are flavored with my favorite fall spice combination of cinnamon and nutmeg. They are also less than 200 calories each, so snack away guilt free!
For more easy sweet snacks, be sure to check out my Blueberry Biscuits and Crispy Air Fryer Apple Chips.
How to make easy applesauce muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Gather your ingredients.
- In a large bowl, add oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine.
- Pour in applesauce, milk, butter, and vanilla extract and stir until fully combined.
- Place batter into muffin liners.
- Bake in preheated oven for for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick entered in the middle comes out smoothly.
How long do they keep?
Once the muffins have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for 2 days and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. They will still be good a day or two after this, but will start to dry out.
Can you freeze them?
These muffins freeze really well. Freeze them solid on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag, or wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze them together. They will keep for up to 3 months frozen.
Defrost the muffins at room temperature or warm them through on a low heat in the oven.
Are they healthy?
The applesauce in this recipe means that you don't need any oil to keep the muffins moist and you can also reduce the amount of added sugar and butter. Each muffin is around 180 calories and is low in fat and sodium. They are also made with whole wheat flour so contain whole grains. This is a healthy snack I can get behind!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- You can also bake these in your air fryer. To make a smaller batch, cut all ingredients in half and follow the recipe as instructed. Use silicone baking liners and air fry on 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes.
- Make sure that the batter ingredients are fully combined, there should be no dry flour when you place it into the muffin cases.
- Bake the muffins in a preheated oven so that they cook through evenly.
- Check the muffins after 20 minutes of cooking as ovens can run at different temperatures. An inserted toothpick will come out clean when they are baked through.
More Easy Muffin Recipes
Easy Applesauce Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup quick cooking oats
- 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, add oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine.
- Pour in applesauce, milk, butter, and vanilla extract and stir until fully combined. Place batter into muffin liners.
- Bake in preheated oven for for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick entered in the middle comes out smoothly.
Notes
- You can also bake these in your air fryer. To make a smaller batch, cut all ingredients in half and follow the recipe as instructed. Use silicone baking liners and air fry on 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes.
- Make sure that the batter ingredients are full combined, there should be no dry flour when you place it into the muffin cases.
- Bake the muffins in a preheated oven so that they cook through evenly.
- Check the muffins after 20 minutes of cooking as ovens can run at different temperatures. An inserted toothpick will come out clean when they are baked through.
NeeNee says
Thank you!! Made these moist and healthy muffins this morning. Cleaned out my fridge using leftover applesauce, Granny Smith apple, milk, and raisins. So good.
Tanya says
Thanks NeeNee! So happy you liked the recipe 🙂
Kat of Balanced Hawaii Eats says
Great recipe to use up that jar of applesauce that your family forgot about in the back of the fridge. I swapped coconut palm sugar for granulated sugar and it was loved by young and old alike. It's a keeper!
Tanya says
Thanks so much for the feedback Kat! So happy you liked the recipe.
Kathleen says
Love these! I volunteer with our church’s Muffin Ministry and opted to use this recipe for my contribution this month. My only changes: I used cinnamon applesauce and diced up honeycrisp apples for the batter and a few little pieces on top of each muffin for extra flavor. I tried using paper liners for some, and just sprayed muffin tins for others and the spray worked better…my muffins (though cooked and cooled appropriate amount of time) tended to stick to the liner a bit. Will definitely be making these again, thanks for helping me feed those who don’t have much, this will be a treat!!
Tanya says
Thank you so much Kathleen! I love your adaptations to the recipe and the reason why you made and shared them. What a Blessing!
Andrea says
This recipe sounds good. I have just put some in the oven and the only change I made was that I added chopped pecans and raisins. Hope they turn out well. I am making them for a neighbor who has family coming in from out of town.
Sharon says
They didn’t rise well and were kind of bland. Def needed some add ins. The previous reviews were deceiving for me. Maybe all applesauce muffins are just this bland.
Tanya says
Hi Sharon, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Taste preferences can certainly differ, and I'm sorry the recipe didn't meet your expectations. If you decide to give it another try or have any specific questions, feel free to reach out. Happy cooking! 😊
Morgan says
My kids and I love eating these! They are so filling & yummy! Thank you!
Tanya says
Thanks Morgan! So happy you all like them.
Jackie says
I love these muffins! Moist and delicious.
Tanya says
Thanks, Jackie! So happy you liked the muffins!
Heide says
Can I use almond milk
Tanya says
Hi Heide, I haven't made it with almond milk but that should be a fine substitute.
Susan says
No eggs! Who knew?! Great recipe! I added a few blueberries on top.
Tanya says
Thanks Susan! Such a great idea to add the blueberries.
Jazz says
Is there really no egg? Or did I miss something. 🙂
Tanya says
Hi Jazz, there is no egg in this recipe.
Deb says
They came out great. I cut back a bit on the nutmeg as I don’t like it too strong.
Tanya says
Thanks so much Deb! So happy you enjoyed them.
Edie G. says
Made these this morning. Changed oatmeal to Quaker protein brown sugar cinnamon. Shredded a half a gala apple in the batter. Left out the sugar. They came out moist and full.
Tina says
Do you have to use quick cooking oats and what can you use instead of butter to make them healthier?
Mara says
Could you make these into a loaf, rather than muffins? Thanks
Tanya says
Hi Mara, that should work fine. Loafs just longer to bake, usually up to 1 hour at 350F.
Amy Hinton says
Do you have to use wheat flour? Can you use just regular flour?
Tanya says
Hi Amy, regular flour should work fine as a substitute.
Dena says
@Tanya, what about almond flour? could that be used instead of wheat?
Tanya says
Hi Dena, I haven't tried it with almond flour. My only concern is that since this recipe does not include eggs, the muffins may not have the same texture if the wheat flour is subbed with a gluten-free flour. If you try, I'd love to hear your results.