Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins are made from scratch with simple ingredients including rolled oats, unsweetened applesauce, and whole wheat flour. They make the perfect healthy snack and they’re freezer-friendly, too!
Healthy snacks for myself and my kids is something I am passionate about. I keep my freezer stocked with healthy snacks including; Oatmeal Peanut Butter Energy Bites, Banana Bran Muffins, and Easy Homemade Fruit Pops.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m always on the look-out for healthy snack ideas for my kids. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite healthy snack ideas. My kids particularly love muffins, and I like to make big batches and freeze them. They’re also great for adding to their lunches.
Some of my favorite healthy muffins include:
- Banana Bran Muffins
- Greek Yogurt Double Chocolate Muffins
- Healthy Banana Oat Muffins
- Skinny Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
The original recipe for these came from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe several years ago. I’ve probably made them a hundred times over the years– it’s such a fantastic recipe! The only tweaking I’ve done it to make more batter. I’ve found her original recipe only makes about 10 large muffins, so I’ve adjusted the ingredients to make a full dozen!
Holy cow are these Applesauce Oat muffins delicious, and the fact that they’re healthy makes me completely obsessed with them. And most importantly, my kids love them. Like LOOOVVEEE them. They make a great snack for the entire family.
How to Make Healthy Applesauce Muffins:
- Stir together oats, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cranberries or raisins.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients, stir just until combined.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.
Are Muffins Healthy?
Muffins are not usually considered to be healthy, but they can be healthy. It totally depends on the ingredients. As a general rule, homemade muffin are healthier than their store bought counterpart because they don’t contain the added ingredients and preservatives that are found in store bought muffins.
What makes these muffins healthy is that they’re nutrient dense. They are made with applesauce in place of oil or an extra egg, whole wheat flour in place of white flour, and whole grain rolled oats that contribute added fiber and protein.
Storing and Freezing Muffins:
Store muffins at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.
To freeze muffins, first allow them to cool completely. Then place them in a freezer safe resealable bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and allow them to come to room temperature. You can also microwave one frozen muffin for about 20 seconds.
Check out these healthy snack ideas:
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Applesauce Oat Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons butter , melted (or coconut oil)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup raisins , or craisins, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cranberries or raisins.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir just until combined (don't overmix!)
- Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Don't over-bake or the muffins will be dry. Remove them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before freezing in a ziplock freezer bag.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe December 2015. Updated July 2019.
James says
These muffins are delicious. My husband makes the apple sauce mixed with pears after apple picking in the Fall. The kids love them for breakfast or a snack. This is my second time making them. Yummm!
Teresa says
I have made these several times and we absolutely love them. I love that there is only 1.3 t of added sugar in each( I make 12)
Also, I have added a lot of other ingredients and they r always yummy. Today I added unsweet coconut flakes, chopped fresh cranberries, nuts, pineapple, gr flaxseeds. Trying to make my own “kitchen sink version”. Lol
So much healthier than most muffins. Thank u!
Tony D M says
Good recipes but a grammar note.
The muffins are not healthy, they are healthful. The person who eats them is healthy.
My grandchildren enjoy your recipes.
LA says
Who asked you to check grammar ? Lauren is providing delicious recipes that are “healthy”. Keep your negative comments to yourself!
Conchita says
Congrats, they are really good and very easy to make, even though I would add a little bit more sugar. Great work. <3
Cynthia Royle says
I made these by adding pure maple syrup to homemade apple sauce. So I omitted the granulated sugar. Love these muffins, even without buttering them.
Irene GP says
Just made these and they are amazing. I made my own applesauce and then followed the recipe as is. I did however double the recipe and added chocolate chips, raisins and frozen blueberries. The recipe made 23 lovely muffins.
I also like the fact that the sugar amount is only 1/3 cup
Thank you-this one is a keeper
Kayla says
I am quite impressed with this recipe and super-happy.
I changed it a tiny bit, but will summarize the conclusion based on the changes:
1. I used quick oats because that is what I had on-hand
2. I used 1 cup unsweetened apple-peach sauce (organic single serve)
3. I added 1/4 cup canola oil to make up for the 1/4 cup applesauce that I omitted
4. I opted for the coconut oil (raw)
5. I used 1/2 cup sprouted spelt flour (super nutritious) and 1/2 cup ivory wheat flour (nutty and nutritious and makes good bread)
6. I was a bit more generous with the cinnamon because I typically find that I am left wanting more from most recipes.
Conclusions:
1. The muffins were extremely moist. This means that:
a) I can likely omit the extra 1/4 cup oil I used to replace the applesauce. It would likely be sufficient to add a bit more milk, instead. This would reduce the fat and caloric content.
b) The recipe takes whole-grain/ancient grain flours VERY easily. I generally have to really play with a bread or cake recipe to make it take to the specialty flours I like to use. This has be super-excited. I wouldn’t be surprised if it could support a red fife and other sprouted flour mixture.
2. I happened to find the muffin sweet enough and I’m sure I can easily reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup and still end up with a very tasty muffin. This would reduce the processed sugar content and calories. Leaving the raisins ensure a few bites of extra sweetness.
3. I found my generous helping of cinnamon was too much. I was pleasantly surprised to note that the amount of cinnamon in the recipe ensures that you actually taste it in the end result.
4. I LOVE the fact that I don’t need a mixer for this recipe; I used a serving fork to mix the final batter. I can whip it up when babies are sleeping. Also, it is easy and fast, so the muffins could even be ready for a post-nap snack. Especially with the reduction in sugar content (and omission of raisins…they don’t like them yet).
Thank you for this recipe. I will be continuing to adapt it as my needs evolve. I am excited to add shredded coconut and perhaps some mango and nutmeg.
Lisa Mills says
I made these yesterday but with a few substitutions: I didn’t have Greek yogurt, so I used sour cream. I also substituted 1/3 cup honey for the white sugar. Because of family preferences, I increased both the vanilla and the cinnamon to 2 teaspoons each. And before baking, I sprinkled a little extra oats on top. The result was a muffin that is tasty and holds up well to splitting in half to top with a little cream cheese. Definitely a keeper to add to my muffin recipe rotation. Thanks for sharing!