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These healthy Applesauce Muffins are delicious, freezer friendly, and the perfect filling snack or breakfast. They're made with whole grain oats, unsweetened applesauce, and whole wheat flour.
Looking for more muffin recipes? Try these Cranberry Orange Muffins, Carrot Muffins, Blueberry Muffins, or Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins.
Why I love this recipe:
- Healthy – These applesauce muffins are less than 150 calories each and made with whole grains and low sugar, so you can feel good about feeding them to your family.
- Freezer Friendly – I love to make a big batch of these and put them in the freezer. We use them for school lunches, snacks at the pool or anytime.
- Delicious – They have the same delicious taste and perfect texture of bakery muffins, so no one can tell they're “healthier”.
Ingredients Needed:
How to make Applesauce Muffins:
Make Batter: In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar.
Add Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cranberries or raisins. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients then pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir just until combined.
Bake: Spoon batter evenly into the muffin cups then 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.
Enjoy or Freeze: Remove to a cooling rack then cool oatmeal applesauce muffins completely before freezing.
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Keep at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Allow to cool completely then place in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Healthy Snacks:
- Protein Bars
- Granola Bites
- Banana Oat Muffins
- No Bake Granola Bars
- Applesauce
- Easy Healthy Granola
- Charcuterie Board
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Instant Pot Yogurt
- Chocolate Overnight Oats
Applesauce Muffins
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 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.
- Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar.
- Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cranberries or raisins or chocolate chips.
- Combine: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir just until combined.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly between 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 to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Original recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
I originally shared this recipe December 2015. Updated July 2019 and January 2024.
Five-star Delicious muffins. My girl friend, who almost NEVer says a thing other than “good” or “yeah, pretty good” when I bake or cook, said”OH my GOD!” And left the kitchen stuffing her pie hole. Lawdy so good!
I used the coconut oil and 1/4 t less of cinnamon, plus made a sugar oat topping for the muffins and baked for 19 minutes, but checked at 15 and18. I’m generally a blueberry muffin man, but step aside! Making these again.
During these isolation days I was looking to bring in some healthier snack options. This recipe fit the bill perfectly. I did make a few changes. I reduced the flour slightly and added in a few tbsps. of ground Chia and ground Flax (wanted to up the Omega content). Wanting to be mindful of the sugar I opted to do a half and half with the sugar and used 1 to 1 with maple syrup (I also used organic sugar). Into the dry mixture I added a couple of good rasps of nutmeg and a dash of Madagascar Vanilla powder to the flour. Also added chopped pecans.
Note: always best to let your eggs be room temperature when using in baking recipes.
I doubled the batch and made them a smidge smaller and that gave me 30 muffins. This let me do a porch drop of a half dozen to my senior neighbours on each side of us. During these shut in days it is so important to be kind and take care of each other, right?
Next time I’m going to try this recipe in my mini loaf pans. Thanks for the recipe! Happy baking and be safe out there!
I love this recipe. These are my morning treat these days! Mahalo from Honolulu
Very delicious! I didn’t use refined sugar at all-just a splash of pure maple syrup. I had already made unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon and nutmeg so didn’t add any extra spice. I added about 1/4 cup each chopped walnuts, pecans, and craisins. Made them in a 24 count mini muffin tin for 13min. If they are still wet on top after pulling out then bake for additional minute until tops aren’t wet. You guys-these are delicious. These would be great to take as a to go snack or on a hike!! Adding white chocolate chips would be so fun!
These were a super healthy breakfast that my whole family loved! The applesauce adds just the perfect amount of sweetness!
Made recipe today they turned out wonderful.
How long should I bake mini muffins?
Around 11 minutes.
I added a cup of cranberries and about a half cup of chopped walnuts. I also used chunky apple sauce. It increased the number of muffins to 18. They were delicious.
I didn’t have whole-wheat flour so I added a bit of ground flaxseed. They turned out great. They have just the right amount of apple sauce.
I made this recipe the other day and it was a huge hit! Do you think you could add frozen blueberries to this? I’m looking for a good semi healthier blueberry muffin recipe.
Thanks!
Yes, sure!