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
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Recipe
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
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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.
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Would these be good frozen and thawed?
Yes, I freeze them (after they’ve baked and cooled) all the time! They’re delicious!
I have been looking for a plain oatmeal muffin recipe for a few years. Finally! I skipped the dried fruit option, used white whole wheat flour (pastry flour), sprinkled the top with a some cinnamon sugar and they turned out wonderful! So happy to have this recipe on hand now. Thank you!
I’m so happy you liked them! Thank you for taking the time to comment 🙂
I have made these several times and love them! Almost feel guilty eating them for breakfast….like having a cookie! I add chia seeds and flax seed. Really yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Excellent – I subbed a scoop of vanilla protein powder in place of the white sugar and it worked great.
Love that substitution! So happy you liked them. Thanks for commenting and following TBFS!
I’ve made these twice this year. amazing! I have a vegan friend, and was wondering if there is a good substitute for the egg? Most baked goods recipes at use egg can be replaced by applesauce, but I would think that it would make it too runny since there is already egg in it. Just wondering. THANKS!
Thanks Heather–I love to hear that! To substitute the egg I would either use flaxseed (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp water), or half of a banana, mashed (about 1/4 cup mashed banana). Hope that helps!
These muffins are soooo good! I used coconut oil and raisins in mine and they are delicious. This is definitely a keeper recipe. I doubled the recipe and filled fourteen of the large muffin papers. Baked them for 40 minutes and they turned out perfect.
Thanks you so much for sharing! I’m so happy you liked them!
Can you use chopped apple instead of the cranberries/raisins or would the apples have too much moisture?
I think that would work great! I would chop the apple pieces really small.
This is a GOOD oatmeal muffin recipe. The texture of these muffins are springy and tender. Just how an oatmeal muffin should be. My dog and I just shared two of them warm from the oven. I used buckwheat flour to make them gluten free and dark brown sugar because it makes almost all bake goods taste even better.
I am already planning my next batch, orange rind and blueberries.
Thanks for a great recipe.
These were great thanks 🙂 My kids loved them!
So happy to hear it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I was wondering if you had the nutrition information on these? I’m diabetic so have to be careful on carbs! Sounds like a really good recipe and excited to try them!
Hi Anna, I don’t add the nutritional info because it can vary so much depending on what products people use, and can be misleading. You could calculate the nutritional info on MyFitnessPal site.
Wanted to let you know I recently added nutritional info for these muffins! Yay!