These deliciously soft and moist homemade applesauce muffins will quickly become a staple recipe at your breakfast table. And the recipe can be completely oil free!
My new favorite muffin recipe
Five out of five stars
I could eat these every day
There’s no way these muffins are so healthy!!!
As some of the reader reviews above show, people seriously cannot get enough of the secretly healthy applesauce muffins!
You may also like these Overnight Oats – 15 New Recipes
Above, watch the step-by-step applesauce muffin recipe video
Easy applesauce muffins
The wholesome muffins are great for packing into a lunch box, and they can be vegan, gluten free, egg free, dairy free, whole food plant based, and oil free.
It’s possibly one of the most delicious and healthiest muffin recipes you’ll ever make, and they pair well with savory recipes too.
Try the muffins for dinner alongside my favorite Lentil Soup or Mushroom Stroganoff, or this easily customizable vegetarian Coconut Curry.
You can also double the recipe if you want and freeze leftovers for a rainy day, to always have a nutritious snack or healthy breakfast on hand any time you’re in a rush or don’t feel like cooking.
Kids, toddlers, teens, and adults all love these clean eating muffins, because they taste like apple pie and are packed with nutrition at the same time.
Also be sure to try these healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Applesauce muffin ingredients
Soft and cinnamony, these classic muffins are made with just a few basic ingredients.
They have no butter or eggs, and you can customize the recipe by adding in a handful of raisins, chopped walnuts, flax seeds, or shredded coconut, or by pressing a few blueberries into the top of each muffin right before baking.
To turn them into oatmeal applesauce muffins, simply use oat flour as your flour of choice, or they can be whole grain with the benefit of extra fiber if you use spelt or whole wheat flour.
The muffins can be refined sugar free if you use date sugar or coconut sugar. Or to make them lower in carbs and completely sugar free, you can use xylitol or granulated erythritol.
For low fat or weight watchers muffins, the oil can be substituted with additional applesauce, pumpkin, mashed banana, or even peanut or almond butter.
The photos in this post are actually of the oil-free version made only with applesauce!
Leftover applesauce? Use it to make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
How to make applesauce muffins
This healthy snack recipe is super quick to throw together.
Start by whisking all of the liquid ingredients together and greasing or lining a muffin pan with muffin or cupcake liners.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, then combine with the liquid mixture to form a muffin batter.
To ensure everything is evenly mixed, I like to use different bowls for the liquid and dry ingredients. However, it can be a one bowl muffin recipe if you prefer.
Portion the muffin batter into the lined muffin pan. It should make about eight or nine regular size muffins. Only fill each tin about two thirds of the way up, because they will rise while baking.
Place on the oven’s center rack, and bake for twenty minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out mostly clean. Let cool.
If you want to make applesauce mini muffins, follow the instructions above and bake them for only ten minutes. I recommend this mini muffin pan.
Muffin storage tips
My favorite muffin trick is to cover them overnight on the counter or in the refrigerator. The liners peel off easily the next day, and their flavor and texture will be even better the next day.
After a day, store leftover muffins in an airtight covered container. Due to the perishable ingredients, I recommend refrigerating for optimum freshness.
You can also freeze the applesauce muffins for up to three months. Thaw before eating, and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop if desired.
They will make your entire house smell like cinnamon sugar!
Applesauce Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup applesauce
- 3 tbsp oil OR applesauce or mashed banana
- 2 tbsp milk of choice
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp white or cider vinegar
- 1 cup spelt, white, or oat flour (for flourless, try these Keto Muffins)
- 1/4 cup sugar or unrefined sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp each: baking soda and baking powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- optional handful raisins, crushed walnuts, shredded coconut, etc.
Instructions
- *If you want to make mini muffins, bake only 10 minutes. I recommend this mini muffin pan.Whisk all liquid ingredients together. Preheat oven to 350, and line a muffin tin. In a new bowl, stir remaining ingredients very well. Pour dry into wet, and stir until just evenly mixed. Fill each liner about 2/3 of the way, leaving a little room because they will rise. Bake on the center rack, 20 minutes or until muffins have domed and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out mostly clean. Let cool. (If you loosely cover overnight on the counter or refrigerated, the liners peel off easily the next day and flavor and texture are even better.) Leftovers can be frozen if desired. Be sure to rate the recipe below if you try it!View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Tag @chocolatecoveredkatie on Instagram
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
Or these healthy Bran Muffins
Easy Whole Wheat English Muffins
Recipe in the Hello Breakfast Cookbook
Claire says
These are EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for in a muffin! I’m so excited to make these. Just last night I was longing for an applesauce recipe with simple ingredients. These look so easy to make, and they are IBD-AID diet friendly! I’m sooo happy right now! I will comment again after I’ve made them and let you know how amazing they are! 🙂
Denise says
These sound delicious. Can I substitute coconut or almond flour?
Denises
Jackie says
She linked to an almond flour muffin recipe in the ingredient list. I haven’t tried that one but I would probably just go with that one if I were you!
Michelle says
I am wondering the same thing. I know you can sub on a 1:1 ratio but when you sub out regular flour with almond flour, you generally need more binding agent. BUT w/o any egg….would that just be some extra applesauce??
Bett says
The other one she links to uses flax “egg” so I’d go with that. Or maybe silken tofu blended up?
Kendra says
How long do they last? For instance if I make a batch and want to take 1 everyday to work, by day 5 will they still be ok? Or is this something you have to eat up in a day or two?
Jason Sanford says
We’ve only ever kept them around up to 4 days and then frozen the rest. Katie likes to freeze some right away. But if you put them in the fridge, they should last at least 4 days. As with any muffin recipe (or most leftovers, for that matter), I’d think day 5 is always a risk – sometimes it could be ok, other times it might start to taste a little old.
Jason
Miri says
Keep them individually wrapped and in an airtight container in your freezer. Will defrost in lunchbox or 20secs in microwave.
Mimialexa says
Just put in the frig. and they will definitely last for a week!
Jennifer says
Thanks for posting this recipe! I will make these tonight. Finding oil-free & gluten-free recipes can be difficult. Your readers appreciate you making recipes that can work for multiple diets!!
Jackie says
I made them as soon as I got this email, because UM HELLO having all of the ingredients in my pantry! You weren’t kidding when you said the whole house will smell like apple pie. I know you said they’re better the next day, but who can resist hot apple muffins right from the oven? Looking forward to breakfast tomorrow because I can’t imagine how they could possibly taste better than they already do!
Note* I did the oil-free version and you can’t tell at all!
Juliedavidson1@yahoo.com says
Did you use 3 tablespoons of the substitute (applesauce or banana for oil)
Grace says
I have done both oil and oil free now and I honestly think oil free tastes better!
Nina says
I made these tonight. I don’t think that we will have them for breakfast as we will eat them all before that. .They are delicious.
Kayla says
I agree with the person who wrote “these are my new favorite muffin recipe”. To make them more Fall festive, I took the suggestion to substitute pumpkin for the oil, and I also added a little extra cinnamon because I love cinnamon. It tasted like Fall in the shape of a muffin! I know people don’t like the word moist, but that’s exactly what these are!
Rachel says
Hi Katie,
We just had these muffins for breakfast this morning and they were delicious!
We’re not vegan, but I love how they don’t need eggs to stay together. I hate the taste of eggs alone and therefore don’t always have them in the fridge, so this recipe is really helpful to have. Thanks again! We are huge fans of your recipes 🙂
Jennifer says
Are the nutrition facts for the oil or oil free version? Wondering if the oil free version has less than 84 calories per muffin? Can’t wait to make these! 🙂
Jason Sanford says
Nutrition facts are for oil free, but with regular sugar 🙂
ArtsyRican says
Made these this evening for my ultra finicky kiddo and they were an absolute smash! I made them oil free (only applesauce) and they were really wonderful.
Jennifer says
These look yummy! I might try them with homemade applesauce 🙂
Ella says
Delicious! I made these yesterday and waited patiently until this morning to have one with my tea. Soooo worth the wait! Moist, tender, delicious and so flavorful! I used pumpkin in place of the oil and it was a fall festival for the tastebuds! Thanks for a great, easy and yummy recipe!
Gina says
Great idea to sub pumpkin for the oil. Thanks for sharing that tip!
Bernadette says
I made these last night and we had some this morning. It made six muffins. They were very tasty, and different from other muffins I’ve made. I will add these to my collection of muffin recipes to make again.
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
Hate applesauce on its own, but it is a lucky charm for baking! You can never go wrong with baking a recipe with applesauce correctly. This is such a great oil free base to then customize–I can picture this working very well with carrot cake, pumpkin spice, cinnamon sugar crumble, coffee cake, and even chocolate or red velvet muffins!
Lisa says
I made these to take to a friends house and they are amazing. SO amazing that the next evening I wanted to make more for myself. Love these!!
Gabby says
Has anyone tried these skipping the sugar altogether and/or swapping the sugar for something like dates(not date sugar)- (making for a child). Thanks!
A says
I just tried this myself! I added extra cinnamon and used oil for my adaptation, and they turned out moist and not too sweet, as expected.
A says
I should note that I skipped the sugar entirely.
Kristen Kemp says
Hello! How did they turn out without the sugar? Did you change anything else to comensate? Thank you!
Margaret says
A little late reply, but I just made these according to recipe, but without sugar, and they tasted very nice. I should say I go light on the sugar in recipes, anyway, so you’d probably be your best judge.
Dana says
How did that taste like?
Lindsay says
I used Truvia and it worked well!
Tammy Schotch says
I just made them without any sugar and they taste delicious! You don’t even miss the sugar!
Vicki says
I made these muffins today. They were super easy and tasted remarkably delicious! I was a little skeptical due to the minimal ingredients, however, my granddaughter came for coffee and she really liked them as well!! I will definitely make them again! Thanks, Katie!
Irene Binyon says
I made the muffins this morning. Delicious! I am making mine for grand babies so I made mini muffins. The first batch I went
100% by the recipe. I found it took about 12 minutes to bake. I may have overfilled the tins. Second batch, I had to use 1/2 oat flour and 1/2 spelt. I was low on spelt. Also I made my own applesauce which was a bit chunkier than “store bought.” These had to cook 13 minutes. The first batch made 24, the second batch (chunkier applesauce) made 36.
Question ~ Did anyone add any of the add-ons that Katie suggested? Grand babies tend to be picker and not like “things” in their muffins. Just asking for adults, what did your tasters like?
Willow Brown says
I made these mini muffins with unsweetened coconut and they are very nice. (1/4 cup) Gives them a bit more texture and I had a big bag of it to use up.
Irene Binyon says
Oops! I commented above I forgot to say I doubled the recipe both times I mad it.
Victoria says
Can you sub the applesauce with pumpkin and make pumpkin muffins???
Melissa says
Ooo that’s a great idea! I don’t know if it would work, but I like your idea!
Paulette says
I regularly sub pumpkin or banana in place of applesauce in recipes!
Chris says
These are delicious and simple! I made the oil version with a bit of coconut flour substituted for some added fibre. Both kids and adults enjoyed them. I’ll make these again!
Eileen Patterson says
I made these today! I used brown sugar replacement Swerve and added some flax seed and walnuts for more protein. I love them! They aste like apple cider!
Jason Sanford says
Ooh those look awesome!
Beth says
I made these over the weekend and have been eating them every day this week. I used white wheat flour, Baking Truvia instead of sugar, and banana instead of oil. I was shocked that the texture turned out so well ! It actually made 9 muffins for me because I didn’t want to fill the cups too full. I used Penzey’s Cake Spice which is similar to pumpkin pie spice. Delicious. I love Katie’s recipes!!
Jason Sanford says
So awesome to know it works with whole wheat flour and truvia!
Holly says
Hi all! I made these muffins and they smelled delicious but when I checked the texture the next day (after a night in the fridge) they were super dense – not light/fluffy/muffin-like at all. The only substitutions I made were using gluten free flour rather than the ones listed and cane sugar instead of white sugar. I live at sea level, so elevation isn’t a problem. Do y’all think it was because of the flour? I’m no expert on flours, so I don’t know how much one affects texture/dryness/flavor over another.
Jason Sanford says
Yup, unfortunately if a flour isn’t listed as an option in a recipe, it either means we haven’t tested it for that recipe or did test it and didn’t have good results. In this case, gf all purpose flour isn’t listed as an option because we weren’t happy enough with the results to include it as an option.
Jason (media relations)
Holly says
Gotcha, thanks! I’ll try again with oat flour and report back. 🙂
Holly says
I made these again with oat flour and they turned out much better! However, even after cooking them for an extra almost ten minutes, once they cooled, they were still not quite done inside and sunken down in the middle. The taste was still great though, and with no eggs to worry about being undercooked, I had no problem eating them. 🙂 Definitely a recipe to keep in regular rotation, even if it does take a few extra tries to get them perfect in my oven. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Belle Fortte says
I have the exact same problem! used the ingredients listed (did not make any substitution).
They taste A-Mazing! But they did sunk in the middle and looked undercooked.
I live at sea level as well…
Any tips?
Kim says
I had the same problem. They did not rise. I also used oat flour. Also a bit gooey. I was afraid to cook them much more!
Janet says
I wonder if you need to add some Xanthem to help them rise since you are using GF flour (oat flour). I will try and report back
June Huguelet says
Call you make them with out the muffin liners
Jason Sanford says
Sure! They will probably only make around 6 or 7 but it definitely still works. Just be sure to grease the muffin cups.
kirsten says
anyone have any recommendations for making these with nunaturals stevia extract drops? 🙂 TIA!
Watson James says
We studied your blog and it is very nice. We found it interesting in getting a piece of great relevant information about your hot chocolate muffins. Keep going and do some more articles to share with us. Thank you !!
Sue O says
I made these according to the original recipe – regular flour, sugar, and oil – except I made my own applesauce first and then added some very small pieces of chopped up apple (and increased cinnamon to 1/2 tsp. ). They are fabulous! My husband and I couldn’t leave them overnight because they smelled too good. They are great warm right out of the oven and the next day. I greased the tin rather than using liners.
Diane says
EMade a double batch today for my husbands office. Everyone loved them and couldn’t believe they are vegan. Recipe is a keeper. I added some cinnamon bits from KAF cause I had them in my pantry and a little vanilla glaze. Easy recipe and simply delicious.
Sandrine says
I made this recipe several times now: with oat flour, regular flour, without oil, with coconut oil… and my favorite is with regular flour and coconut oil. The flavor is basically the same for all of them (slightly different with oat thought) except that without the oil, the muffin sticks a lot to the liner even the day after.
Since I make it also for my toddler, I do not add the 1/4 cup of sugar but a handful of raisin. And I don’t know who loves it more, me or her.
Thank you for the recipe Katie, it is definitely a keeper!!
Lorena says
What was the oat flour & no oil one like? I am allergic to wheat and only have oat flour on hand. Also, I have a silicone baking muffin pan so sticking is not a problem for me.
SS says
I made these twice already with some modifications. I used a heaping cup of peeled apple chunks instead of applesauce as I don’t have applesauce. Used lemon juice instead of vinegar. Added 3-4 tbsp honey instead of sugar and cardamom powder instead of cinnamon (not a fan). Finally I also added an egg (no baking powder added). Poured the batter onto a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Topped with chopped pecans. Baked at 400 for abt 8-10 mins. This was the best ever sheet pancake. Thank you for the recipe!!!
Sheila says
I made these with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free flour, and they were delicious. (I read that someone else used a gluten free flour , but they didn’t turn out well. Brand maybe?). Mine were fluffy, cake-like, moist, and flavorful. I added a bit of walnuts, coconut, and raisins. Definitely a keeper! Thank you for all your great recipes?
Anita says
Yay! This was the comment I was searching for. I am going to try this recipe with the same GF flour!
Julie says
I did the same but mine didn’t turn out. They were gummy. Used Bob’s 1:1 gf flour.
Henry says
I had time to make these before school this morning. I used oat flour and added 2 tbsp chia seeds. I can’t wait to try them!
Ami says
I may try them with pear bc that’s what I have. Will report back!
CatD says
Katie you are the best!!
I absolutely adore your work! I love how there is always a healthy component to your recipes, as well as being quick and simple to whip up with fairly ordinary pantry staples! As a new momma with little free time, your recipes are saving the day and my holiday baking!! Thank you for your creative take on all things food…and chocolate!
Also…these muffins ROCK! Now for the fudgy chickpea brownies!!
Barrie says
I just made these muffins. I did the oil free version and used white whole wheat flour and pumpkin pie spice. They are moist and delicious. Thanks for a good recipe!
Suzy says
Delicious. Made with spelt flour, banana instead of oil and two dates instead of sugar. Also used vanilla bean instead of extract. Baby friendly 🙂
Lily C says
What spread is pictured on the muffins? It looks tasty!
Allison says
I accidentally didn’t mix the wet ingredients together separately. I went ahead with the recipe. I hope it turns out alright!
Dani says
I’ve done this each time I’ve made the muffins and haven’t had any issues! I think as long as it’s mixed promptly, before wet ingredients can soak in separately, it’s okay.
Deb says
I love this recipe, i had home canned pear sauce i was wondering how to use and decided to substitute it with the applesauce. I added chopped nuts, dates and dried fruit to it. 24 mini muffins disappeared in 30 min between 3 picky eating kids.
Sue says
Very tasty muffins, however I would recommend not using liners and greasing your muffin tins well or using silicone pans/liners because the muffins stuck like CRAZY to the paper liners I used. Almost as much muffin on the liner as not.
Jason Sanford says
Hi Sue, just let them sit a day and the liners should peel off easily!
Jason
Zey Tavia says
This is a good recipe. I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon because I like this spice a lot, and I also added the crushed walnuts since I had them on hand. Delicious!
Lori says
Fantastic! So easy to make with pantry staples. Made my own oat flour with old-fashioned oats in the food processor. Added some raisins and pumpkin seeds, used the oil-free version with just applesauce. Coconut sugar. The whole family loved them right out of the oven. Thank you!
Heather says
Can you sub agave?If so, what amount?
Kels says
Made these today — oil free version. I doubled the batch and got 18 nice smaller size muffins. I subbed a tsp of chai spice for the cinnamon. So good. Thank you!
Lea says
Delicious! Made them yesterday, gone by today. Instead of the cinnamon, I used 1 tsp of ground ginger. For sweetener, I used half sugar ad half xylitol. So soft and delicious.
Nathlie says
Thanks Katie.
Your daily e-mails are a God-send during the Pndemic. It’s like getting a gentle “make these for your family”. One less decision to make during a time so stressful that I struggle to make any decision at all.
Wishing you continued good health.
-Nathalie
Margaret says
I agree!
Kaui says
Very delicious! I made mini muffins and used gluten-free flour, coconut sugar, coconut milk and coconut oil. Will definitely make these again
Mara says
Love the texture of these muffins! I’m also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours.
Belle says
These are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! I’ve made them twice now but I only just got to try one because last time, my family swooped in and ate the entire batch before I could have one! Now I see why! They are so, so, so incredibly delicious. I honestly cannot say enough good things about them. They taste 10x better than any other muffin I have ever had. And they would definitely be great as the sponge for apple cupcakes! Thank you thank you thank you Katie!
Nat says
Hi, has anyone tried to make this with no sugar/a bit of honey instead? I also wanted to know if this can be made in a small ramekin (for a single serving dessert as I am a single person trying to get into baking during these times as well!)
Jason Sanford says
Not sure about replacing the sugar with a liquid ingredient, which would change the texture. Be sure to report back if you try! If you want a single serving apple dessert, I love this one: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/11/15/single-serving-apple-crumble/
Nat says
thanks, I might just omit sugar completely. Also, do you know if I can just use a small loaf pan for this recipe rather than muffin pan? I don’t have a muffin pan or muffin liners.
Julie W says
Fantastic! I decided to make a loaf of bread, rather than muffins. I added the following: two ripe ripe bananas, cranberries, almonds, coconut flakes, chia seeds, and extra oat flour. I will most definitely be making this bread again.
Cam says
These turned out great! I used coconut oil and half white, half whole wheat flour. I used a mini muffin tin and baked 10 min. They were cooked through but only slightly browned on the outside.
Isabelle says
I made these yesterday and tried them this morning–they turned out great! Super moist and fluffy. I used white whole wheat flour and coconut sugar, as that was all I had on hand, and made the oil-free version. I also added raisins and reduced the sugar by about half–and they were still plenty sweet! Great recipe, thanks!
Janice says
Apple sauce muffins are excellent. Thanks for the easy recipe and yes they are better the second day but hard to wait. Thanks
Linda Marshall says
These are great, and smell so good in the oven. I confess to substituing monkfruit sweetener, reducing it a bit, and adding a drizzle of maple syrup to the liquid ingredients. Really good!
Sasha says
Hello, any chance I could get the metric measurements (How many grand of applesauce and flour in particular) ? Would be super helpful. Love this recipe btw!
Sasha says
Grams*** not grand
Dominique says
I used 250g applesauce, 35g coconut sugar and 90g oat flour. It worked out fine and tasted delicious.
Mindy says
what type of oil should be used when baking muffins?
Jason Sanford says
This one works well with vegetable, sunflower, melted coconut, non gmo canola… probably olive oil would give them a distinct flavor, so I wouldn’t use that one.
Tiff says
These were insanely delicious !!!! CCK everyone in my family knows I’m your #1 fan, I’ve made hundreds of your recipes and brag about how great you are all the time! Easy ingredients, easy recipes and best of all – Vegan AND low calorie! Anyway, we only had cake flour, used just 1 tbsp oil (so remaining 2 tbsp milk), Monkfruit sweetener, globs of cinnamon and my kids dumped an entire (medium) container of raisins into the bowl and WOW!!!! With a little dab of vegan soft butter these were sooooooo good!!!! Everyone loved!!! Thank you for another knock out! And this is a great one to make with kids!
Sarah says
Made a batch this morning and can’t wait to try them. Do you recommend storing them in the fridge if you know you won’t eat them all in a day or two?
Thanks!
CCK Media Team says
Yes, for freshness 🙂
Kristen says
Great muffins. I used homemade apple butter in place of oil, added 2Tbsp flax, and reduced the sugar to 2Tbsp. Didn’t miss the added sweetness, and the texture was perfect the next day!
I only wish I had doubled the recipe!
Mindy says
Love these! Really moist!
Ashley W says
Just wanted to tell you these were an amazing hit! I have a young girl in my youth group With soooo many food allergies- I made this and she loved them! Even asked for the recipe! I did oil and a bit of mashed banana, and a little extra flour! I used the white vinegar and almond milk. They were a hit. Adding to my home cook book!
Thank you!
Joan says
Mine was a flop. Mixture was dry and crumbly. I used coconut flour and stevia and the rest the same as listed using oil and applesauce. Bummer
Jason Sanford says
I’m confused – this recipe doesn’t list coconut flour OR stevia as options. Coconut flour is absolutely not the same thing, not even close to working the same in recipes… and using stevia would completely change the amount/weight of dry ingredients. So basically it’s like you made a different recipe entirely. Unless you meant to leave this comment on a different recipe?
Dani says
Adding to Jason’s comment – coconut flour is much, MUCH more absorbent than wheat, oat or other flours and can’t be substituted easily without either adding a lot more liquid or really cutting down on the amount of flour. If you used a stevia mix specifically made for baking, that should be okay, otherwise just subbing a small amount of pure stevia won’t work well because sugar generally acts more like a wet ingredient – it dissolves really easily and carries moisture well, and skipping sugar makes it harder to mix the ingredients together AND impacts the final texture.
Joan, if you prefer to use coconut flour I highly recommend looking for a recipe specifically formulated for that! I’ve subbed some oat and almond flour for part of the regular flour, so if you’re Just interested in gluten-free those may be a little safer to experiment with in this recipe.
Jennyrec says
These muffins are so delicious! I could not stop eating them! Thank you for this recipe.
I made the recipe like this:
1 cup no sugar applesauce
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 mashed banana
2 TBSP almond/coconut milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp white vinegar
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each: baking soda and baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
I also added but did not measure:
Pecans
Shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
Chia seeds
Golden flax seeds
I baked in a mini muffin tin for 15-20 minutes, 10 minutes as was not enough (I’m in Houston)
Sami says
sounds delicous! i am trying to modify this recipe to use almond flour, but don’t have any bananas on hand. do you think I could forgo the banana in your revised recipe?
Barbara Copeland says
I’m allergic to bananas and nuts so I wonder if this will work, I’ll use JN. Applesauce instead of banana and I can’t have almond flour, do you think oat flour would work
Myra says
This is an excellent recipe! I made some changes: I wanted to use up a half cup of homemade pumpkin puree, the same consistency as the applesauce, so I used that.
I used all whole wheat flour, and because of that flour ‘s tendency to absorb liquids I added an extra tablespoon of almond milk. I added a scant half cup yellow raisins. The raisins add sweetness so I went with a bit less sugar. A sign of a good recipe is the ability to sub ingredients, and I expect to use this recipe a lot!
Claire says
I loooove the taste of these muffins!!! Unfortunately, I find them a little dense, so I was thinking about trying to increase the oven temperature to 425 at first and decreasing to 350 after the first minute or so. Normal muffin recipes often recommend this, but I was wondering if you know how it would work for these muffins?
Claire says
By the way, I followed the recipe exactly, trying both oil and applesauce, using apple cider vinegar, and testing my baking soda and powder for freshness.
Gina says
Holy cow we love these! I make them once a week!
Mary says
These were delicious! Thank you 🙂 Added recipe to my permanent recipe book, yummy!
Amanda M says
These are lovely little muffins. I made them with 3TB of pumpkin purée instead of oil and with regular APF. It’s a nice little low- cal treat. The kids love them!
Julie says
My kids love them too! I’ve used spelt flour and oat flour when I make them.
Krystal Reynolds says
I made these for the first time today. They are a little heavy but I think I’m going to like them.
Chari says
These took me two tries to figure out. The first didn’t rise and were a bit too moist but the second time I made a double batch and filled my cups nearly full and they turned out amazing!! Prolly my new favorite muffin, I would highly recommend!!
Jamie says
Did you do anything different the second time besides double the batch?
Priscilla says
Delicious muffins! However, as with most of your muffin recipes, my muffins always rise during cooking, then fall within a couple of minutes after taking them out of the oven. At first I thought it might be because I was doubling the recipes, but I tried a simple batch and same problem. I tried also cooking at 375 for 22 minutes (in case my oven wasn’t as hot as yours) but still falls…. any other ideas I could try? Adding more baking powder? The taste is great and loved by the whole family, I just wish it made prettier muffins 🤷♀️ . Thanks!
CCK Media Team says
Hmmm not sure! Do you live in a humid climate? If so, perhaps the extra moisture is weighing them down and you might try a little less liquid? What flour, sugar, etc. did you use?
Dawn says
I would love to make many of your recipes including this one but I really wish your recipes had the ingredients in metric as well as american like some other sites do as I’m from the UK and find trying to convert cups to grams very confusing.
Lana says
A full set of American measuring cups and spoons is only 15€ on amazon. I live in France and love baking American recipes and eventually realized the best solution to this problem is just investing in the right tools.
Julie says
I second this comment. Some ingredients, such as chopped nuts or coconut flakes, I don’t mind using cups. But flours, liquids, and sticky substances like peanut butter and maple syrup, I’d rather use my scale. I think having both metric and cups would be nice, such as it was done for the black bean brownies.
Abby Mead says
EVERY SINGLE RECIPE I’ve ever tried from your site has been delicious! This is no exception! I was craving the old school Costco apple maple muffin and decided to start with your site for the muffin base and then just added a crumble (brown sugar, butter, flour) and maple icing (maple syrup, hot water, and powdered sugar). They were spectacular! I used all applesauce for my recipe instead of adding the fat and my family really loved the extra apple flavor. Next time I’m going to add bits of apple and some nuts to the crumble. Thank you Katie! Your recipes are so easy and so stinking delicious!
Love, A happy mom with a full-time job during a pandemc and a super happy family that’s finally enjoying some baking again.
Barbara Copeland says
Love the Maple Icing , syrup.hot water. Icing sugar, fantastic
Linda says
Loved these! So moist!
Will definitely make them again.
Thanks. ❤️
Lindsay says
Hey 🙂 I’d love to try these, but I’m a little confused— how can they be healthy when the protein and fiber content is so low?
Nickie says
I added chia seed to my batch but would have used hemp hearts if i had some on hand and 2 tsp psyllium husk to help with protein/ fiber content as well. I also increased the almond milk by 2Tbs.
Julie says
It’s close to 5 grams of fiber and protein for 160 calories (2 muffins), pretty good stats and much better than the storebought kind that have high fructose corn syrup and who knows what else.
I’ve made them with oat flour and spelt flour, both really good and the kiddos love them, so that’s always a plus 🙂
Nickie says
These are the BEST vegan/non vegan recipe! My entire family LOVES them and they are so easy to make. Thank you for the recipe!!
Kat says
Great recipe! My kids love these. I use raisins and walnut in them to YuMMO!
Lisa says
These are very tasty! Mine didnt rise very much. Typical for my baking endeavors lol.
Heather says
Hello! Did you check to see if the baking soda and baking powder you’re using are fresh? That can “deflate” a muffin recipe in a heartbeat.
Suzy says
Absolutely delicious fall flavor, or anytime of year! So easy. My new go to muffin recipe
MomDC3 says
I love Katie’s recipes so was super excited to find this…Added 2 tsp psyllium for extra fiber but they were still a bit moist and didn’t rise much af—Didn’t add any extra items (raisins etc) to see what the baseline flavor was. Will reheat them in oven to see if I can get the texture a bit more muffin-like. Used pumpkin spice flavored applesauce so the flavor was lovely.
Sami says
Hi! Can I substitute for coconut or almond flour? trying to stay grain free.
CCK Media Team says
For grain free, I would just make Katie’s keto muffin recipe instead: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/keto-muffins-recipe/
Phyllis says
Made the Applesauce Muffins yesterday. I did the with Gluten-free flour. In my typical fashion I accidently did differently. Added the mashed banana, along with oil and applesauce, and got heavy handed with homemade required applesauce which added to the moistness. Then cut back on sugar.
They are delicious. I was able to get twelve muffins thanks to my heavy handedness. Lol
Thank you for recipe, already sharing it
John says
Would brown sugar work the same as white?
CCK Media Team says
Sure that’s fine to sub!
Lindsey says
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the many others comments that these muffins did not rise at all. They are completely flat, and even sunken in the middle. I followed the recipe exactly as written (used spelt flour). Bummer.
CCK Media Team says
Hi! If you look at the photos, they are not really supposed to rise a lot. If you were to decrease the applesauce then they’d weigh less and rise more, but they’d be much less moist. We prefer them extra moist, and a lot of the comments on here like them this way as well, but perhaps that’s just not your taste preference, which is totally ok – different tastes for different people! But I don’t think you did anything wrong 🙂
Carrie says
These were amazing!!! I can’t believe they have no eggs. Definitely a keeper. I felt like being decadent and made the version with all of the oil. They were delicious and very moist! Not dense feeling like several healthy muffin recipes I’ve tried. Next time I will try half oil and half applesauce to cut down on the fat. I think this will be a great recipe to experiment with different flavors and add-ins. Thank you!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you so much for making them. So glad you liked them!
April Lindsay says
Sooo good! I didn’t really know what to expect when I was making them because I’ve made healthy applesauce muffins before and they did not turn out that good. Turns out these are probably the best applesauce muffins I’ve ever made healthy or not!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for trying them. This made me so happy 🙂
(Katie)
Carly Merluzzi says
delicious low calorie muffin! I used 1/4 cup stevia, regular ap flour, almond milk, and extra applesauce instead of oil. When using stevia, my baking tends to come out chewy. I usually sub it 1:1 for regular sugar. Any suggestions on how to keep my desserts softer while using stevia? Thanks:)
Helene says
These muffins are delicious, very moist and so easy and quick to make. I used banana instead of oil or additional apple sauce. And since I have to be careful about sugar I did not put the sugar in. Still very tasty because of the banana.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so so much for trying them 🙂
Glenda Thacker says
I just added another staple recipe for me with this recipe – along with vegan peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies. So yummy!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much!
Rachel says
Has anyone tried making these with monkfruit sugar instead? I think you do 1/3 the amount of sugar if using monkfruit. Not sure trying this tomorrow morning, will update then!
Tammy says
I made these without oil and made them into 24 mini muffins. The only problem I see is they’re not as healthy as I’d like. Even though they came out to 35 calories each….I could eat the entire batch (but I won’t) cause they’re that good!!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Lin says
I just followed the recipe, choosed the oil-free option, used oat milk, and added some dried cranberries and oats! They came out so moist and tasty!!! Thank you!
CCK Media Team says
Thank YOU for making them 🙂
Jess says
Another delicious CCK recipe! Used unbleached AP flour and a little less cinnamon (grinding by hand got old, quick!) Needed about 25 minutes at 350F and they were perfect. Thank you for sharing!
CCK Media Team says
❤😊
Darya says
The muffins turned out delicious and very moist – just as I love them. Will definitely be making them again soon. Thanks a lot for the recipe!
CCK Media Team says
😊❤
Marianne says
Hi Katie!
I’ve purchased both of your cookbooks and have scoured your blog! HUGE fan! However, I can’t find your recipe for English Muffins anywhere! It’s not in the Hello Breakfast Cookbook as indicated and I can’t find it anywhere on your blog. Did the recipe not make the cut?
CCK Media Team says
Hi! You absolutely are entitled to that recipe. I am sending the bonus pack ASAP, so let me know if you don’t see it within the next ten minutes!
Melinda Muyargas says
I used banana instead of the sugar AND the oil, and it still came out great. We enjoyed the soft texture. Healthy enough for a snack, yet still yummy enough for dinner. I added raisins, walnuts, coconut, AND flaxmeal.
It made 12 muffins for me.
CCK Media Team says
Yours sound delicious!
Felecia says
Delicious and so moist and fluffy!! I used whole wheat flour, almond milk, coconut sugar and unsweetened coconut yogurt in the place of oil. 🤗
CCK Media Team says
💗💗
Alysse Stehli says
Yum! I made these King Arthur GF flour, canola oil, and Mott’s cinnamon applesauce cups. I still used the same amount of cinnamon and sugar Katie recommended, and even though my applesauce was pre-sweetened/spiced, it didn’t taste too sweet. So good!
CCK Media Team says
Love your idea to use cinnamon applesauce!
DM says
I normally don’t leave reviews, but was compelled to give this recipe a double thumbs up! Just like the description stated, soft and moist, most excellent! I love cinnamon, so 1/2 tsp + was added, other than that, spot on. I do have a few in the freezer for later! Printed and saved for sure! Thanks!
CCK Media Team says
Thank YOU for trying them 🙂
Giulia says
I tried them last week. I was amazed!! I already baked them three times more, and I will bake them again very soon. These amazing, moist, guilt free muffins.. I have been making them without adding any sugar (only the fructose from the apples I used for my home made apple sauce) and they still taste great! I love this recipe because, added bonus, apples are local and we have them all year in Italy, unlike bananas (I adore Katie’s healty banana bread btw) This recipe is genius! And you can customize them with nuts, vegan home made nutella…the sky is the limit!!! They taste good with everything!
Giulia says
Forgot to say I tried the oil free version (more apple sauce..) delicious!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making them 🙂
Shirley DiLorenzo says
What a wonderful applesauce muffin recipe!
My husband is on a low sodium diet
after a heart attack so I made these
without salt and used low sodium baking
powder and they are delicious!
Thanks!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you for making them 🙂
PATRICIA A MASSIE says
We loved these, I made 3 batches and froze most of them and pull 6 out to defrost as we eat the last of them. No butter needed and so moist, we liked them better at room temperature than warm.
Kels says
Love these. Moist. Simple. Deliciously home-made and the whole house smells great. I got 12 smaller muffins from my batches, which is what I wanted, b/c my muffin tin is a 12 batch. :-). I’ve done with and without oil. I prefer to add just a small amount of oil, about a teaspoon and make up the rest with applesauce or banana. Just a smidge of oil gives a better overall texture I think. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly.
CCK Media Team says
❤❤
KnMom says
Used homemade applesauce and white whole wheat flour and they turned out perfectly! Thank you for another healthy recipe 😊
Dominique says
These were delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and it was super easy. Next time I might try replacing the oil with more applesauce and adding 2 T flax meal. I think I’ll be making double batches of these regularly. Thank you for the recipe, Katie.
Ps it would be great in the future to have a built in conversion tool on your site as I’m used to metric conversions in Europe.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you for making them! We aren’t sure how to put up a conversion tool (and would worry it might be inaccurate) but can always give gram measurements for items that don’t come in a package that says it on the label, so please never hesitate to ask!
Shirley says
Have enjoyed these and so delicious! My husband must
have low sodium foods so I leave out the salt and use sodium
free baking powder and white flour with no oil added. Mine never
look as brown as yours. ????
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making them! Could just be the white flour? These are spelt, if we remember correctly!
Carolyn says
I have made these 3 times within the past month ! Easy to make a full or half batch. They turn out great made with oat flour, extra cinnamon, unsweetened applesauce, banana instead of the oil. Your recipes are regularly made in my house ! Thank you for sharing your gift of cooking / baking !
Kai Atwood says
This was my first time trying baking with applesauce! AND my first time baking with stevia instead of sugar! AAANNNNDDDD my first time baking with a gluten-free flour!!
These turned out AHHHH-MAAAZZZZING!!! They are super moist and delish! This is my new favorite muffin! AND it was so easy peasy and quick! I am disabled, so ease is a MUST for me.
I give this recipe 5 stars because it’s so easy, quick and delicious.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with the masses….
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for trying them!
Jessica says
I needed to use up some unsweetened applesauce and I’m so glad I found this recipe! I doubled the recipe and tried one while it was still warm…so good! I’ll be making these again!
Bea says
These are delicious! My first time making these yesterday, and I used all apple sauce, oat flour, monk fruit sweetener and almond milk. It made 10 muffins of 412kj (98.5 calories) each, and they are so tasty!
Carol says
Unfortunately these were a big flop for me ,I followed the recipe ,used half whole meal,half white flour ,coconut and lemon juice instead of white vinegar .
They sunk in the middle and are so soft ,wondering if cooked ,haven’ t tasted yet and thinking maybe be ok for a pudding ,.not sure where I went wrong .
CCK Media Team says
Hi Carol, whole wheat flour isn’t listed as an option for these, as it’s a very dense flour. That would definitely make them heavier, and Katie doesn’t call for whole wheat flour in most of her recipes for this reason.
Caza says
Made tonight and put in handful each of coconut and raisins. Also sprinkled choc chips on top. Yummy.
Belle Fortte says
These are my favorite healthy muffin recipe! And I’ve tried most of katie’s recipes!
They are just delicious.
I do have an issue though, I cannot seem to get them right, they sunk in the middle and are dense (they look undercooked)
I live at sea level and followed the recipe with the exact ingredients listed.
Any helpful tips on how to solve this issue will be really appreciated. I really really love this muffins and want to make them right!
JR says
These are awesome. I did a few subs that I liked: whole wheat flour, and used agave nectar instead of sugar (a bit less than 1/4c since agave is sweeter than sugar). I also used about 1/2 avocado oil and 1/2 coconut oil for the 3 TBSP. Came out fantastic, great recipe!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you for making them 🙂 🙂
Marie says
We live at high altitude levels and these come out perfect every time! The recipe, in my experience, is also very forgiving as well as fast/easy to put together with staples that I have on hand. The LO loves them with choco chips. I prefer mine with raisins, walnuts & a few handfuls of dry oats—thats how easy they are to adapt! We have tried them with & without the oil & they turn out just as moist. I have made them 3-4x now and passed the link on to other family members. I think for future batches, I will reduce the sugar even though I’m using unsweetened applesauce. Thank you for the best & easiest muffin recipe—it will definitely be a family staple!
CCK Media Team says
This made us so happy to read 🙂
Taylor says
These unfortunately didn’t work for me (I used oat flour). They have been baking for 40 minutes now and are still raw inside :/
CCK Media Team says
Hi Taylor, is your oven calibrated, was it preheated, and do you live in a humid climate or high elevation? Any muffin recipe in for that long in an oven that’s heating properly would definitely be cooked after that long. Muffins are small and should only take around 20 minutes at the most to cook.
Susan G says
Can maple syrup or honey be used for the sugars? Also can I use whole wheat flour? Want to make sure before I make these. They look too good to make a mistake!
CCK Media Team says
Hi, sorry we haven’t tried any of those variations so honestly can’t say. Be sure to report back if you experiment!
Susan says
I tried using maple syrup because I did not want to use sugar or sugar substitute. Turned out gummy. I’ll have to try again with some other kind of u refined sugar. Any suggestions?
CCK Media Team says
Hi Susan, Sucanat or evaporated cane juice are two unrefined sugars that work!
LINDA HAMMOND says
I made them two times with oat flour. Recipe said 20 minutes but they were not anywhere done, and checked and put back in every 5 minutes. At 38 minutes I pulled out. The taste was delicious both times, but never cooked right to a muffin consistency. Not my oven because have no problem with other recipes.
Pam says
The applesauce muffins taste absolutely delicious. I added pumpkin and chai seeds, as well as the walnut pieces. Next time I will add flax seed and hemp hearts (and maybe dark chocolate chips) – fabulous breakfast to take when on the go.
CCK Media Team says
Your version sounds fantastic!
Nikole says
These are absolutely amazing!
I made mine with regular applesauce (2 lunch box tubs was just under 1 Cup), mashed banana instead of oil, oat milk, imitation vanilla (because I couldn’t find my pure stuff!), apple cider vinegar, King Arthur measure-for-measure GF AP blend, plain old sugar, and 1 capsule of cinnamon (which was more like 1/3 tsp).
I also totally misread the first part of the instructions, missing “liquid” — so I whisked all the ingredients together at once and then realized my mistake! Still, I mixed it up and got it into my muffin pan and made 12 delicious little taste bombs. We actually ate a couple of them while they were still warm, and I definitely agree that while nice right away, it’s worth waiting until they’ve been chilled. I’m really just blown away.
So happy to have this recipe in my arsenal now!
CCK Media Team says
This makes us so happy 🙂
Siv-A says
They turned out ok. They taste too much vinegar, would skip one spoon! Goji berries inside were a treat 🍒
Terry says
These are delicious. Fabulous actually. We used applesauce made with Honey Crisp apples, a little bit of water and no sugar. The applesauce was mashed but there was the odd slightly larger chunk of apple. We used 3 tbsp of coconut oil. We forgot to add walnuts, but we pressed some into the top of each muffin. We couldn’t leave them alone right out of the oven. Same day. No need to refrigerate to achieve delicious results. The remainder have been put in the fridge for tomorrow morning. I do not normally look for ‘healthy’ muffins. I simply just get a recipe and cut the sugar. This recipe is already low sugar so I followed the recipe exactly. Wonderful.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making them 🙂
Sharon says
I used 1/2 whole wheat flour and they were heavy. I bake with 1/2 wwf a lot so I’m not sure what happened. It does say in the notes “or they can be whole grain with the benefit of extra fiber if you use spelt or whole wheat flour”. Maybe not?
Martin says
My adaptation for a Choc chip muffin recipe
Oven at 180c / Gas mark 4
Line a muffin tin (makes 10 ish)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Applesauce (1 x 270g jar)
3 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp milk of your choice .. (cow’s, oat, soya etc)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp of a white vinegar .. (cider, white wine etc)
1 cup plain flour (or your choice if Gluten Free)
2 Tbsp coca powder
1/4 cup soft brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each of baking powder, bicarb of soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
100g Dark choc chips
METHOD
Mix/whisk all wet ingredients in a bowl
Sieve and mix all dry ingredients into another bowl
Combine the 2 mixes .. add dry to wet .. don’t over mix!
Gently stir in choc chips
Dollop into muffin cases
Cook in centre of oven for 18-20 mins (check with a cocktail stick after 18 mins, should come out slightly sticky / mostly clean ish)
Cool and eat
They were Delicious!!
MJS says
So easy to make and very good. I used applesauce instead of oil. I added a little extra cinnamon and some chopped nuts. Will definitely make again! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you for trying the recipe 🙂
Tiffany Hoefer says
I recently recommitted to weight loss, specifically WW and have been looking for an applesauce muffin that didn’t blow my points budget. Did you ever deliver! Don’t know why I start anywhere but your site first.
And you are so right! Even better after a day or two or straight from the fridge. Love these and thank you!!
Kat Johnson says
Yum! Made a double. I had a little batter left over and turned it into a pancake. The pancake was extremely delicious I might just make this a pancake recipe too. I also added pumpkin pie spice and extra cinnamon.
Monique Rene Coates says
I modified the recipe slightly, but it made a wonderful muffin! Thank you
Shena says
OBSESSED with this applesauce muffin recipe! I’ve made it five times!
Candice says
I saw someone else ask this question and it wasn’t answered. I have the same question. What is the white spread icing on it in the picture please??
CCK Media Team says
Hi, Katie used Smart Balance (one of their vegan options) on top.
Carol says
I followed your recipe but the muffins sink in the middle.
Andrea says
Same..each time. They are so yummy but how to keep them from sinking?
DLM says
I never leave reviews but had to this time. These were so light and fluffy. I actually used homemade pear sauce and added ginger. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you!
CCK Media Team says
Your version sounds fantastic!
Jean says
So very easy to make and so delicious!
Saru says
These came out perfect! I did use a larger tin and had to bake it slightly longer – I actually am using this as the base for my son’s first birthday cupcake! I’ve already taste tested it and it’s DELICIOUS! Thank you for a great recipe!
CCK Media Team says
Thank YOU so much for trying the recipe 🙂
maria says
It seemed like it was a very easy instructions And they taste good
CCK Media Team says
Thank you for trying them 🙂
Andrea says
These are delicious and don’t hurt my tummy the way regular flour does. Only issue is they sink in the middle. I don’t live at sea level like some others who had the same problem. Any ideas to keep them from sinking inward?
Beckie Robb says
Has anyone added chopped apple to the muffins? If so how did it turn out?
Anna says
Is it possible to add ground flax seed to the recipe? I’m curious how it would change the consistency/flavor/fluffiness.
CCK Media Team says
We haven’t tried but don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Anna says
Thanks! Would it replace part of the flour?
Kelsey says
I love these!
Liz Buckley says
This is a great recipe….the muffins are delicious, very moist and flavorful!!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for trying them!
azuresky says
Made them today, the taste was incredible and cosy! I added the walnuts for the crunch and they turned out brilliant.
I’m just a bit confused when it comes to the nutritional info… the calories per muffin are so questionably low, only around 80-90 kcal (even without the walnuts), is that info accurate? I didn’t go ahead and count them up myself, still I’m curious if it’s true.
Anyway mindblowing taste AND nutritional values!
xx
CCK Media Team says
Thank you for making them! Nutrition stats are correct, but of course it will vary depending on what specific ingredients you use.
Halina says
I LOVE the taste of these muffins but i think i’ve done something wrong. my muffins were still moist and failed to rise after 30 minutes on 350F. i think i’m reading the recipe wrong but don’t know where. i added 1 cup of apple sauce, three tablespoons of olive oil,2 tablespoons of lactose free milk, 2 tsp of vanilla, 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt, baking powder and baking soda. Please help!!! i really need these in my life!
CCK Media Team says
So glad they taste good 🙂 As for the denseness, these should definitely rise (like in the video – so not a ton, but they do rise). How old is your baking soda? Are you in a humid climate or high elevation? And is your oven calibrated? All of these things can mess with baked goods!
Sushima says
Thanks so much for this! I have severe GERD, gastric issues and can’t have oils, eggs, dairy, etc. I also am intolerant to a lot of food and haven’t been able to eat much of anything in the last few months. Just put these muffins in the oven (minus the cinnamon), and they smell divine! I can’t wait to eat them! Thank you!
Raven says
I made your carrot cake cupcakes last week and as lovely as they were, they left a taste of vinegar afterwards. These look really nice but can you please tell me what I can substitute the vinegar with in this recipe and your carrot cupcake recipe? Would an egg work to give the batter some lift for example?
Thank you for your healthy recipies Katie!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you for making them! Did you by chance sub balsamic vinegar? The flavor of white or apple cider vinegar disappears into baked goods so you shouldn’t taste them at all 🙂
Kate Palmiere says
Superb!!! I have loved all the recipes from this wonderful vegan baker which I have tried. This one was really good, quick, moist, tender and flavorful. Since I had just made applesauce from my abundant apple tree…I decided to try this today. I added walnuts and chopped dehydrated apples as well. Then because I had some frozen streusel I sprinkled a bit on top. And even with the topping they domed! Thanks again Katie for a great recipe! P. S. Yes, I just had to have a taste today, but the rest will be refrigerated for another day. 😁
Patty says
So good!!! I made these for the first time. I used extra applesauce instead of banana, oat flour, made my own by grinding oatmeal, coconut sugar and added some chopped walnuts. I mixed the dry ingredients first then wet all in the same bowl. The muffins are moist, flavorful and perfectly sweet. Best homemade muffin recipe I’ve tried so far. I’ll try the suggested add ins next time.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making them 🙂
Paula says
Thinking of subbing pure pumpkin for pumpkin muffins…..
CCK Media Team says
Hi, just use this one 🙂 https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/pumpkin-muffins/
Chava-Shoshannah says
Very yum. Ran out of non-dairy milk, so I subbed water. Still yum.
Sophie says
Hi! What did you spread the muffins with? By the way, I made these and they tasted amazing. Thanks!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making them! This post is a few years old but Katie is pretty sure she used Smart Balance Light (which is accidentally vegan).
Debi says
I made these with KAMUT FLOUR used abt 2 T less and added a little allspice. They ate wonderful nice and light!
CCK Media Team says
Your version sounds amazing!
Heaven says
Hello Everyone out there in the great cooking escape getaway right in your own kitchen! How i love to get away from everyone & everything & be in my own domain of cooking! Anyway i made your applesauce muffins! WOW! Wonderful! I made mine with the olive oil, white ap flour & added finely chopped pecans because i made them mini & added 2 teaspoons of real maple syrup! Loved walnuts & real maple syrup mixed together over ice cream when i was little! Then those bananas on the counter said what about us we’re getting pretty ripe over here, SO what an idea i said so i get to looking around my staples & light bulb moment! I added 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, regular size is all i had & about a handful of each finely chopped pecans & walnuts because i made them mini But this time i left out the real maple syrup, bananas are sweet enough also i used only 1/4 cup of sugar because the bananas! i also doubled the recipe & just added these ingredients to the applesauce recipe without the applesauce & added 2 cups smooshed bananas, that is it i think! I cooked them for 12 minutes they are the size of a ping pong ball! They are kicking a home run all the way home! Both recipes! Thank you Miss. Chocolate covered Katie for these muffin recipes for they are Divine!
Richard Carpenter says
Wait! You left me wondering how to make that white frosting-stuff!
How?
Suzanne says
These muffins are so moist. I have made these multiple times. This time I substituted crushed pineapple for the applesauce which I like even more.
Thank you for this delicious recipe.
CCK Media Team says
Your pineapple version sounds wonderful!
Monica says
1st time making these, the cooking time seem way off, not done at 20 , 25 or 30. I did use Spelt flour and added a few walnuts, but I don’t think that would change anything?
They were delicious if undercooked
CCK Media Team says
Hi, you can definitely cook longer if you are in a super humid climate or if your oven isn’t calibrated, or some other factor means they need more time for you. In general, muffin recipes take around 15-20 minutes to bake in a standard oven and we can’t imagine how any muffin recipe wouldn’t be overcooked in 30, but the science of baking is strange sometimes!
Emma MacDonald says
Yes I found the cooking time needed an extra 5 or so minutes but they were very tasty.
Chaya says
I’m impressed! I’ve been baking for years, but never tried a recipe like this one. I thought it was going to be very dense, but it’s light and has a regular muffin texture. I used extra almond milk, white whole wheat flour, half the amount of sugar, and mostly applesauce with just a bit of oil. My kids loved them-and they don’t always like my healthier recipes. I have a triple batch baking now! Thank you for another winner!
Jackie says
Just made a double batch, I got 18 beautiful and delicious muffins! I used spelt flour, oatmilk, and all Applesauce, they came out super yummy and fluffy. To those who are having problems with sunken muffin tops, be careful not to overmix the batter. You only want to mix the wet and dry ingredients together until they are JUST combined, otherwise you will mix in too much air, and when the air escapes during the baking, it will result in sunken muffins. Also, use foil liners! I used both foil and paper, and the foil ones came right off while the paper liners took a lot of the muffin with them when peeled. Thanks for the great recipe, husby and kiddos are happy!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for trying it 🙂
Jessica says
My kids lovingly can these apple muffins with no chunks. They are perfect
CCK Media Team says
Thank you (and your kids!) so much for trying them 🙂
Colleen says
Loveee this recipe! Made these for my one year old & excluded the sugar. They still turned out fantastic. Added blueberries to some of them. Yum!
Greta Mettauer says
These are light, not too sweet and delicious muffins. I chuckled when I saw that you can freeze them because when I made them last week and they were gone before noon. I used Greek yogurt instead of a milk, added pecans and they were scrumptious. Love that they only have a quarter cup of sugar and no eggs so they are easily vegan.
Denise says
Delicious….
Catherine Maxey says
Great recipe. I made 1.5 times and it made 15 muffins. Added an egg. Great rise. As an adding I used 40 grams sunflower seeds.
Marti says
These taste super delicious but they were sticking to the cupcake liners. How can prevent the sticking next time?
CCK Media Team says
Hi! Just let them sit overnight and the liners peel off the next day easily 🙂
Anna says
Is the nutrition information for sweetened or unsweetened applesauce? I usually have a sweetened version on hand for my little.
Jenny says
I don’t leave a lot of reviews, but these were so good that I needed to share! So many healthy muffin recipes sacrifice taste but these are legit delicious. It probably helped that I had some frozen homemade applesauce that I used but I’m assuming a good quality store bought brand would be good too. I used oil…maybe next time I’ll try a banana. Super moist and flavorful. I turned them into mini muffins and cooked about 10 minutes. These are perfect grab and go or lunch box treats. They will become a staple! Thank you!
Deb says
I love this recipe, i had home canned pear sauce i was wondering how to use and decided to substitute it with the applesauce. I added chopped nuts, dates and dried fruit to it. 24 mini muffins disappeared in 30 min between 3 picky eating kids.
Myra Clemans says
Easy and good!
Les says
Lightly sweet (I used coconut sugar) & a nice consistency. A few fresh walnuts add a nice texture. Glad I made a double batch. What a great way to use up an opened jar of applesauce before it goes bad. Thank you for the recipe!
Ann says
Delicious! I used pumpkin puree that I had instead of oil and added more cinnamon. But why did my liners stick so bad? I had to tear them off and lost some of the muffins with the paper.
Ilona says
Will be doubling this recipe next time because we loved these muffins so much! Made with olive oil, oat flour, spelt flour, and coconut sugar. I’ll be trying this oil free next time after reading the reviews that omitted it. Thank you for a great muffin recipe!
Diane says
I’ve made these applesauce muffins at least a dozen times and they have always turned out wonderfully. Thank you!
Kelly Miles says
These were delicious! I didn’t use oil and they were plenty moist. I also used vanilla protein powder for a quarter of the flour. I doubled the cinnamon and I think I’ll add even more next time or maybe some pumpkin pie spice. My kids enjoyed them too!
Kate says
These are really easy, tasty and light. I used half wheat and half AP, added craisins, walnuts, and candied ginger and baked longer than suggested because I doubled the recipe. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Michelle says
Delicious and healthy, what more could you want in a muffin recipe? Thank you for this one, we will make them again.
Shalini says
I made apple sauce muffins and it was so yummy and airy. Thank you for this easy and tasty recipe.
Maya Murphy says
This is a staple, go to recipe in our house. We often don’t finish the jar of applesauce, and this gives us a delicious, healthy way to use it up that we can easily pack in the go or freeze for later! This morning we made a quadruple batch for breakfast which made a loaf of applesauce bread, and 18 muffins. We like to top them with chocolate chips, raisins and/or pecans. Yum! Thank you Katie!
Nancy OFraley says
Yummmmm
s says
Made this into a loaf and added Sichuan peppercorns. Huge hit
C.S. says
Moist and delish.
Syl says
I recommend this recipe. I did make 3 changes: full tsp cinnamon, 4 tablespoons of butter, and 3/4 applesauce ( I thought it too much) and 1/2 cup of raisins. I sprinkled sugar/pecans on top. I baked for 20 minutes but did not look cooked enough so I put in extra 4 minutes. Once opened, center was too wet so back in the oven for another 5 minutes. It tasted really good. I’ll keep this recipe as it uses up my applesauce. Next time I’ll try with pear sauce. Thank you for sharing your recipe as I have looked a long time for a good one. 👍🏼
Jaime Hardwick says
These are absolutely delicious. I used a small very ripe banana and no oil. I added a little bit more flour since I used the whole banana. I also added crushed walnuts and chocolate chips. Perfect!! I am putting these in my kids lunch this week and I’m hopeful they will be hit. Thank you!
HELEN says
Hi I am looking to make these for my husband he always had a sweet tooth but unfortunately due to extremely severe health problems his had to completely change his diet and I am desperately looking for recipes to replicate his favourite items only just healthy instead can I make these using white wholewheat flour and instead of using normal sugar for the cinnamon sugar crust topping can I substitute it for a diabetic sugar
CCK Media Team says
Hi! You can definitely top with your favorite granulated sugar free sweetener. If you don’t mind a denser result, you can probably use whole wheat flour.
Dale Boyes says
So many apples this year. And this will use a gallon of apple sauce. Thanks. They taste healthy great.
Michelle says
These applesauce muffins were soft and fluffy and SO GOOD! I love the low calorie count too 🙂
LouEllen says
Please add nutritional information!
CCK Media Team says
Hi! There is a link to full nutrition facts at the bottom of the recipe box 🙂
Waller Beccani says
Outstanding taste and so simple! Added crushed walnuts and dried cherries, so good. Perfect fall muffin recipe!
Lorraine says
Love these! I changed very little. I used 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. And I stirred in 3 heaping Tablespoons of carob chips at the very end. I made them into mini muffins. Fantastic and still very low in calories with wholesome ingredients. ❤️
Jamie says
Holy cow! These are delicious! Will be in the regular rotation for sure and will definitely double the recipe next time.
Kat says
Okay I love these muffins but this page is so glitchy it’s impossible to use!!
cynthia says
These muffins are excellent! I have made them multiple times.
Emma MacDonald says
These muffins taste amazing. The flavour is beautiful. Quick and easy to make. The only problem I found with them is that they are difficult to get out of the cases. They stick like glue. Maybe it’s something to do with the applesauce and banana?! But I’ll definitely be making them again.
CCK Media Team says
Hi! Let them sit a day and the liners will peel right off 🙂
You can also grease the muffin tins and just omit the liners completely.
Lisa says
These applesauce muffins made my house smell like a cinnamon roll! The taste is wonderful, thank you for this recipe.
Adrienne says
These muffins, with a variety of spice / nut combinations, have become a staple for us. I can’t have oats, so I substituted 1/2 buckwheat flour (71 grams) / 1/2 almond flour for a gluten free recipe. I also use fresh apples, weighing out 250 grams (with skins) per batch, and using the s-blade of our food processor to break down. Everybody loves these. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! 🙂
CCK Media Team says
Your version sounds delicious!
Paula says
Very easy to make with my grandchildren. Healthy and delicious.
Mary says
I used a nonstick mini muffin pan and muffins were undercooked on the inside, even after 14 minutes. Would you recommend a higher oven temperature? Would using oil instead of banana help? (I used banana) Seems like a lot of fruit in the recipe makes them a little too wet.
CCK Media Team says
Hi Mary, oven temperatures can vary (especially if yours is not calibrated – most ovens are not), and humidity and climate can also play a role. If they were not done, we’d just recommend putting them back in the oven and baking longer 🙂
KL says
We love love love this applesauce muffin recipe! My kids and husband cannot get enough!
Pamela White says
Very good. Recipe is a keeper for sure. I made the mini’s for a perfect daytime snack. Pop and go. Love the flavor.
Keri Strawn says
Yummy and easy recipe. Used banana instead of oil and monkfruit as sweetener. Everyone enjoyed them.
Victoria says
Very good … thank you for the recipe.
Rob says
where’s the instructions to make the icing?
Sherry says
Believe it or not, I forgot the sugar, and still I’m eating them. They are moist, and have a nutty flavor, I used spelt flour. I would have thought they’d be inedible, but they are still good! Thank you for the recipe!
Bev Meadows-Lein says
Since my husband is a Type-2 diabetic and I am a Gastric Bypass patient who loves baked goods, I gave this a try. I added chopped walnuts to give a bit of a protein boost. I also used Monkfruit instead of sugar. Normally after enjoying a muffin, I get sleepy. NOT THIS TIME!!! I try recipes from the website and print them if they are keepers. This one IS printed!!! I used my extra large muffin pan so it made 8 muffins. There is only 1 left. Next time I am going to add a scoop of unflavored protein powder and see if it affects the consistency. Two recipes down the road I will use GF flour mix and again check texture and results. I have a Girls Weekend in April and several of them are GF so this would be an amazing addition to our menu.
Maggie says
Love this!
Patty says
Absolutely loved these! Made them mostly for my grandkids but my hubby and I loved them too! Don’t even need to put butter on them! My go to muffin recipe from now on!
Christy Davis says
I made these with the applesauce instead of the oil. They turned out great. I will double it next time as it made 9 muffins.
Carolyn Smith says
The muffins are delicious. I made my own oat flour and used coconut sugar. I use parchment paper liners for all my muffins and they are magic. Nothing sticks to them. We ate the muffins fresh from the oven with honey yogurt – a delicious breakfast.
Christy Davis says
I made the no oil version with white flour. They did not rise much but that didn’t matter. They did stick like glue to the muffin liners. I bought a silicone muffin pan to see if that will work better. The taste is exceptional!
CCK Media Team says
Hi, just wait a day and even the oil free version will peel off easily from the liners 🙂
Or the silicone muffin pan should do the trick too!
Ambur says
These are delicious. Made mini muffins with unsweetened applesauce, unsweetened coconut and raisins, 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white flour and coconut oil. I made a brown sugar butter incase they weren’t sweet enough for my picky children but they didn’t need it. Thank you!
Christy says
Made these with spelt flour, subbed almond butter for the oil, monkfruit sugar and added a bunch of raisins. I used a silicone muffin pan so they didn’t stick at all like they did the first time I made them. So good! Thanks for the great recipe.
Emily Rivera says
We LOVE this recipe. I added allspice to make them more aromatic, but they are without a doubt our go to muffin. They are so moist and flavorful and being egg free is a huge plus for us. My toddlers and big kids ask for them regularly.
Michelle says
Wow!! I had leftover applesauce, so I tried this out! I subbed Greek yogurt for milk and tossed in walnuts and quick oats. Amaaaaazing! Next time I’m going to try it with almond flour and use apple cider vinegar.
Anonymous says
I can’t get enough of these. I used spelt flour, applesauce instead of oil and added a crap ton of raisins. These never rise at all but the taste is so great it doesn’t matter. None of Katie’s muffin recipes rise for me. They are all just too moist I think. Judging from her recipe photos her various muffins don’t rise either.
Debbie says
Fantastic recipe! Have made these into muffins several times, the no oil version. Also I skip the sugar and add raisins, unsweetened coconut and some chopped pecans. The mashed banana makes them sweet enough for us. Do you think baking this recipe in an 8×8 baking pan would work?
CCK Media Team says
Hi! We have never tried but you can definitely experiment. Or you can also just use this recipe for applesauce cake if you prefer: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/applesauce-cake-recipe/
tah says
Awesome recipe! I used all applesauce, doubled the recipe and made 12 big muffins. I added chopped dates coated in rice flour to half of them, and the ones with the dates taste just like those little tastykake pecan swirls. I also used almond extract because I was out of vanilla. Will definitely make again!!
Allison says
Great recipe! Simple, easy and healthy. I added walnuts and sprinkled some of top with brown sugar for texture. Baked slightly over 20 minutes to ensure doneness. Will definitely make again!
Rita Haider says
So quick, easy, and delicious. Thank you for this great recipe. I used half almond flour and slightly less sugar and turned out great.
Suzanne Shanley says
Easy and fabulous tasting great for a coeliac and their non coeliac family and friends
Pam says
My picky PICKY 3 year old helped me make these and loves them. I love them too :). Smeared with apple jelly ups the appley-ness! That’s a word, right?
Anna Lee says
Delicious! I add an egg in to the recipe and turns out very rich!
Michelle says
These are absolutely delish, and super moist! I substituted brown sugar for regular sugar, added in some raisins, and WOW!!!!!
Erica says
Literally the best! I do it sugar free and use sugar free maple syrup, the texture is so moist and fluffy and flavour is falltastic🍂
Thank you for a realistic and delicious recipe 😋
Marissa says
Really tasty and clean ingredients i feel good about feeding my daughter. We used more applesauce instead of oil and gf oat flour! One recipe made a whole pan of mini muffins.
Made some yesterday for a gathering and today we are making a double batch for easy snacks/breakfast. Going to freeze them if they last long enough.
Pat Greenwood says
I thought these good, I added walnuts and raisins as suggested. Mine took an additional 10 minutes to bake. Might have been because my applesauce was homemade? Would make again. Super easy.
Mo says
Can I add
Oatmeal to these?They sound so perfect! I just need oatmeal in them:)
Sharyn sacher says
about how many calories are each muffin
CCK Media Team says
Hi! Full nutrition facts are linked under the ingredients in the recipe box 🙂
Judy says
Very good muffins – very tasty & moist. I made them with a banana and I think next time I might leave the banana out and try it with oil for comparison.