These applesauce muffins are incredibly fluffy, moist, and bursting with dreamy fall flavors.

And with that crispy cinnamon sugar on top, they’re the quick morning pick-me-up you need.

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Have you ever baked with applesauce before? It’s a game-changer!

Not only does it bring natural sweetness to your recipe, but it also adds a ton of moisture.

And when you add warm fall spices to the mix? Well, let’s just say you’ll crave more than one of these applesauce muffins.

Simply Applesauce Muffins

At first glance, you might think these are like any old spiced muffin recipe. But one bite and you’ll see that they’re so much more.

Between the smell as they bake and the cinnamon sugar top, these wholesome muffins are guaranteed to please.

And they’re so easy to modify too.

So feel free to add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or even a tasty streusel topping.

Ingredient

Like any moist muffin recipe, this one calls for pantry staples:

Applesauce – use store-bought or homemade. Either way, it’s best to use unsweetened applesauce so it doesn’t overpower the muffins.

Oil – just a little to ensure the muffins are moist.

Brown and White Sugar – brown sugar makes the muffins moist, and white sugar brings the sweetness. It also helps the top firm up.

Vanilla Extract – you could leave this out if you don’t have any. But I like the added sweetness.

Eggs – to help the batter rise.

All-Purpose Flour – the base of the batter that forms the structure.

Salt, Baking Soda, and Baking Powder – salt balances the sweetness, and the leavening agents make the muffins tall and fluffy.

Cinnamon, Allspice, Nutmeg, and Cloves – if you want warmth, spice, and complexity, use this blend. But feel free to play around with the amounts.

Walnuts – optional, but they add a really pleasant crunch.

Cinnamon Sugar – this is how you get that crispy muffin top. Again, it’s optional, but it’s my favorite part! (recipe at the bottom)

How to Make Applesauce Muffins

You’ll find the full list of ingredients and a detailed method at the bottom of this post.

But for now, he’s a quick rundown of how to make these wholesome muffins:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prep a muffin tin with liners.
Whisk the wet ingredients with the sugar until smooth.
Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl to ensure everything is well blended.
Add the dry to the wet and stir with a spatula until just combined.
Add the walnuts, if using.
Portion the batter into the muffin liners, filling them about 3/4 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

What Does Applesauce Do In Muffins?

Applesauce is commonly used to replace liquid fats (such as oil and melted butter) in baked goods.

Usually, it’s to make them healthier. It gives the same moist and tender results but with more fiber and fewer calories.

You can even use sweetened applesauce and lessen the sugar in the recipe if you like.

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It’s cheaper than butter and oil, to boot!

How Do I Make My Muffins Fluffier?

These applesauce muffins are super fluffy! But if you’ve ever made a batch of dense muffins, don’t worry.

I’ve got a few tricks to ensure they’re light as air:

Use room temperature ingredients. If you mix cold ingredients, they often don’t mix completely. And without a smooth, homogenous batter, you won’t get the right lift. It can also cause uneven baking.

Don’t over-mix the batter. You’ve heard this countless times, I know. But it really is the cause of a lot of dense bakes. In this case, only mix the batter until you no longer see streaks of flour.

Sift the dry ingredients. It’s not really needed anymore, but sifting will add a bit of air to the mix, which makes bakes more fluffy. It’s more needed if you have dense flour with lumps.

Don’t over-fill the muffing liners. If you add too much batter, the muffins won’t be able to rise. So stick to 2/3 – 3/4 full.

Check your leavening agents. Baking powder and baking soda both have best-by dates. And if they’re passed them, they won’t give your muffins the same amount of lift.

Add vinegar or buttermilk. The acidity in these reacts with the baking soda, giving the muffins even more lift! (Instead of 1/2 cup of oil, use 1/4 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of buttermilk.)

Tips for Making The Best Muffins

Believe it or not, I have even more tips to ensure your applesauce muffins are the best they can be!

Store-bought applesauce vs. homemade applesauce. You can use either for this recipe, but I find homemade has a stronger flavor. If all you have is sweetened, I suggest reducing the sugar listed by 1/4 cup.

Measure the ingredients accurately. This is key for measuring flour. If you scoop and pack it into a cup, you’ll have way too much.
- Instead, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with the back of a knife.

Bake the muffins right away. Baking powder starts to work immediatly, so you need to get them in the oven ASAP to benefit from the reaction.

No muffin liners? No problem. Grease the muffin tin with cooking spray or butter and dust them with flour. Your muffins will develop nice crisp edges following this approach.

Use an ice cream or a cookie scoop for portioning. This is the best way to make sure they’re all even.

This recipe makes 12 standard-size muffins. But you may get more or less depending on the size of your muffin tin and liners.
- For bigger muffins, bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
- For mini muffins, check for doneness after 12 minutes.

Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the tin. This helps them to firm up. After that, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

How to Store Applesauce Muffins

I usually make a double batch of these tasty muffins, and they barely last us a few days.

But just in case you have more willpower than my family, here’s how to store them:

To store: Let the muffins cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

To freeze: Wrap the cooled muffins in plastic. Then, put them in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months.

To thaw: Let the frozen muffins thaw on the counter (still wrapped) overnight.

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