These easy, one-bowl applesauce muffins are mixed by hand and are ready in under 30 minutes. These soft, moist muffins are made with simple pantry ingredients and make a great breakfast or snack.
These easy applesauce muffins are a go-to recipe when you want something homemade without a lot of time or cleanup. Made in one bowl and mixed entirely by hand, the batter comes together quickly using simple pantry staple ingredients.
The applesauce gives the muffins their great texture and keeps the muffins soft and moist. From start to finish, these muffins are ready in less than 30 minutes, making them perfect for quick breakfasts, snacks, or lunchbox treats. If you’re looking for a reliable muffin recipe that’s simple, flexible, and easy to make anytime, these applesauce muffins are a great choice.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Applesauce: I use unsweetened applesauce; however, you could use sweetened applesauce if you want sweeter muffins.
- Oil: I like to use olive oil in these muffins, but other neutral oils, like canola oil, also work.
- Buttermilk: Regular or low-fat buttermilk will work. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Flour: You could substitute half whole-wheat flour for the all-purpose flour if you would like.
- Apple pie spice: I think the apple pie spice adds a nice depth of flavor. You could use ground cinnamon if you prefer. Feel free to adjust the amount according to your tastes.
How to make applesauce muffins
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a standard muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners; set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the applesauce, egg, oil, sugars, and buttermilk together until well combined.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt to the wet ingredients. Whisk dry ingredients in just until combined.
Step 4: Divide the muffin batter among the prepared muffin tins, filling about ⅔ full.
Step 5: Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Step 6: Bake for about 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The tops of the muffins should spring back when lightly pressed.
Step 7: Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Recipe Tips!
- Mixing: I highly recommend mixing the batter by hand to avoid overmixing. Overmixing will give you heavy, tough muffins.
- Freezing: The muffins freeze well. Just let the baked muffin cool completely on a wire cooling rack, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Storage
Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. The muffins will keep for about 3 days when properly stored.
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Applesauce Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup neutral oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a standard muffin tin or line with paper liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the applesauce, egg, oil, sugars, and buttermilk together until well combined.1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup neutral oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup buttermilk
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt. Whisk in just until combined.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons apple pie spice, ½ teaspoon salt
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins, filling about ⅔ to ¾ full.
- Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Bake for about 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Applesauce: I use unsweetened applesauce; however, you could use sweetened applesauce if you want sweeter muffins.
- Oil: I like to use olive oil in these muffins, but other neutral oils, like canola oil, also work.
- Buttermilk: Regular or low-fat buttermilk will work. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Flour: You could substitute half whole-wheat flour for the all-purpose flour if you would like.
- Apple pie spice: I think the apple pie spice adds a nice depth of flavor. You could use ground cinnamon if you prefer. Feel free to adjust the amount according to your tastes.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Kirsten says
I make these every week and always add a different ingredient to change them up for my small kids, like chocolate chips etc. These are a staple!
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that!