When I was in college, the highlight of every fall was going to the apple orchard with my friends. Putting on cute jackets and walking through rows upon rows of apple trees, laughing and taking photos, will always be some of my favorite memories. We often broke the central rule and ate one or two apples straight off the tree. When the sun started setting and we were finally finished for the day, our bags would be overflowing with different varieties of bright, fresh apples.
One year, I was living in an apartment with my two best friends. When we got home after our apple orchard adventure, the kitchen counter was completely covered with our treasures. It was exciting, but there was also no way the three of us could eat that many apples before they went bad. We had apple pie, cinnamon apple oatmeal, apple cake, stewed apples. You name it, we ate it. Eventually, the apples were getting soft and we were burnt out on every recipe we could think of.
Enter, apple sauce muffins. They have a hint of apple taste, but it’s more about the spices than the fruit. The applesauce comes together quickly and the muffins are the perfect breakfast or snack. And the best news is, when you’re even tired of applesauce muffins, you can freeze them for up to 3 months!
This recipe uses homemade applesauce in case you find yourself in the same predicament as my roommates and I, but feel free to use store-bought unsweetened applesauce for a quicker version.
Applesauce Muffins Recipe
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
22 mins
Serves
12
Ingredients
Simple Homemade Applesauce
- 3 medium apples (about 1½ lbs), peeled, cored, and chopped
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
Muffin Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- ⅓ cup neutral oil (or melted butter)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional add-ins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ¼ cup raisins
- Cinnamon sugar for topping
Steps
Simple Homemade Applesauce
1
Add apples and water to a saucepan.
2
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
3
Cover and cook 15–20 minutes, until apples are very soft.
4
Mash with a fork or potato masher (or blend smooth).
5
Let cool before using.
Applesauce Muffins
1
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin tin or grease well.
2
Mix dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3
Mix wet ingredients
In another bowl, whisk brown sugar, oil, egg, applesauce, and vanilla.
4
Combine
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until combined. Fold in any add-ins.
5
Bake
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if using.
Bake 18–22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
6
Cool
Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack.
Storage & Freezing
- Store at room temperature 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days
- Freeze up to 3 months; thaw at room temp or warm briefly