This easy applesauce muffin recipe is the one to keep in your collection. It produces bakery-style muffins that are soft, moist, and full of applesauce flavor—ideal for autumn mornings or any time you want a comforting baked treat.
Recipe updated on March 28, 2020.
Why this is the best applesauce muffin recipe
- Simple and quick—ready with minimal effort.
- One-bowl method for easy cleanup.
- Balanced sweetness and warm spices—cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the applesauce.
- Generous applesauce—this recipe uses 1½ cups for moist, flavorful muffins.
If you enjoy baking with applesauce or just love its flavor, these muffins should be on your to-bake list. The texture is tender and the flavor is well rounded—perfect with coffee, tea, or packed in a lunchbox.
Sweetened vs. Unsweetened Applesauce
This recipe is written for unsweetened applesauce. If you only have sweetened applesauce, reduce the granulated sugar to 1/3 cup and the packed brown sugar to 1/4 cup to keep the muffins from becoming overly sweet.
Why use oil instead of butter?
Oil keeps these muffins extra moist and lets the applesauce flavor shine without a heavy butter taste. If you have melted coconut oil, it adds a subtle, pleasant note—try it if you like. Vegetable oil works perfectly well too.
Because this recipe contains no butter or other dairy, it is dairy-free as written.
About the baking soda amount
The recipe uses a relatively large amount of baking soda on purpose. The acidity from the applesauce and brown sugar balances the soda so the muffins rise nicely without any unpleasant aftertaste.
Why the muffin interiors may look pink
Some batches show a faint pink tint inside. This is harmless and usually comes from apple skins or natural reactions in the applesauce when exposed to air or heat. The muffins are safe to eat and still taste great.
This recipe uses a combination of granulated and brown sugar because the little bit of molasses in brown sugar deepens the flavor and pairs beautifully with applesauce and warm spices.
These muffins are particularly enjoyable warm, when their aroma fills the kitchen. Though they evoke fall flavors, they are a delightful bake year-round.
Other applesauce muffin variations
Mini Applesauce Muffins
The bite-sized version of this recipe!
Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins
A delicious seasonal combination—pumpkin and applesauce together for extra depth.
Sour Cream Applesauce Muffins
Sour cream makes these especially rich and tender.
Healthy Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins
A whole-wheat, refined sugar–reduced option made with oats for a lighter muffin.
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Best Applesauce Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 eggs (room temperature if using coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine both sugars, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Add the applesauce and mix until completely smooth.
- Beat in the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour and mix until just incorporated—do not overmix.
- Scoop batter into the muffin cups, filling them to the top.
- Bake 20–21 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
- Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Serve warm or cooled completely.
Notes
- Using sweetened applesauce? Reduce granulated sugar to 1/3 cup and brown sugar to 1/4 cup, packed.
- Eggs at room temperature with coconut oil: If using coconut oil, bring eggs to room temperature so the oil stays liquid and mixes evenly. Solidified coconut oil can separate and pool in the muffins during baking.
- Replacing oil with applesauce: You can replace half the oil with additional applesauce. Replacing all the oil with applesauce tends to produce a drier, gummy texture.
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