Applesauce Muffins (Whole Grain, GF Option)
Lightly sweet, these simple, and wholesome, applesauce muffins are made with whole-grain flour, either gluten-free oat flour or whole wheat flour. Plenty of applesauce and cinnamon keep them tender and flavorful, making these muffins a delicious little fall bake for breakfast or snacking.
I wanted to tuck my homemade applesauce into a batch of warming, good-for-us muffins while also leaning in a bit to indulgence. Enter applesauce muffins with whole grain flour and enough butter to make them rich and delicious.
Akin to my leftover oatmeal muffins, this is a kid-friendly bake that delivers a little comfort and a lot of flavor. They're lightly sweetened with brown sugar or maple syrup, warmly spiced with cinnamon, and wonderfully soft from all that applesauce. Yet they're sturdy enough to spread with butter on a cool fall morning, or popped into a lunchbox for an afternoon treat I can feel good about.
If you love baking with applesauce, check out my applesauce bread and applesauce cake recipes, too!
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Lots to Love About Easy Applesauce Muffins
Kids and adults love these muffins, and I know you'll love how easy they are to make! Adaptable, nourishing, and welcome all year, though I'm partial to them in the fall. Enjoy!
- Quick to put together. Though not quite a one-bowl recipe, you can make these muffins just using a whisk and a spoon, meaning that they come together in a few minutes.
- Make them gluten-free or not as needed. A recipe that can be interchangeably made gluten-free or with wheat flour - and tastes reliably delicious no matter what flour you use. I've tested this with a variety of flours and can say confidently that it works with many options!
- Flavorful, and they don't just need to be saved for fall. Applesauce obviously is a year-round staple, so even though I find myself making double batches of this recipe in September, when our apples are ripe, you can definitely make it whenever the mood strikes! Those cozy flavors of sweet apples and warming cinnamon are always welcome :)
Applesauce Muffins Ingredients
Here's a glance at what you'll need to whip up these muffins, along with a few notes. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Whole grain flour - Your choice here. This could include whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, gluten free oat flour, or brown rice flour. Refer to the recipe card for weight measurements to ensure accuracy. Of course, you can also make these with all-purpose flour if you prefer.
- Brown sugar - Either light or dark brown sugar is fine. Or swap maple syrup.
- Leavening - A mix of baking powder and baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt - I use fine fine sea salt and table salt is fine, too.
- Applesauce - Please use unsweetened applesauce so that the muffins don't turn out too sweet! I used homemade applesauce but any unsweetened applesauce will work great.
- Eggs - Large or medium eggs work best.
- Butter - I love the richness butter brings, but if you prefer to go a bit lighter, use melted coconut oil or vegetable. Non-dairy butter works, too.
- Milk - Any type of milk. I like whole milk, but 2% or non-dairy milk is fine.
Applesauce Muffins Variations
- Add nuts - Chopped walnuts or pecans are lovely here to add some crunch to the muffins.
- Add a chopped apple - Bump up the apple flavor by adding a peeled and chopped apple to the batter!
- Fresh ginger - Is so lovely! Add about 1 tablespoon, or to taste, of peeled and shredded or zested fresh ginger instead of or in addition to the ground cinnamon.
How to Make Applesauce Muffins
Here's an overview in photos of how to make this quick recipe:
1. Combine dry ingredients: In a big bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Whisk wet ingredients: In a separate bowl combine the applesauce, eggs, butter, and milk.
3. Combine and portion: Mix the wet ingredients into the dry then divide into a greased muffin pan.
4. Bake: Place in a 375F oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Applesauce Muffins Tips & Recipe Notes
- Let the batter hydrate. Did you know that whole wheat flour also benefits from a brief rest before baking, just like gluten-free whole grain flours? It absolutely does. So, when you make up the batter and add it to the muffin tin, let it sit for 15-20 minutes before baking.
- Make these dairy-free. So easy to make these applesauce muffins dairy-free - just use non-dairy milk and non-dairy butter or oil instead of the milk and butter.
- Vegan. I haven't tried these as vegan muffins, but because applesauce is a nice binder (similar to bananas), you may be able to get away with simple omitting the eggs with good results. You could also try 2 flax eggs instead of the eggs.
- Swap pear sauce. I also love making this recipe with homemade pear sauce! You don't have to change anything else about the recipe, just substitute unsweetened pear sauce for the applesauce.
- Adjust the sugar. Note that these muffins have just ½ cup of brown sugar for the batch. I developed this recipe deliberately to contain less sugar since apples have their own natural sugars/sweetness. However, feel free to add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter muffin.
How to Store Applesauce Muffins
- Counter - In an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge - A bit longer in the fridge, in an airtight container or sealable bag, for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Place muffins in a freezer safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
More Apple Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this applesauce muffins recipe, let me know! Please leave a comment below or reach out with any questions. I hope you loved it! ❤️
Whole Grain Applesauce Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour or 2 ¼ cups gluten-free oat flour (260 grams)
- ½ cup brown sugar , light or dark brown sugar, or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter , melted
- ⅓ cup whole milk , or non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a a 12-count muffin pan.
- Whisk the 2 cups whole wheat flour or 2 ¼ cups gluten-free oat flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, abd ½ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 ¼ cups unsweetened applesauce, 2 large eggs, ⅓ cup unsalted butter, and ⅓ cup whole milkuntil combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold everything together until combined and no dry patches remain.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Rest the batter for 15-20 minutes, then place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
