Applesauce Muffins

Are you craving a fall flavored treat that’s perfect for breakfast or as a quick snack? Wanting to make something delicious to enjoy as a quick breakfast or to add to your kids’ lunchboxes?

Look no further than these homemade cinnamon applesauce muffins! 

These scrumptious goodies are a delightful blend of moist, apple-infused goodness with a touch of warm pumpkin pie spice. 

You can find all of my muffin recipes along with other fall favorites like my applesauce cake in my baked goods category!

Why This Recipe Works

1. Unsweetened Applesauce: The star of this recipe is unsweetened applesauce. It not only adds natural sweetness but also keeps the muffins moist without the need for excessive sugar. This also makes for a healthier option compared to store-bought muffins. Store-bought applesauce works just fine, but you can’t go wrong if you make your own applesauce.
2. Simple Ingredients: You’ll find most of the ingredients in your pantry – flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Combining these with applesauce, egg, and oil results in a delectable batter.
3. Easy Homemade Recipe: This is one of those recipes that even novice bakers can master. The steps are simple, and the ingredients are readily available. There’s something special about baking your own muffins. The aroma that wafts through your kitchen is unbeatable, and your own homemade applesauce adds a personal touch that you just can’t get from store-bought options.

What They Taste Like

Imagine biting into a warm, golden brown muffin with a delightful apple flavor that’s not overly sweet. 

The unsweetened applesauce provides a natural sweetness that’s complemented by the subtle spice of pumpkin pie spice. 

As you sink your teeth in, you’ll also enjoy the delightful crunch of walnuts, which adds both texture and flavor. 

The result? A perfectly balanced, moist, and aromatic muffin that’s a true crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients Needed

The ingredients used in this recipe are all-purpose flour, walnuts, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt, pumpkin pie spice, canola oil, egg, and unsweetened applesauce.

Recipe modifications and suggested additions can be seen further down.

How to Make Applesauce Muffins

Prep Work

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 12-well muffin tin with paper muffin liners or grease them with butter.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, walnuts, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

Mix Batter

In a separate bowl, combine oil, egg, and applesauce.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Stir the batter just until combined. The batter will be very thick.

Bake the Muffins

Spoon batter into muffin cups.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Be sure to remove the muffins from the muffin tin as soon as possible to fully cool on a wire rack.

Recipe Modifications

One of the great things about these simple applesauce muffins is its versatility. 

You can easily make ingredient additions or substitutions to accommodate dietary restrictions or work with what you have on hand. Here are some options:

Dietary Restrictions

• Gluten-Free Option: If you’re gluten-sensitive or following a gluten-free diet, you can replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour mix that’s designed for baking to ensure your muffins have the right texture.
• Egg-Free Alternative: If you’re vegan or have an egg allergy, you can use an egg replacer (Bob’s Red Mill makes a great one), flax egg or additional applesauce as an egg substitute. To make a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 2.5 tablespoons of water, let it sit for a few minutes to thicken, and then use it as you would a regular egg.
• Nut-Free Version: If you need a nut-free option, simply omit the walnuts. You can replace them with seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for added crunch if desired.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Sweeteners: If you don’t have granulated sugar on hand, you can substitute it with brown sugar, coconut sugar, or even maple syrup for a different flavor profile. Adjust the amount of sugar to taste.
• Applesauce Variations: While the recipe calls for unsweetened applesauce, you can experiment with different types of applesauce, like cinnamon applesauce or sweetened applesauce if you reduce the amount of sugar slightly. You can also use fresh apple if you dice it small, add a squeeze of lemon juice, and steam it in a pot first.
• Flour Choices: Instead of using all-purpose flour, you can opt for whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, or a combination of both for a healthier twist. You can make applesauce oatmeal muffins by blending up some whole oats and replacing all or part of the flour with the oat flour.
• Spice Variations: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own by combining ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger in the proportions that suit your taste.
• Oil Substitutes: While canola oil is used in the recipe, you can swap it for other options including vegetable oil, lite olive oil, melted butter, or melted coconut oil.

Additional Ingredients

• Toppings and Mix-Ins: Get creative with toppings and mix-ins. Try adding chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, grated carrot, or even whole oats for added texture and flavor. Diced fresh apples make a great addition. Any type of apple would work.
• Streusel Topping: You can combine a cinnamon sugar mixture with a bit of butter, flour, and chopped nuts to sprinkle on top. This will make these delicious muffins even better!

Remember that when making substitutions, the texture and flavor of the muffins may vary slightly, but it’s all part of the fun of experimenting in the kitchen. 

Feel free to tailor the recipe to your dietary preferences and ingredient availability. 

The goal is to create muffins that you’ll enjoy while staying true to your dietary needs or ingredient constraints.

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