Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins
A family favorite for years, these delicious, soft and fluffy healthy applesauce oat muffins are low in sugar and packed with whole grains.
The numbers don’t lie. With over 400 5-star reviews, these muffins have become a beloved favorite of many (and one of the most popular recipes on my site!).
Simple and straightforward, the muffins are lightly sweet, packed with whole grains, and most importantly: they are so very delicious.
A Very Straightforward Muffin
The batter for these applesauce oat muffins is simple as can be.
Mix together:
- old-fashioned or quick oats
- applesauce
- egg
- melted butter or coconut oil
- sugar or honey
- milk
And then combine that mixture with whole wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Optional: adding chocolate chips, craisins, or raisins is a very good idea!
Highly Adaptable
The beauty of this recipe being around for almost ten years is that almost any adaptation you can dream up has probably already been tried.
The comments are full of readers who have made the muffins dairy-free, gluten-free, and accidentally butter-free. 🙂
And in most cases, the report back is that the variations are amazing! So if you’re looking to alter these muffins in any which way, read through the comments for some inspiration.
For instance, a comment from Carolyn: These muffins are delicious!! I made them gluten free by using oat flour instead of wheat flour. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. They have been added to my regular rotation!
Wholesome and Delicious
For me, I love the basic simplicity of these muffins. They aren’t fancy. They also aren’t fussy.
They are the perfect every day muffin for after school snacks, easy breakfasts, school lunchboxes, and everything in between.
I’m very loyal to recipes that stand the test of time, and this one certainly has. My friend, Katie, served these muffins to us during a playdate at her house years ago when we had just moved to northern Minnesota and knew hardly another soul in the area.
I didn’t even wait until the playdate was over to beg for the recipe. (Although more than the muffins, I’m incredibly grateful for the sweet and loyal friend Katie quickly became.)
Friendship > muffins. Although this recipe proves that muffins might very easily be the gateway to great friends.
FAQ for Applesauce Oat Muffins
Yes, it doubles great.
The baked and cooled muffins freeze GREAT. I place them in a gallon-size freezer ziploc bag and freeze. We defrost in the microwave or on the counter for a few hours.
Sure, and you can use flavored applesauce as well (like cinnamon, etc). If using sweetened applesauce, you can probably decrease or omit the sugar in the recipe.
Steel cut oats don’t work very well in this recipe because they don’t soften and absorb as much liquid (they stay coarse and crunchy), but you can sub quick oats for the old-fashioned oats.
Many readers (and comments below) have made that substitution with great results!
One Years Ago: Easy Amish-Baked Oatmeal
Two Years Ago: Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Three Years Ago: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Four Years Ago: Healthy Dark Chocolate Almond Joy Bites
Five Years Ago: Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili
Six Years Ago: Cheesy Black Bean Lasagna
Seven Years Ago: Whole Grain Honey Bran Muffins
Eight Years Ago: Skillet Butternut Squash, Sausage and Penne
Nine Years Ago: Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Quinoa
Ten Years Ago: Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cream Cheese
Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (see note)
- 1 cup (227 g) unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter or coconut oil, melted
- ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar or honey
- ¾ cup (107 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (70 g) dried cranberries or raisins (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease the muffin cups. Set aside..
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oatmeal, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt (and cranberries or raisins if using). Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until just combined (don’t overmix or the muffins will be dense and dry). The muffin batter texture might be a bit different (wetter?) than other muffin batters but no fear, carry on!
- Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t overbake or the muffins will be dry.
- Remove the muffins to a rack to cool completely. Once cool, I place 6-9 muffins in a large freezer ziploc bag, suck all the air out (oh yes I do) and seal the bag, then freeze, pulling them out one by one to stick in my kids lunches or warm slightly for a snack.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from my friend, Katie K.
Recipe originally posted September 2013; updated January 2022 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
452 Comments on “Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins”
I made these as I am trying to eat healthier. I added raisins. They stay moist and filling.
These muffins are so yummy and easy to make with ingredients I always have on hand. I freeze them and just pull 1 out & pop it in the microwave when I want a little snack!!
My go-to muffin recipe. I use pear sauce made from the pears in my yard, which works great—I just leave out the cinnamon because the sauce already has it. And for anyone like me who has forgotten the butter in the microwave, the muffins are still good without the butter. Flavor-wise they are better with butter, but they are not dry without it. Fantastic recipe!
Is it healthy if you eat 6 in one morning? No, probably not. Guilty.
We have an egg allergy, so I replaced the egg with a half of a smashed banana. It worked great! Will make again and again!
These muffins are amazing! I always have a stash in the freezer for my kids. Also, I use about half of the recommended sugar amount and it tastes amazing!
Hello 🙂
My son and I love these muffins we make them almost once a week!
Do you store them in the fridge or on the bench? And how long do they keep for?
Thank you 🙂
I usually store them in a covered container at room temperature and they keep for a couple of days.
I made SO MANY mods to this recipe. I used equal parts maple syrup for the honey, used gluten-free flour, only had about 3/4 cup of applesauce so made up for it by adding more milk (but used buttermilk instead). Added 1 cup of raisins and 1 chopped apple. A dusting of cinnamon sugar on top. I also accidentally got the baking powder and baking soda mixed up so ended up putting in equal amounts of both, and they still they turned out FANTASTIC. Two huge thumbs up! Thanks, Mel!
I made these in a mini muffin pan for my 12-month-old and she loved them! I also had a bite, and these may be the most delicious muffins I’ve ever had. I used coconut oil and honey and didn’t add raisins.
My family loved these! I used avocado oil instead of butter and pure maple syrup instead of sugar and they were delicious. The addition of dried cranberries was an excellent idea.
Loved these. The perfect sweet-but-not-too-sweet muffin.
I make these and add nuts/seeds, crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, etc. I also add protein powder to them (chocolate or vanilla), and cut down the sugar. They are amazing! There is so much you can do with this recipe! I love it!
My 5 year old loves this muffin recipe. The applesauce makes them so moist and is one of my go-to’s for a lunchbox snack.
Can you substitute with All Purpose Flour?
Yes
Can a muffin save your life? This one has, and it’s only the first week of school! I am pregnant with my 4th, and have hypoglycemia. I’ve been struggling to find a quick, nutritious breakfast with low sugar for myself each morning. This is THE muffin, friends! I replace the sugar with honey, and I also add a few Tablespoons of ground flax seed. They are tender and perfect, and I love you forever, Mel!
Substitutes?
Can is use AP Flour instead of having to biy a 5lb wheat I would only use for this?
My Organic Butter went from $4.98 to $10 per lb. I no longer cook or bake with butter. Toast with wild berry jam now. No butter Can I use veg oil? If so how much? Thank you.
Yes you can use all-purpose flour. And you could try subbing the same amount of vegetable oil for butter
Love these muffins. I didn’t have regular milk so I used oat milk and they turned out perfect. Such great flavor.
I am CRAZY for these muffins!! They’re so good! I made them with oat flour since I did not have the wheat flour and I used 1 cup of blueberries and it was perfectly moist and crunchy on the outside cuz I used no liners just a little bit of butter on the tin.I also used coconut oil.
Super happy with this recipe. Beyond happy. Thank you Mel
So I am posting comment because I did something different and thought it may come in handy to others as well (never know). So I didn’t want to open a jar of applesauce right now as my fridge is jammed so instead I used the leftover sludge in the bottom of the pineapple juice can. I know it sounds gross but that stuff I always save it because it could be useful but don’t use it enough (I hate wasting food) so I used that in place of the applesauce. Then I soaked the rolled oats in the pineapple juice/thick stuff at the bottom, let it sit while I was doing the rest getting everything else out & measured. It was a huge success. I did also add apple chunks to the muffins as well. We loved it and I’msuper excited to have a way to use the super thick pineapple juice at the bottom of the can. It’s win win all over the place. Thanks Mel
I have made these several times as they are my grandchildren’s favorite! I follow the recipe exactly as written using brown sugar and melted butter. Even without modifications these are pretty darn healthy in my opinion, and the kids love the raisins. Thank you for such a basic and delicious recipe!
Love this recipe!!!!! I despise oatmeal unless it’s in a cookie. With this recipe being so adaptable, I used Splenda instead of sugar, Canola oil instead of butter or coconut oil and couldn’t find my cinnamon so substituted unsweet cocoa powder. They are fabulous! Will have to try with peanut butter soon.
DELICIOUS. I made them this week & have been enjoying them for breakfast. I added 1/4 cup each of raisins & chopped pecans. Thank you for a great healthy recipe! Mary
These have been a big hit in my house for a while now! Very good as written!! Thanks for always giving us great recipes so we can feel like rockstars in the kitchen too!
Thanks so much, Jenn!
Mel – do you know if you are using hard or soft wheat? I made it today with soft wheat and I think they needed a bit more as they came out really super soft. Really tasty, just feels like they need a bit more flour.
I use hard white wheat or einkhorn wheat.
My kids’ favorite breakfast! Fast, easy, simple, and so good! We make these at least once per week.
Just made these and they’re great. Don’t know why I waited so long to make them. Thanks!
These just came out of the oven a few minutes ago for an after school snack. They are a hit! Delicious and nutritious. Ever since I got the USA muffin tins (thanks to your recommendation), I love making muffins. I make those pumpkin chocolate chip muffins a couple times a month, no matter if it’s pumpkin season or not. I didn’t used to love muffins, but thanks to you I’ve found a few delicious recipes we all love.
These are baking as I type! I don’t know if my version is ‘healthy’ though! I used cinnamon applesauce, sugar, added pecans and sprinkled vanilla sugar on top before baking LOLOL
Anxious for them to finish baking!!
Can I use flaxseeds or milo for get substitute?
I haven’t tried that, but you could definitely experiment.
Sooo good and great for kid lunches, now I am starting to experiment, pumpkin instead of apple sauce etc. Kids devour them all. Yum!
Amazing! I have been meaning to try these for years, and I’m so glad I finally did! My kids gobbled them up (my husband and I did, too). I doubled the batch and made them dairy free with your suggestions and used half honey/half sugar. I think they’d be sweet enough with all honey, but we were running low, so halfsies it was. Thanks, Mel! This is absolutely a keeper!
Yay, Lindsey! I’m so glad they worked out so well!
Looks and sounds delish from all the comments! I do not have wheat flour on hand; will it be okay to substitute half oat flour and half wheat bran instead?
I haven’t tried that substitution but it’s worth a try!
Super yummy! Will make it again and again. I switched out the egg for 1/2 of a banana (allergies) and it worked out great!
I’ve been making these with pumpkin instead of applesauce, using freshly ground flour (half wheat, half oats). They’re delicious! We also loved the original recipe.
These are so good. My husband asked me to make more even after he learned they were “healthy”! The only real problem is that I could eat them all by myself in short order (does eating all 12 in one sitting negate the healthy part?)
My family and friends love these! And I always read and get a chuckle out of your original post. Cam the linebacker
Haha, that’s amazing you know the original wording. I figured after almost ten years of calling Cam a linebacker, I owed it to her to change up the wording a bit. 🙂
Love this recipe! Next time I’m going to sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking. I, also, want to try this recipe with chopped walnuts. Love oatmeal! Love applesauce! The whole wheat flour is a bonus.
Tripled the recipe brought them to our senior coffee, there were none left , easy to make and so good
I am glad you reposted this recipe! Just baked and they are great.
These are completely delicious.
They look amazing! Question – could I grind the oats to “hide” them?
I think you probably could! The texture of the muffins will change – and you might want less oats if you grind them like flour so the muffins aren’t too dense.
One of our favorite of your many wonderful muffins! So good and easy! Have been making them for years
Made the apple oat muffins this morning, delicious! I used white flour and they turned out exactly like your picture. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for posting the recipe again. I make muffins a few times a month and I’ve made these before. A super easy and healthy recipe, and tasty! I added blueberries, and a little shelled hemp seeds and flax seed meal to boost the nutrition. I also used one of our own duck eggs and homemade vanilla which was a Christmas gift. Many thanks to you for all your wonderful recipes! The house smells great too!
I’ve made these muffins countless times and love them! If you let the oats soak in the milk and applesauce for 20 minutes before making the rest of the muffins they come out with a domed top.
Thanks, Jayme!
I wanted to make these as close to “whole food plant based” as possible, so here are my substitutions: plant butter (smart balance), soy milk, monkfruit sweetener (instead of sugar), a flax egg, pumpkin puree for half of the applesauce, and frozen blueberries instead of cranberries. I baked it for about 18 minutes. It was super yummy! I’ve made this recipe the regular way several times and this new way was just as good.
One of our favorites for sure!
Made this recipe tonight with cranberries, and the result is delicious. I had to cook just a bit more than 20 minutes before they were done, but these muffins ended up moist and with a bit of chew from the rolled oats. Glad I found this recipe; I’ll make it again.
Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely delicious, moist and tasty applesauce muffins! Thanks!
Can quick oats be used?
Yes – the texture will be a bit different, but they will work fine.
Really enjoyed these. I used ap flour and skipped the craisins and vanilla as that is what I had. Also made a second batch with 1/2c applesauce and like 1/2-3/4c grated carrot (with a little less sugar) and it was good too. Can I link to your recipe on my blog?
Thanks!
Easy and good! I also reduced honey to 3 T. Thanks for the recipe!
For anyone wondering: These are good made dairy free with coconut oil and almond milk! I add an extra little spoonful of coconut oil to make up for the fat missing from milk. These are delicious and we make quadruple batches. Thank you for the recipe!
Mel, I adore this recipe. I have been making these muffins for years. It’s the perfect base recipe for healthy add ins like shredded zucchini, mashed banana, nuts etc! Tonight I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×9 for a snack cake. It was perfect. Thank you for your consistently reliable recipes! You are my go to and one of my favorite resources!
do you know the amount of carbs per muffin?
I dont – sorry!
Last year I had lots of applesauce that needed used up when I googled this recipe. Probably the greatest thing I ever did! Haha I make huge batches and freeze them and pull them out and throw them in the microwave on mornings when we need a quick breakfast. I have started substituting honey for the sugar and that’s delicious too. Thanks for the great recipe!! It has made my life 100 times easier!
We love these muffins and make them all the time. Light and delicious.
Can you substitute oat flour for whole wheat flour? What is the ratio?
I make these often. I love how easy they are. Often complimented on how good they taste. Thankyou Mel.
I forgot to put in the melted butter (left in microwave) and they still turned out delicious. I did 1/2 with chocolate chips and the other plain. Yummy!!!
Love these little muffins! I have reduced the sugar to 3 TBSP without any complaints in my household. When the craisens add sweetness – no one notices. I just made them today I had no applesauce so I subbed 3/4 c of banana purée ( I only had two ripe bananas) . I again reduced the sugar to 3TBSP left out the dried cranberries and added a few mini chocolate chips. I was out of wheat flour so I ground more oats into oat flour. The muffins turned out perfect. These muffins are very versatile and could be made many ways. They are my go to breakfast muffin. Thanks Mel for the great recipe.
These are delicious!! Made exactly as written and my fmaily devoured them!
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made this recipe over the past 4 years. My kids and I love them!! I usually don’t leave comments but I just had to say thank you!!
Thanks, Sarah!
Quarantine baking adventures… we’ve been making all kinds of new foods from your site that I’ve been eyeing. Now with nothing to do, baking has really been my saving grace!
We made these muffins yesterday with what I had on hand. I used the coconut oil so I could save butter for something else, had one gogosqueeze cinnamon applesauce pouch and a container of baby pear puree. Adjusted the cinnamon to reflect the gogosqueeze, but once they came out of the oven you would never have known how many subsitutes we used!
My three kids devoured all 12 muffins before lunch! Such a healthy (and thankfully forgiving) breakfast recipe! My daughter calls them sprinkle muffins now because of the oatmeal texture at the top. Can’t wait to make these again with the original ingredients! Ha!
I only have steel cut oats…will this work still with those?!
I don’t think so – steel cut oats are much different than rolled oats and won’t absorb the liquid in the same way.
Love these! I accidentally commented on the applesauce carrot muffins so Ill keep this short. These are very good,! They use ingredients you have on hand. They were plenty sweet to me so I will knock the sugar down a little. Thanks for the post!
These muffins are my go-to now! A friend passed these along and I love them!! I made a double batch last night but only used about 1 C of sugar instead of the full amount and they were still just as sweet!
Will these turn put subbing honey for the sugar?
Haven’t tried that so I’m not sure – sorry!
Made this a few times now, and passed the recipe onto a few others! Love! Tonight’s version I subbed one banana for 1/2 cup of the applesauce and it’s my best batch yet! But of course I add 2/3 cup choc chips every time. So incredibly yummy!
I made these tonight with your baked chicken nuggets and they were a huge hit!! The cranberries absorbed some of that AMAZING moisture and plumped right up. The kids gobbled them up and my hubby and I loved them. Thank you, your recipes are consistently fabulous!
I have been making these muffins every month for almost 4 years now my kids love them and it’s a great breakfast to have in my rotation!
I made these tonight and they got a big thumbs up from my hollow-legged son! I swear that kid eats around the clock….
I added some mini chocolate chips to make them extra delish 😉 Huge bonus that they are super easy to mix up.
Wow! I just made these and they turned out great. I might double the cinnamon next time and add walnuts or chocolate chips. YUM! I have a dark pan so I lowered the oven time 25 degrees. Thanks!
These taste good but recipe is much too moist. Cooking time was much much longer than recipe stated. I recommend reducing the liquids by 2/3
Everyone else loved them!
Delicious! I added about 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and about 3/4 cup chopped dates and didn’t have any problem with the batter being “extra wet.” I did make these extra big though (smile) and ended up with 10 breakfast sized muffins. Thanks for a great recipe!
How big is a cup?
Do you have metric measurements to help those in the UK?
A cup is 8 fluid ounces but the weight measure will differ based on the ingredient. I’ll add weight measures to the recipe in case that helps.
250 ml.
Best muffins yet! I used 1/4 cup pumpkin bread and muffin baking mix from TJ’s and 1/2 cup of wheat flour, coconut oil instead of butter, and a good dose of cinnamon. Didn’t expect much out of this muffin but boy was it delicious and moist!
Thank you for the recipe. I was looking for one with not so much sugar and with apple sauce. I used half of the ingredients to make 6 muffins. It was very delicious, but the bottom stuck to the liners and the middle was a little mushy. I would really appreciate any tips to fix the issue the next time? I’m a novice in making muffins. Thanks!
You can try greasing the muffin liners before baking and add a few minutes baking time – that should help!
Thank you, I’ll try.
I cooked the Oatmeal applesauce muffins on this past Sunday they are great need nutritional value
Where do I fine the Nutritional value of the different foods?
I don’t calculate that info but you can plug the recipe into several free online calculators to get the info.
i have made these quite a few times now. I always make a double batch as I am addicted to them. My question is do you have any idea how manycalories in each muffin?
I don’t – sorry!
These muffins came out perfect.
Love this recipe! I love the reduced amount of sugar. I added about 1.5 cups of grated carrot and 1 tbsp of grated ginger, and subbed out 1 tbsp of sugar for blackstrap molasses. They turned out excellent, will definitely be making them again soon.
I have made these every way imaginable for several years now. I have subbed mashed bananas to make banana nut, homemade pumpkin purée along with cranberries and pecans for pumpkin spice, and pear sauce for the applesauce. I have subbed agave nectar for the sugar (omitting or reducing milk to offset the increase in liquid). I’ve even reduced butter somewhat and added peanut butter for a peanut butter banana version! They freeze beautifully, too.
Here is the nutritional information as made with melted butter (not coconut oil) and 1/2 cup of raisins (not cranberries):
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We love this recipe. We’ve add all different dried fruits to it – apricots, plums/prunes, craisins, golden or regular raisins and more. We’ve also made it will fresh or frozen berries or added fresh chopped apple as well. It is such a good, healthy muffin base that is super easy to change up based on what you have on hand.
Absolutely love this recipe. So light and moist. And healthy too❤️
Incredibly versatile recipe! I tried the in silicone muffin liners recently, and they popped right out. I did not even need to peel the sides away. Just tipped them over, and not one casualty. Bonus: the silicone liners hold less batter, so I get exactly 18 out of the batch (especially if using fresh berries). Bonus because it takes the calories and macros per muffin down significantly – LOL.
I do let the oats soak in the wet ingredients for a while before adding to the dry. And if I need to use up fresh berries, I’ve found that allowing them to finish cooling upside down seems to help redistribute moisture.
Thank you for the recipe!
My husband and kids absolutely love these muffins. I make them for play dates too and parents are always surprised how much their kids love them. I end up doubling the batch twice because they go so quickly and actually have to limit how many my kids eat at a time!
I made these muffins and most certainly didn’t have a good outcome. They were in the oven for 30 minutes and still uncooked in the centre. Very dense and not very impressive at all. I’m very disappointed in the outcome. Really think there should have been more flour added to the recipe, ( more than 3/4 cup as the recipe states)
My 2 year old loved it
I made some changes, I used maple syrup instead of sugar, coconut milk instead of cows milk, and MCT oil instead of butter, I also added a scoop of my plant based protein powder. They turned out delicious!
Do you have the nutrition on these muffins?
I don’t, sorry!
These muffins are the best. I hate “cake” like muffins. When my (late) Mom was living, I baked them for her all the time, froze them in tin foil individually. She could just pop one out of the freezer, place on a plate, and have with a bit of marmalade or honey. Perfect size for the smaller appetite. I gave the receipt to a very dear friend / coworker knowing her grand babies woud love them. I have added any dried fruit and sometimes walnuts. Best muffins I have ever had and I have made a muffin or two in my 53 years!
Thank you so much, Colleen!
I made these muffins for my son to take to a school activity and then made a batch for my kids at home. They were a huge hit! The kids at school are now asking for more and my kids do not want to share. Lol! Thank you! Theae are a winner!
Yes i made this into a vegan friendly
Recipe. I used unsweetened almond milk. Used Becel vegan butter and i made vegan eggs with ground flax seed and water and for spice i used apple pie spice
I added dates instead of raisin… Winner!
It’s just that they have the most delicious buttery flavor, mild sweetness and awesome delicate chew from the oats, how could I be expected to eat just one?
🙂
Very good. I did fiddle a bit but not much. Subtracted two tablespoons of the WW flour and added in two tablespoons of ground flax seed. Also, used 1/2 cup of toasted, chopped pecans vs. dried fruit. Great recipe that doesn’t use a bunch of exotic ingredients. I made this from my pantry. Win!
Love them
I made these muffins but I used light brown sugar and two cups of blueberries. I would have substituted the sugar with honey or maple syrup but it was very delicious with brown sugar and blueberries will make it again thanks for the recipe
Thanks for letting me know. I’m glad you liked them!
Delicious!I used maple syrup instead of sugar and less than half recommended butter.added double cinnamon .sprinkled on top b4 baking coconut and more raisins..presented well taste fantastic love chewy baked raisins on top .will def make again thanks heaps for sharing this recipe!!
Hi Mel! Thanks for sharing; I have been making this recipe forever but never left a comment.
I just wanted to let you know how versatile I think it is! I have made so many variations throughout the years since I found it, that I have lost count and it never fails. I live in Chile, South America, and for example coconut oil to us is extremely expensive. Sometimes I have replaced the grease for more applesauce (or banana puree) and it works perfectly; some others for sunflower oil or butter, and it works too.
The last months we moved to USA, which has allowed me to have more materials to work with! When I want them to be “evil” (like today), I add chocolate morsels (Nestle, semisweet)… I never should, but they rock!
So thanks, because your recipe has always been my number one when it comes to muffins. All the best for you!!!
This is my new favorite muffin recipe! I added dried cranberries.
I have been making these muffins for years as my go-to breakfast muffin. Super quick, healthy, delicious, never too dry, and all easy ingredients that I have in the pantry already. I sometimes add cranberries and sometimes add chopped nuts, depending on what I have on hand. I love making a batch on Sunday to have for quick snacks and breakfast throughout the week!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made a double batch, kept one dozen for myself and gave a second dozen away as a thank you. Also, instead of dried fruit, I used shredded carrot and added some nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom to make it feel more like a carrot cake muffin, but healthy!
I searched for a recipe that used up a large container of apple sauce and came across this. I made a few changes to use a few items I had on hand. My coconut oil is infused with coconut flavoring and I added chopped roasted pecans instead of dried fruit. The result was amazing. My teenage kids finish them off in less than 2 days. These are delicious and healthy.
I made these for the first time, last week. I’ve been researching applesauce recipe for weeks and liked that these were made with whole wheat flour. I found them to be “okay”. They weren’t that flavorful and I found the oats to be overly chewy. I read a tip on Epicurious to soak the oats in the milk for 30-60 minutes before mixing with the dry ingredients, to soften the oats, so I will try that next time. I am also going to try upping the vanilla and cinnamon (and maybe add a bit of nutmeg) for more flavoring. I also wish the recipe made closer to 18 muffins (I do the math in my head to increase the batter).
An Update: I made this recipe again with these modifications:
3 TBSP melted butter (instead of 4)
I sprayed the liners with Pam
I soaked the oats with the milk and applesauce, in the fridge, for 1 hour.
2 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/8 Tsp Nutmeg
The muffins were still very moist, even with less fat/butter. The Pam helped them release from the muffin liners a LOT better. I may even try with 2 Tbsp of butter next time. The additional spices gave a lot more flavor. And soaking the oats helped soften them so they weren’t so chewy.
I love this recipe
I made with sprouted wheat flour, delicious!
Do you know the nutritional facts? Obviously they’re healthier than most things I eat, but probably not after I’ve eaten them all. I make them for my senior citizens I work with and they love them!! And now I just keep making for myself
I don’t have the nutritional info, but the recipe can be plugged into any number of online nutritional calculators!
Delicious! I also made these by replacing the applesauce with 2 mashed bananas and they were so good!
Could I do these without sugar?
You’d have to experiment; I haven’t tried that.
I’ve accidentally made them without sugar once and they taste savoury and while i love a savoury muffin they lack…something. They tasted infinitely better with a generous pat of butter though! I would add a strong cheese on top and some nutmeg to the recipe if i were to do it intentionally.
Great muffins! Problem is I have a hard time controlling myself around great muffins! I halved the butter and they were plenty rich and moist delicious!
I made them yesterday, added some chopped walnuts; they are fluffy and moist, also super easy to prepare. They were gone in a few hours. Next time I’ll bake a double batch, these were gone in one afternoon!
Thanks for these recipe
Delicious and very moist! Thank you for the recipe!
What is the nutritional information for these? Thank you!
I printed this off when you first posted it, made it a few times, then forgot about it. I recently rediscovered it, randomly subbed oat flour (can’t remember why I bought it!), also subbed coconut milk, and my 2 year old can’t get enough of them! I make these a few times a week, always double the recipe, do one mini muffin tin and one regular. They never last a whole day around here. Another win from you, Mel! Thanks!
These turned out great! I used coconut oil which gave them a bit of a coconuty taste and added chocolate chips. I’ll definitely be making them again!
I made these as mini muffins and used regular flour, cinnamon apple sauce, and only had them in for 10mins. I also sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on the top of some of them before baking. They turned out delicious and the kids absolutely love them!!!
I think if you used chunky applesauce, they would be really good too, with the fruit in them. (I didn’t add cranberries or raisins to my muffins)
When you made these with regular flour did you adjust the amount or keep it at 3/4cup? Thank you!
I made these as mini muffins and used regular flour, cinnamon apple sauce, and only had them in for 10mins. They turned out delicious and the kids absolutely love them!!!
These were really yummy
I just finished making these and they turned out perfectly. These muffins are so delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
Made this using vanilla flax milk instead of cows milk, used the coconut oil instead of butter and then also added pumpkin spice blend instead of just cinnamon and almond extract along with vanilla paste. Good solid recipe that can be dressed up and dairy free.
These are so yummy! Thanks for the recipe 🙂 The only snag I ran into was the coconut oil. Mixing the melted oil with cold milk ended up with chunky bits of oats/oil and then little oily parts after the muffins were baked. I’m thinking next time, I should warm the milk? Looking forward to trying again!
Hey Bethany – I don’t usually warm the milk, but you can. The little tiny bits of coconut oil shouldn’t be a problem once baked.
Hi, I’m from the UK and rarely use cups to measure, but I would love to try out this recipe, could you tell me how much your cup is in grams or ounces please? Thank you 🙂
It really depends on the ingredient being measured, but I usually calculate about 5 ounces per cup of flour.
These are yummy! Baked muffins for 20 mins @ 375 F. Perfectly done. Used half white flour and half whole wheat flour instead of 100% whole wheat flour. Made homemade applesauce that was rather chunky and included chopped walnuts. Topped each muffin with edible decorative sugar for some crunch and sweetness. Definitely a keeper!
These muffins are awesome! I make them for my grandaughter, who is a very picky eater @18mths, in mini size and she loves them. I keep a batch in the freezer for myself for snacks. If I didn’ t freeze them they wouldn’t last the day.
I make these all the time! I sometimes use canola oil instead of butter, and greek yogurt instead of milk. I add different mix-ins to spice it up. Such a delicious and healthy muffin recipe.
I don’t like baking enough to spend time making things that are not good for us even if they taste good. Thanks to healthy options in the recipe and comments I made these 4 times within a week. Some ARE in the freezer! My husband loves them!
I was very disappointed in these muffins. I think they have too much butter in them and they came out way too moist…maybe I didn’t cook them long enough but I didn’t even like the flavor. I had anticipated making them for several days and finally got to it today but I won’t make these again. I will have to keep searching for much better ones.
Loved this recipe – I should have doubled it. I added some sunflower seeds, chia seeds and my oatmeal had flax and quinoa in it. Turned out beautifully. Delicious and a hit with my 3 year old.
I made a ton of homemade applesauce (kid hates it), so I was looking for something to do with it. Found this recipe and wow, it’s fantastic! Not too sweet, pleasantly moist, and cooked to perfection at the 15 minute mark. I subbed half of the flour with coconut flour and used black currants. My child is gobbling up these muffins and wish I had made a second batch!
These muffins are a staple at my house, and although I almost always make a double batch, they have yet to make it to the freezer before being devoured. They are tender, moist, and straight-up yummy. Hooray for a muffin that tastes like a treat but is chock full of healthy ingredients!
And in case anyone is wondering, they are still surprisingly edible even if you absent-mindedly forget to add the sugar, which I did last week (mom brain is real, folks). My kids still ate the whole (double) batch!
Do you use dry oats or cooked oats? Thanks!
Dry oats.
These were Amazing!! My girls (2&4) Loved them! Making them for Preschool snack tomorrow! I have no doubt they will enjoy them just as much! Thanks for the healthy, easy, feel good about giving it to the kids recipe!!
Hello, can I try this recipe as mini muffins instead ? If so, how long should I bake them for ?
Thanks
This recipe has become one of my favorites. I cook up a batch of these every week and eat one for breakfast everyday. I substitute wheat germ and flax meal for about 1/3 of the flour to increase the fiber and protein content. I also add walnuts and pumpkin seeds. I use maple syrup instead of sugar. YUM!!
Do you use the same amount of syrup as the recipe calls for sugar? Or do you change the amount? I am looking at substituting syrup for sugar as well!
I used full fat coconut milk and substituted the butter with Greek yogurt. Plus accidentally put in a tablespoon of cinnamon instead of a teaspoon. Turned out amazing! Thanks for a great recipe! Blessings!
Can I put all of the dry ingredients together? Such as a mason jar to be used at another time.
You could certainly try! Should work ok. 🙂
Moist, yummy, nutritious. The oats and whole wheat provide the perfect taste of a slight “nuttiness.” I never believe people when they say something freezes well, but these absolutely did. Zapped them in the microwave for about a minute and they weren’t all of the sudden dry or flavorless. Retained moisture and flavor.
These are super yummy and I don’t feel as guilty for giving them to the kiddos. Both kids love them, I can freeze them for future use! Thanks! I did top with a little sprinkled sugar but stuck to the recipe otherwise!
Just substituted the applesauce for canned pumpkin! Had to add a tablespoon or so more milk to get the consistency right and next time I’ll up the spices but a pretty good healthy pumpkin oat muffin!
Thank you for this recipe. I would like to make it. But my 2yrs old is allergic to eggs. What can i replace the eggs with please? And must i keep the quantity of all the other ingredients unchange?Thank you
I’m not really sure, Maddie – you could try a flax seed substitute? I haven’t tried it but if you google, you might find some good egg substitutions online.
Yes, just look up egg substitutes:yogurt especially Greek, baking powder & soda, etc.
Just add more applesauce and it should work… Use 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce in place of one egg in most baking recipes. (Some sources say to mix it with 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder) If all you have is sweetened applesauce, then simply reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe.
For each egg substitute with 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. I never bake with egg because my son is allergic.
My son has an egg allergy too and I subbed a tablespoon of flaxseed meal mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. You let that sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up slightly and then mix it in with the rest of the ingredients. Worked great!
I made these for the first time a couple weeks ago and after baking, found the egg still on the counter…to my surprise, the muffins were perfect, held together fine, and were very tasty.
Now, with eggs more precious under the Coronavirus lockdown, I just made a double batch and purposely left out eggs. No substitute needed.
A perfect snack for our toddler and us. Delicious and easy to make.
These are absolutely fantastic made them with my 3 yr old and he is such a fussy eater and he sat watching them bake and had two fresh out the oven – Amazing !!!
Awesome! Healthy and delicious! I have had requests to share this recipe already! I use homemade bottled applesauce in mine.
So yummy. Substituted natural honey for the sugar. Did half regular applesauce and half strawberry applesauce. And added dried cranberries and walnuts.
I had to cook these an extra 10 minutes they were so wet. When I finally took them out they were still a bit gooey? Is that just the way these muffins go or am I doing something wrong?
These muffins are delicious! I added walnuts and crushed pineapple. Love, love this recipe.
I’ve now made these too many times to count. My go-to recipe! Have even recommended it 🙂 thank you!!
AMAZING
These turned out great! Easy to make. Nice to have a healthy muffin recipe that doesn’t have banana in it 🙂
These are really good. I don’t normally rate recipes but I lost my paper copy and came back to print another. I’ve even used pumpkin in place of the applesauce and they were still great! The recipe takes substitutions really well also. I’ve even used coconut oil and brown rice flour and the kids still love them. Thanks for a great recipe that’s delicious as-is and also very adaptable!
Happy you love these muffins, Wylene!
First time I made muffins they were hard enough to play bowling with . but I just tried yours and woooow !
Could not help but eating 3 when they came out of the oven.
Best healthy muffins I’ve had ever. Thanks for making my breakfast an easy to go to when I don’t have the time.
I usually eat oatmeal in the morning but I was getting tired of it.
One of these muffins will do just fine.thanks
I just made these today with homemade applesauce and I love them, so does my toddler! Great recipe, I will make them again.
Excellent. Moist and tender. I made them for our youth activity and they were gone in a flash. They (the muffins, not the youth) were no less good after being frozen.
Really good muffins, so moist and fluffy. I didn’t have enough plaine unsweetened Apple sauce so I used some of the unsweetened strawberry and apple sauce from motts. It was great, added a hint of strawberry flavour! The kids loved them, all of us enjoyed this recipe! Great recipes again!! I frequently come across your recipes using google searches! Always great recipes! Thanks again!
Thanks, Vanessa!
I have a lot of plum trees on my property. I make a lot of plum sauce and freeze it. Instead of the applesauce I used the plum sauce. Oh my goodness. Just got them out of the oven and they are gone.
Thank you for great recipe.
Maria
These came out so delicious !! I followed the recipe EXACTLY! So delicious and moist !! I wish I could post a picture of them 🙂
LOVE this recipe. Could I convert this to a loaf pan? THANKS!
I haven’t tried that but you could definitely experiment.
These muffins are great! It’s hard to find healthy muffins that freeze well. These are a go-to now. Thank you!
LOVE these muffins! I made muffin-tops (baked for 12-13 minutes) and minis (baked for 10 minutes). My son wanted one for breakfast this morning although I told him I had packed a mini for his mid-morning snack and packed a muffin top to go in his lunchbox! (I also ate two last night and one this morning, lol!) I guess I’ll be making another batch very soon! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Super tasty and super easy! My kids loved them – we opted for the raisin add-in. As a note, I made these on Saturday and kept them in the fridge until Wednesday and they were still delicious!
I used fresh ground hard white wheat for my flour. Worked GREAT!
Made these today and they were great! i baked them for 15 min. & they were perfect.
I loved these (and so did my 14-month old!)– delicious but still healthy enough that I will let him have them for breakfast 🙂 I love that your recipes always turn out so well, thanks for all that you do!
Made these for my 9 month old and she LOVES them! Thank you so much for this recipe!
These were not the best! I recommend brown sugar 3/4 or maple syrup with out high fructose cup,they were very blan without this.
Has anyone tried making these without white sugar or with a white sugar substitute?
Yes, I did and they came out great! I added in raisins for sweetness. My 2 year old loves them. I would probably prefer the sugar version but the raisins make a big difference.
I discovered this recipe about 2 years ago and it has been so AWESOME and versatile!!!! I have swapped out the applesauce with other “mushy produce” and added miscellaneous extras: think mashed bananas and mini choc chips(my kids favorite). I have also done mashed avocado, cocoa powder in the flour, and mini choc chips and/or chopped pecans. Not a soul noticed the avocado and they were devoured! So yummy and still so healthy. I am making mine with raisins and pecans this morning. LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!!!
Can I use almond milk in place of the milk?
I believe others have done that with good results.
I’m just making these for the millionth time and am once again so thankful for this recipe. My family can not stand coconut things (crazies) but I sneak that coconut oil into these babies and they love them! I always double the recipe and bake mini muffins and cinnamon chips are one of our favorite add-ins. Thank you for all of the best go-to recipes!!
Just made these. I’ve had 4 already! The kids loooove them!
Thanks for the great recipe
I’ve probably commented here before, but I’ve now made these probably 20 times! They are so good and moist and tasty! Easy to put together, these are my go-to muffins.
My 12 month old LOVED these- subbed about half a smashed banana for the sugar and added a little flax seed and they were sweet enough for us!! Love the coconut oil
Hi Mel – I posted a comment but it didn’t show up so I’m trying this again.
These muffins were amazing!!!! I’m calling them pregnancy muffins because I needed a healthy snack. 🙂 I wish now that I had made a double batch of them.
Here are my changes: I used coconut oil instead of butter, I milled my own wheat flour and I used 8 Stevia packets instead of sugar. I also added blueberries instead of raisins. I baked mine for a solid 20 minutes and they were perfect. They did stick to the liners so next time I will either spray the liners or try using a sprayed pan without the liners and see what happens. I would also like to try these as mini muffins too. This is my new fav recipe! Thanks Mel!!!
I just made these and they are amazing!!! I’m calling them pregnancy muffins because I needed a healthy snack. 🙂 I used coconut oil instead of butter, I mill my own wheat flour and I used 8 packets of Stevia instead of sugar. I also added blueberries instead of raisins. These were so delicious and I wish I had made a double batch the first time! I cooked mine for an even 20 minutes. Also – they did stick to the liners so next time I may try spraying the liners or just spraying the pan and seeing how they turn out. I also want to try them as mini muffins. Thanks Mel!!!!
I have read all of the wonderful comments about your muffins. I am going to make them today to take on our vacation. Thank you so much!
These were great! I used homemade applesauce and canola oil and they tasted delicious!! I loved that they used a whole cup of applesauce!
I am due to have baby #2 any day now and how been making freezer meals like a crazy lady! I wanted to have something healthy and yummy for my hubby and two year old to enjoy while I’m recovering. I was skeptical when they came out of the oven because, no, they are not all that pretty, but wow are they fabulously delicious! I’m gonna keep the whole “healthy” thing a secret and let them think they are just pampered by mommy hahaha
Made these this morning and loved them! This recipe is definitely a keeper, and so easy to throw together in a pinch for a tasty breakfast.
Good heavens. I doubled this recipe today to freeze muffins for later and they are already almost gone! Ha! Just like every other recipe of yours that we try. Every time my husband ooohs and aaahhhhs over a meal and then asks where I found the recipe I have to laugh out loud. “It’s from Mel!” Every time! I’m not sure why he even asks anymore. Thanks for being our go-to-resource for tried and true delicious recipes! You are the best!
Thank you for such an awesome recipe! As someone who doesn’t bake much because sometimes a recipe is too detailed or takes too much time, these were easy to make and the recipe was straight forward. I especially liked how you listed the ingredients and the amounts in the same order as when they were listed in the recipe so when you used an ingredient it was easy to just check the item off! I added the dried cranberries to my muffins and used chunky applesauce and they came out great!!! Looking forward to trying more recipes from you!
Mm good. Turned out great!
Great recipe turned out perfect! Thanks for mentioning the batter texture. I was skeptical! I used plain flour and it worked fine. Will make again.
These turned out great!!! I was looking for something to go with some apple butter that I made. I normally don’t eat bagels, toast, muffins, etc. I wanted to find something that was a healthier option. My variations on this recipe where using butter (not coconut oil), pure cane sugar for sugar, and arrowroot for the baking powder. All of the ingredients besides the milk where organic, and I didn’t add any dried fruit. The batter was super quick and easy to put together, all of the ingredients are always pantry items for me, and these came out perfect! I had to add about 8 minutes on to the cooking time. I could seriously sit down and eat them all! (not recommending that!) Thank you for such a great recipe. I don’t always have the best of luck on my first try with a new recipe. It is definitely already added to my recipe book.
These muffins are an excellent breakfast choice for my daughter in college. She frequently studies late; having a nourishing and tasty breakfast ready to go in the morning makes room for just a little more shut-eye. I poured through half a dozen similar recipes before settling on this. I made two dozen mini muffins in liners, placed in standard muffin tins, so they spread out a bit. I reduced the baking time to 13 minutes, using the toothpick test. The muffins were perfect – so moist, chewy and satisfying! BTW, I used a little more than 3/4 cup of instant apple cinnamon oatmeal, and 1/4 cup steel-cut oats. In addition, I used brown sugar instead of white. Typically I reserve use of wheat flour for breads, so I used white flour. I didn’t add more fruit, as I figured the apple oatmeal flavor was tasty enough on its own – it was!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Thank you for the best muffin recipe ever. I added orange zest, raisins and cranberries. They are moister than moist even 2 days later! 🙂
Made these tasty treats this morning. They were so easy, quick and satisfying. I used 1 and 1/2 tbs of melted butter with white flour and homemade applesauce from the freezer because that is what I had on hand and they turned out great. Can’t wait to try them again with some additions such as nuts, bananas or choc chips the possibilities are endless. Thanks for another keepsake recipe.
I really like this recipe! I’ve experimented with it and would add that people who try this should not try to use coconut flour instead of whole wheat flour because the muffins fall apart.
I just made a batch of these today and they are delicious! I used canola oil instead of coconut oil and used 1/4 c brown sugar instead of 1/3 c sugar. I also baked them for only 12 minutes and they came out perfectly soft and amazing. Thanks for the great recipe. 🙂
I’m not usually one to leave comments, but I’m compelled to say SOMETHING about this recipe. I made these today, and they are definitely going into a pile of recipes I like to call my “Laminated List”…joining others that are on regular rotation in my kitchen. I love that this recipe 1.) has simple ingredients; I had everything in my kitchen, so no running to the store or Googling crazy ingredients 2.) tastes decadent, but I feel like I’m cheating the system because they’re a lot healthier than traditional muffins. 3) is sooo easy; If I glance at a recipe that goes on and on, I move on…I’m way too lazy to follow a 10-step recipe! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
These have quickly become my staple for breakfast and snacks. And they do freeze so well. I packed some frozen ones in a cooler for a road trip and they were perfect. I have another double batch in the oven right now…… Finally a healthy muffin that is not overloaded with sugar. I find it works well with about half the coconut oil and I also add ground flax.
This is my first time making a recipe from your site and these muffins were amazing! They made exactly 12 muffins and eating one was already soooo filling. They’re the perfect snack! I’ve been scouring the web for sweet yet healthy recipes and this I will definitely make often! It’s also my first time baking anything with coconut oil and wow love the flavor! My entire kitchen smelled more like coconut than it did apples actually. I used the virgin unrefined one so that must be why the coconut flavor was stronger. Thanks again for the recipe!
love these muffins, used applesauce and a mashed banana and only 2 Tablesppons of the oil, and 1/4 cup sugar. Will try with honey next time as others have. I find them very satisfying.
These are amazing! I needed a new type of muffin in my repertoire and these are perfect. I made them exactly as the recipe states (with coconut oil) and they are moist and flavourful. My son loves muffins and has requested some fresh apple chunks in the next batch which I will try.
Loved your post…brought a smile to my face.
Not real crazy about this recipe. I wish I hadn’t done a double batch actually. If you’re looking for a typical muffin texture, this is not it. I didn’t have time to let it set and thicken a bit more with the oats, very runny. I even added approx 1/3 cp more flour, since I was using all purpose and w/w has more fiber, I think. Ends up very moist, yes, but a bit gelatinous from the oats. Didn’t rise much and they do stick a bit to the papers – and mine are usually bullet-proof. If You Care brand.
Thanks for sharing though! I’m sure the kids will munch on them all weekend and be very appreciative of ready snacks.
These were good. I used 1/4 cup honey in place of sugar and my younger kids missed the extra sugar. I love a muffin with oatmeal. I will make again and try them sweeter to appeal to the younger kids.
Excellent! Used Craisins and would like to know calories and c/p/f. Thanks.
I searched for ways to use applesauce and so glad I tried your muffins! I subbed stevia for the sugar and used some muesli. Not too sweet, moist and full of healthy whole grains and fruit! I froze most of them for portion control. Thanks for posting, I understand why so many double the recipe!
I’ve been eying this recipe forever…and the wilting apples in my refrigerator gave me the perfect excuse to finally make it.
Delicious! My toddler decided to stop eating cooked oatmeal, but he gobbled this! I used spelt flour, organic butter, and halved the sugar- using organic cane sugar. I also mixed in a tablespoon of chia seeds-why not?
Thank you, none of your recipes have ever disappointed me!
Do you have nutrition information for these? It’d be good to know the calorie, fat, and carb count if possible!
No, I don’t but there are several online calculators that are helpful if you want that type of info.
Hi Mel :). Katie K. Is a mutual friend of ours so I had to try these! They are in the oven as we speak! I’m wondering if you ever bake with coconut sugar? We are just starting to sub our white sugar for it because it is so much healthier, and I thought maybe you had some experience with using it!
Hi Michelle – thanks for the comment! I have almost no experience baking with coconut sugar…mostly because it’s never been super easy to find (or affordable) where I used to live but I have seen it in a couple local markets lately and wondered about it. Sorry I don’t know more about it! If I start experimenting with it, I’ll let you know.
I tried this today and it was great! Healthy and not too sweet.
Yum O!
Wow! These muffins are amazing! Forget about dieting for now. I tried out my Amaranth flour for the first time in this recipe. So, making the double recipe, I used half whole wheat and half amaranth. I will try out your original recipe next time. For Valentine’s day I added one cup frozen, thawed raspberries and cut half the applesauce. Also half butter and half coconut oil. I think as long as you keep the basic measurements you can experiment.
So funny! The raspberry muffins are green! St. Patrick’s day is not far away, but they won’t last.
These are great muffins. Most healthy muffins are a disappointment so these are an extra joy.
I could not stop eating these! I put some walnuts and chocolate chips on top and they were amazing. My only issue was after peeling off the muffin liner, a good chunk of the muffin on the bottom would come off with it. Maybe I’ll get different liners and see if it helps
Hey Erica – you might try lightly greasing the muffin liners if the batter is sticking.
do you think the whole wheat flour could be subbed with almond meal?
Not sure – I don’t use almond meal or flour often but you could certainly experiment.
They were great! Thank you!!
can you use white flour and quick oats instead of wheat flour and old fashioned oats?
That would probably work fine!
This is our FAVORITE muffin recipe and it turns out great every time. This morning I tried a variation and it was delicious! I used carrot juice instead of milk and a handful of fresh blueberries instead raisins. My kids devoured them!
I just made these and completely forgot to add sugar (I always think I can multitask in the kitchen, but apparently I cannot…) and they still turned out great! Not as sweet tasting as maybe an apple-y oat muffin should be, but definitely not terrible either. If you were to put a bit of honey or peanut butter or margarine on them, I bet you wouldn’t even really tell about the lack of sugar…? (Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself so I don’t feel as silly for leaving out such a main ingredient. Oops).
I made these last night and accidentally left out the butter – AND THEY WERE STILL DELICIOUS!! I’m not sure I’ll ever make them with the butter now…why add those extra calories if the muffins don’t need it! Thanks for a great recipe!
Good to know!!
These muffins are soooo delicious!!! I used spelt flour, homemade apple/pear sauce and almond coconut milk and they turned out amazing!!!!!
I made these yesterday for my 2 year old and 8 month old and they LOVE them. Making a double batch tomorrow to freeze! Thanks.
We make these all the time and they are my kids’ favorite muffins, hands down!! I never use muffin liners; we just spray the muffin tin with cooking spray and they come out beautifully. I made them with honey for the first time today and my kids can’t tell the difference, and neither could I. We never get around to freezing them because they get eaten too quickly:) Maybe a quadruple batch would solve that problem;)
I love these things! I always have batches and batches of these in the freezer for quick mornings. I make them into mini muffins and always add flax seeds and use coconut oil. The night before I stick some in a sandwich baggie and thaw them on the counter. Yum and thanks!
Thank you for this fantastic recipe! I made them for my 14 month old son and he LOVED them….he kept saying “more more” and doing the sign language for “more”. I added in diced apple instead of raisins. Thanks again!
Made these today. They taste delish. The only modification was that I did half brown and white sugar combo and I added raisins and dried cranberries. The muffin paper did kinda stick to the muffin a little.
My mother is very sugar conscious, and I have two diabetics in my holiday circle that I’d like to feed these for breakfast…has anyone tried these with the splenda brown sugar mix? other sugar substitute, at least partially?
I haven’t; sorry!
Just pulled these out of the oven. Delicious!!! And quick!!!! My 3 & 5 year old loved them.
I love these.
There was a Kruteaz boxed muffin that I used to make in college. They were always dry and crumbly but I suffered through because I loved the flavour so much. These have that flavour and it makes me so happy. Of course these are a thousand times better. My kids love them too.
Hi. I want to make these using 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat flour. What would the measurement be for the flour with this change?
I wouldn’t change the measurements of flour if making that substitution – just measure with a light hand (about 5 ounces of flour per cup) and you should be ok.
Four-year-old helped and approved: “We make the goodest muffins, Mama.” Thanks for all the winning recipes!
I made homemade applesauce last night (with the peels on, then I strained and kept the “pulp”). And I used the pulp in the muffins this morning and they’re fabulous! Still moist & super yummy. I love that the oats out-measure the flour. Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t usually leave comments even though this site is my standard recipe source, but these muffins are a fantastic go-to base recipe. I have made variations like peach (1:1 peach puree for applesauce and some nutmeg) and pumpkin (1:1 pumpkin puree for applesauce and use pumpkin pie spice 2:1 to the cinnamon in the recipe). Plus, you can play with mix-ins for even more changes. Oh, and I always sub plain yogurt for oil. These are fantastic and VERY forgiving. Make a double batch; you won’t be sorry! Thanks for the recipe, Mel.
Thanks for all the ideas on variations, Rachel!
I just made a double batch of these muffins and they are delicious! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
I have been trying lots of different muffin recipes lately, and trying to make healthy varieties. This is now my top muffin recipe. It’s delicious! Today, I subbed mashed bananas (about 3 small ones) for the applesauce, and it turned out SO GOOD! My toddler kept snitching the mini ones off the counter! Since the ripe bananas were so sweet, I will probably reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup, instead of the listed 1/3. I love how the sides are slightly crispy, and the middle is so moist!
I love this recipe, I’ve made it a bunch of times with different fruit (so good with blueberries) but my fav has just come out of the oven….I switched the apple sauce for pumpkin puree…WOW. Thanks!!
These have saved us on a couple of egg days when we were low on eggs due to me not wanting to go to the store. The kids love them. I love that I can always come back and look for that recipe on your site and not have to save it or print it out. Thanks for your hard work. We sure miss you here in the frozen north.
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I have a batch if these puppies in the oven for 1st day of school tomorrow. One batch with walnuts for home consumption, and a nut-free batch for taking to school for snack. I’m baking them with confidence, knowing you are a woman who knows her muffins! Thanks!
Made them, ate them, they were awesome!
Thank you.
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I love muffins and I love healthy! Thanks for the recipe!
These are delicious! Everyone in my family loves them, including my almost 2-year-old. How would I adjust temperature/baking time if I wanted to make them into mini muffins?
Krystle – I’d keep the baking temp the same but cut the time down to 7-8 minutes.
Thank you! I will try that!
10 minutes ended up being perfect for me for mini muffins :). Thank you! Love this recipe!
These are absolutely to die for!!! So moist and delicious and healthy too! I doubled the batch like you suggested and added toasted macadamia nuts and some smashed banana to one batch and toasted almonds with dried cherries to the other. I was planning on putting some in the freezer for later, but at the rate they are being consumed in my household, I just might end up having to make more! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! Aloha 🙂
So I made these a bit healthier by using almond milk instead of regular milk and honey in place of the sugar. They are lovely! Thanks!
Love these muffins!! Moist and yummy. I just made them this morning! Thank you!
These are SO GOOD. I added flax seeds and blueberries to mine. They’re so moist and flavourful, and they freeze excellently so I can pack them in my lunches when I want a healthy snack. I might add less sugar next time, as I’ll 100% be making these again.
Love these muffins! I had some very ripe bananas and decided to sub the apple sauce for mashed ripe bananas this time. They came out great! Such an easy snack to keep on hand in the freezer.
These are delicious! I found them a few weeks ago because I had applesauce I needed to use up. They have quickly become a favorite in our family. I have made them several times and passed the recipe on to my friends. Thank you!
Hi, Mel!
This is my first comment on your blog after being a loyal, silent reader all this time. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve just made a batch of it (an hour ago) & it turned out really nice! I tweaked it a bit to my preferences: subs to brown sugar & reduce it a bit, use virgin coconut oil, subs raisin to fresh apples & adding 2tbsp of chia seed!
The apples made it moister, so it needs longer baking time, and because of adding the fresh apples & chia seeds resulting in odd quantity. But it’s not a big problem & the result was very yummy! Not to sweet, very satisfying and you know that it is an ultra-healthy treats! 😀 Thanks once again, Mel! You rock!
Love your changes, Felicia! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Just wanted to tell you thank you for this recipe! I just finished eating another one and well, its just so satisfying. I cannot tell you how many times I have made double batches since you posted it. I have used coconut milk (in the carton) in them too and they turned out flawlessly. oh, and I take them everywhere and they always get rave reviews. Thanks again!
MY KIDS LOVE THESE!!! Finally a way to get them to eat their oatmeal!!! No more breakfast battle! No more processed cereal!! We substituted silk almond milk and used 3 tbsp egg whites instead of an egg. They are so simple and tasty. Thanks!!!!
Turned out really well. Subbed grapeseed oil for butter, reduced sugar to 2 tbsp (will omit completely next time) and added 2tbsp of peanut butter. Thanks for the recipe.
Oh yeah, also used a “flax egg” instead of a real one.
Jen.
Mel, I’m so excited to try these!! You’re the best!
I stumbled upon your blog today and am very glad I did!! I just made these muffins, and I have to say, they are absolutely 100% totally AWESOME!!! So, so yummy and moist. I used large flake oats and the texture was perfect, and they gave the muffins a bit of a nutty taste. I also used the coconut oil instead of the butter, and it gave them such a subtle coconut flavour. Truly lovely. I will definitely make these again. And again. Thank you!!
My mom gave me three of these muffins to take home and let my kids try to see if they liked a “healthy” snack. Unfortunately, the muffins never made it home! I devoured all three while running errands and have craved them ever since. These muffins are the reason I’ve joined your site! I’m excited to try more healthy recipes!
I’m writing this as I eat my second muffin. These came out ridiculously moist and fluffy, light even with the whole wheat flour. I think I’ll add a little less sugar next time. I put in a handle of each dried cranberries and walnuts and this is now my go-to oatmeal muffin recipe 🙂 thanks!
I just wanted to join the applesauce oatmeal muffin fan club. These are amazing!! I have a non-sandwich eater and I’m always looking for things to put in his lunch, this is perfect!
Thanks!
These are so good! I have a child with food allergies, so I substituted soy milk for the milk, oil for the butter, and just omitted the egg. They came out amazing! We love all of your recipes. You are definitely are go-to blog!
Tried this recipe and it was way too wet — I’m guessing different applesauces have different amounts of water in them. Anyway, I made several modifications (including halving the sugar) and now they are a family favorite. I make a quadruple batch and freeze. Thanks for the great recipe! http://www.eco-novice.com/2014/03/100-whole-grain-muffins-with-applesauce.html
I tried these again using butter and a longer cooking time and STILL had trouble! The muffins were still raw in the center. I’m thinking it’s my wonky oven. I’ve had to adjust the temp on it for so many things. Thankfully, all the other muffins I’ve tried from this site have worked out. Keep the yummy recipes coming!!!
Thanks for a great recipe using ingredients that I already have on hand! I just pulled these from the oven, and they’re fantastic! I can’t wait to freeze the extras for a special treat on the weekends!
Thanks for being a Saint, Mel! You’re the BEST 🙂
xo
Loved these! Thanks so much for sharing! We were getting bored of our usual healthy snacks and are loving these! So glad we found your website, we’ve loved all the recipes we have tried…and we’ve tried a bunch!!
We have another winner! Of course I’m not surprised, seeing as how all of Mel’s recipes are winners. I’m enjoying one right this very minute at work with a cup of strawberries drizzled with agave nectar. Perfect way to start the day.
You’re always saying you Freeze your muffins. I’m one of those people who is scared of the freezer. Unless its a soup or meat I’ve never frozen it. Do you just place these in ziplock bags? When you pull them out at snack time do you just thaw them or microwave them? If I let them thaw all day are they good that way or is microwaving better still?
Cearrow – ok, let’s help you get over your freezer fear! I bake these, let them cool and then place them in a freezer ziploc bag to freeze. When we want to eat them, I either take the bag out of the freezer the night before or simply pull the muffins out of the freezer, take them out of the bag and microwave them for about 1-2 minutes on 50% power until they are thawed. Slightly warm like that and they taste amazingly fresh!
Hi Mel. I cant wait to try these and freeze them as after school snacks for the kids. Unfortunately your brilliant school lunch packing list wont even touch the appetite of my 11 and 13 year old boys – dont I miss the days when they didnt eat me out of house and home – but I think they will love these as a snack!!
I made these this morning, and my two-year-old is eating her second one as I type this. 🙂 I added some frozen blueberries, and they were awesome! I especially love how the coconut oil gives them just the slightest coconut-y taste. These are definitely going to become a regular thing in our house.
I made these today – and loved them. I didn’t see the nutrition count anywhere so thought I would add it. Also I didn’t have applesauce so I blended a large apple with 1/2 cup water and a pinch of cinnamon and lemon juice. They turned out moist and perfect. This is with 2% milk and butter.
Nutrition facts per muffin without fruit:
Calories 130.6 Total Fat 5.2 Sodium 153 Carbs 18.9 Sugars 8.3 Protein 2.56
This are sooooo good! How I wish I’ve made them last year before joining Weight Watchers! Oh well! I’ll eat only two. Thanks for a great recipe.
I just made these this morning for my daughter who has a milk allergy. I made a few substitutions and she LOVES them! Thank you for providing this recipe! Now I have a filling food to feed her for breakfast that she will be excited about, and I can feel good about feeding her in the morning. She has been on a Kix cereal kick for over a week and I feel guilty giving it to her but hate to face the fits first thing in the morning.
Just made these and we LOVE them! I subbed in Coconut oil for butter, almond milk for regular milk- to make dairy free- and honey for the refined sugar. They were definitely a little less sweet, but in an effort to decreased my (*high*) processed sugar intake, they were great! Next time I might use a little less coconut oil as the oil was starting to go through the muffin liners as they sat out (I used a 1:1 ratio). Can’t wait to make them again!
Hi, Mel! Oooh, I feel like a famous person is talking to me! Squeeee!!!! 😀
I did increase the baking time with the second tray (yep, I doubled the batch!) and it helped, as they seemed less oily & slightly more firm. I didn’t want to overcook them or burn the outside. The tops/sides were nicely browned & the toothpick came out clean. No clue what went wrong. Maybe slightly lower temp for a little longer? I’ve found that cooking in an electric oven vs. a gas altered the temp on much of what I cook but I haven’t had an issue in a long time. I’m going to try again, maybe with butter & with a temp adjustment. 🙂
These are so yummy! I didn’t use craisins or raisins, and chose butter over coconut oil. My kids gobbled them up, and I was happy to let them! The only thing I think I might change next time I make them (there will definitely be a next time!) will be to use brown sugar instead of white, just because I love me some brown sugar 🙂 But brown sugar or no, we can’t get enough of these!
Wow! Made these to take with us on a mini-vacation but I think half were gone as soon as they came out of the oven! I’ve got three kids, ages 6, 8, and 10 and the oldest two are boys (who are not picky) and the youngest is a girl (who is picky). Everyone loved them! They did not last long…next time I will be making a double batch! I love that they are healthy and I can freeze them. Perfect for breakfast, adding to school lunches, or as an after school snack. Thanks Mel! Your site is my all time favorite!
Hi, Mel – I love your recipes & after trying the carrot applesauce muffins successfully, I was excited to try these. Unfortunately, they didn’t turn out at all! I opted to use the coconut oil instead of butter (I’m new to coconut oil) otherwise followed the recipe to a T, or so I thought. They never really set. The tops were browned nicely but they were still raw on the inside AND they seemed really oily! Got any suggestions? The tiny bites I took off the top of a few were tasty & I’d love to have another go at it.
Kelli – do you think you might need to increase the baking time? If they were still raw in the middle it sounds like they might need more time. I think that could help! Coconut oil does make baked good slightly more oily in my opinion but it shouldn’t affect the overall texture terribly.
My kiddos all but inhaled these muffins! Thanks for the recipe and the funny story, which is why I chose this recipe over all the other recipes that I found on the internet!! We used cinnamon applesauce and white flour b/c that’s what we had on hand and brown sugar b/c we prefer it over white and these turned out moist and flavorful!
I’m not sure I’m commenting in the right manner… I made these replacing the applesauce with a blueberry-chickpea purée my baby didn’t want for lunch… delicious!
Theses were great! I did use coconut oil instead of butter and used honey in place of sugar. They were delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
We actually did the exact same thing and they were amazing! We eat these after working out, they are perfect!
These muffins are delicious!! I made them gluten free by using oat flour instead of wheat flour. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. They have been added to my regular rotation!
These muffins are wonderful. I made them again today and forgot the butter/oil. Guess what? Still wonderful!
These. Are. Amazing. I added coconut and hemp seeds as a topping, and they tasted great!
Hi, this recipe sounds too good to be true! I have one question though before I start baking up a storm. Is the butter or the coconut oil melted? Or do they both have to be melted?
Clare – if you use butter or coconut oil, melt it first (and let it cool slightly if it is too hot).
Made these with 1/2 cup white flour and the rest whole wheat. They turned out great. Glad I doubled the recipe.
Thanks!
I made these without the cinnamon and added fresh blueberries and raspberries. They were great.
Thanks for the great recipe! My 21mo and I just made these, he’s chomping down on one as I type. I’ll definitely be keeping a stash in the freezer for his snacks.
Hi! I made these tonight. I just traded out the whole wheat flour for GF oat flour to make them gluten free. They are delicious!! I also added 1 T. of nutmeg. Thanks for this great recipe. These are going into the regular rotation.
OMG. Best muffins I’ve ever had in my entire life!!!!!! My kids are allergic to milk, so I used almond milk, and coconut oil for the butter. Wowza!
Amazing! I had some apples to get rid of so cooked them down to try these. Perfect recipe. Thanks so much for the post.
Mel,
We love these muffins! my 4 and 1 year old gobble them up every time I make them. My 4 year old doesn’t like raisins, so this morning I chopped up an apple and added that instead of raisins. They were fabulous!!! Thanks for all the great recipes!!
I just went through your “best of” list last night and made these for my kids’ breakfast. They were so good and moist and not too sweet. I only had half the needed milk (I doubled the batch), so I added an extra egg and added some pumpkin puree. I also omitted raisins, because suddenly my kids detest them, and added fresh strawberries instead. Thanks for your blog!
Loved these! Next time I’m going to use chunky applesauce and some chopped walnuts. Thanks for the recipe and all the other wonderfully yummy recipes you give. (Just made your sweet & sour chicken for the millionth time last night!)
These were wonderful! All 12 were gone within the first day…I will have to hide them from the boys next time…
I am wanting to experiment with using Pumpkin puree instead of applesauce. Do you think the texture would match up enough?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Chelsea – definitely worth a try! I haven’t subbed in pumpkin so I’m not sure; you’d have to experiment. I’d probably leave a bit of the applesauce in to help with moisture.
Just as an FYI, I have made these both ways…with rolled oats and with quick oats. I used 3/4 cup quick oats instead of the 1 cup rolled oats and they turned out fantastic! I actually prefer them this way. 🙂
Hi Mel – Can I use quick cooking oats instead of old fashioned oats? Thank you for the recipe and I will make it once I hear from you.
Hi Shashi – the quick cooking oats will absorb more liquid so I can see the muffins being slightly more dense so I would recommend old-fashioned if you can. You might read through the comments, also, because I think a few people might have commented about their experience with quick cooking oats.
My son has an egg allergy. What would you substitute for it? I know applesauce is a good substitute for egg. Should I just increase the applesauce? I don’t make muffins often, so I don’t know what would be best. Thanks!
Hi Katie – I haven’t tried it without the egg but upping the applesauce is a good idea. I’ve also seen an egg substitution that uses flax seed. You might try googling that. My friend’s kids have egg allergies and she uses the flax one all the time.
yay thanks for the recipe! I just pulled them out of the oven and couldn’t wait to taste one. DELISH. I used fresh kind of chunky applesauce. Next time I am going to add a bit of ginger, because i love ginger and am kind of addicted to tweaking recipes, and I tell you this is like having a healthy apple pie!
I just tasted these fresh out of the oven and Oh. My. Yum. I used coconut oil and happened to have some homemade applesauce, which probably helped. This is going to the top of my favorite muffin recipes for sure! So excited to have this recipe!
Here’s a surprising discovery I wanted to share: I baked these muffins this morning with one accidental alteration (I forgot to add the margarine I had melted in my microwave … in lieu of butter or coconut oil), and two intentional changes: buttermilk (instead of milk) and in a jumbo muffin pan. Cooking time was about 45-50 minutes, but the result was sweet and deliciously moist.
These are in my oven now – for the third time since you posted the recipe. My kids seem to think they’re just “okay”, but I love them, so I guess that just means more for me! They make a great breakfast or snack along with a Greek yogurt. This time I’ve decided to try using one less tablespoon of coconut oil, so we’ll see how it turns out. Thanks for the recipe!
Dear Mel:
Thanks so much for this recipe – they are moist, delicious and sweet without a lot of sugar – my husband loves them and he usually doesn’t like anything healthy – might have to make another batch right away – i can tell these will be gone by morning!
Delicious!!!! Made them this morning…..so easy…I ate two as soon as they came out of the oven! They ARE healthy, right, so it’s okay. I definitely should have made another batch! They are so moist and flavorful. This is a winner and is being printed and kept in my ‘Queen of the Kitchen’ Recipe Binder! 🙂 Thanks Mel!!!!
While I knew these would be good (how can you go wrong with oats and applesauce?!), I didn’t expect them to be the “blow your socks off amazing” that they are. After my spouse took his first bite, he declared, “These are amazing! Can you make 100 of them?” I haven’t made 100, but have made three batches to date. I bring lunch to work, I love being able to reach into the freezer each morning to pull out a couple to throw in my lunch bag.
I’ve made double batches of these twice in the last three weeks. They are so yummy and they keep so well. Took them on a road trip last week and they were as delicious on day 3 as they were when they came out of the oven. I’ve been trying to make more nutritious breakfasts, and these totally fit the bill. Thanks!
Made these muffins today. Used quick oats because that’s what I had on hand. Baked 15 min. and they turned out moist and yummy! Soo easy using what you probably have already. Will definitely make again!
Just wanted to thank you for posting this recipe, I have made 2 double batches within the last week. My family and friends love them. Thanks so much. OH and I made both regular and mini sizes with no problems. I bake my mini’s for about 12 min.
LOVED these! Always on the hunt for healthy muffins and these were so yummy, not dry at all! 🙂
hey this recipe looks really cool and especially for a snack for after school ( im a teenager:) ! I might get my mom to make these for me and my four brothers and my sister. Thanks for the recipe:))
These are delightful 🙂 My kids aren’t big muffin eaters, so I don’t usually stray from my “usual”. But since I had some homemade applesauce on hand I decided to give them a shot. I doubled the recipe except for the coconut oil- keeping that at 4 T. Also I made mini muffins because my kids will eat 10x’s more mini muffins than regular. We ate the half the batch immediately, so I had to quickly get some into the freezer as planned. Thank you for the healthier than normal recipes! I love making guilt free treats for my family. Mel, you are a life saver 🙂
Hi Mel! I recently inherited lots of apples from my mom who bought a couple bushels for bottling, so I made some homemade applesauce for these muffins. SO good! I ate one, then ended up giving some away to three of my neighbors before putting them in the freezer for later. Thanks for another great recipe! Oh, and I laughed when I read about “Cam the linebacker.” Haha. I just laughed again while writing this. She is a doll!
I don’t usually make muffins for breakfast because of the normally high sugar content but I served these without feeling like I was sugaring up the kids before school. We loved them, especially my 2yo daughter. I liked the hearty texture but they would be even better with some pecans or chopped apples to make them more interesting. I’m going to try that next time. Thanks for the yummy muffin recipe!
These turned out awesome! I did them in my cake pop maker (they’re for my nearly 2 year old daughter’s breakfast – gotta make them fun!), and they turned out fantastic!
I used more cinnamon, and used coconut oil – super tasty!
I am also in awe of Katie and how she manages to stay so calm and collected when she is hosting my kids. Her muffins are great too! Love your blog!
Mel, these were SO good! In fact, crazy but I made these along with your not so healthy pretzel choc chip muffins & would you believe both me & my kids preferred these healthy ones to the other ones! Now it could have been that I baked these ones to the perfect moistness & I think my pretzel ones got a little over done so not as moist but to me the flavor of these beats out the pretzel ones too! Another funny is that we had lots of pretzel streusel leftover so I sprinkled some of it on these apple muffins & that made them even better! Thank you for such a healthy, easy & yummy muffin recipe!!
I really enjoyed these! Instead of using the butter, I used extra virgin olive oil. It worked well! My husband is excited about a healthy alternative to use for his lunch. Thanks!
These muffins are so delicious!! I substituted oat bran for the flour since my husband is gluten-intolerant. Also added craisins and chopped apples. My kids and husband both loved these muffins. Thank you Mel!
Just made these this morning for breakfast, the whole family greedily gobbled them up! Definitely making it into our breakfast rotation. The changes I made, add some banana in with the wet ingredients and slightly reducing the applesauce to compensate. Next time I will add some crushed pineapple as well 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe!
For Melanie….just saw your post and wanted to tell you…I have had trouble with muffins sticking to the papers in the past too. I found Reynolds Brand muffin cups with pretty paper exteriors that don’t fade when batter bakes in them, but the Best part is the foil lining. They never stick! They are pricier, but to me, totally worth it! Hope this helps!
First let me say thanks for your inspiring recipes and your sense of humor that make your website fun as well as informative! I made a double batch of these with a few modifications: I added 2 heaping tablespoons of ground flax seeds to the batter for the health benefits and used Truvia Baking Blend (for anyone who isn’t familiar, this is a sugar and stevia based natural sweeter blend that is low in calories). My daughter did not want cranberries, so I omitted them from the batter for half of the muffins and added cranberries with chopped walnuts to the other half. I feel the basic recipe lacks flavor without the addition of the dried cranberries, but we do LOVE the muffins with the fruit and nut combo. I am looking forward to trying to make a vegan version as well using Earth Balance in place of the butter and soy or almond milk instead of cow’s milk for a vegan family member (I was out of those items and couldn’t wait to try the recipe! ) 🙂 Thanks for a dense, moist muffin recipe that can be very versatile, depending on what additions we may be in the mood for!
P.P.S. do you have a favorite muffin tin pan? I only have one, and need to buy another because I need to double this recipe next time, and who wants to wash and reuse a tin for the second batch?
Bri – glad you loved these! I just bought new muffin tins, actually. Wilton nonstick. I bought them at Shopko but I think this is a link to show you what they are:
http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Recipe-Nonstick-12-Cup-Regular/dp/B003W0UMPI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380683000&sr=8-2&keywords=wilton+muffin+tin
Inexpensive and so far, I’m loving them.
P.S. your description cracked me up! And it’s nice to be back Mel. I took a long break (pregnancy/newborn…can’t really use that excuse anymore though cause she is 16 months…). I’m coming back strong and have made lots of your recipes lately! Up tonight…curry coconut meatballs! I’ve missed your humor!
I have died and gone to heaven Mel. I thought these would be good, but these are WAY better than expected! Don’t tell, but I’m sitting here eating my THIRD muffin, and I pulled them out of the oven a half hour ago. I will not feel guilty giving these to my kids as snacks. Pretty low flour content, pretty low sugar, and just pure deliciousness! The only thing I did differently was add a granny smith apple to the wet ingredients. I really think that made them even more tasty! There are bites of sweet apples along with the craisins throughout which makes them just over the top. Hopefully there will be some left before my son wakes up from his nap, or he will not be a happy camper. Excuse me while I go and get my fourth…hehehe.
Made these this morning. Shared with a friend. I’ve already received an email from her requesting the recipe. I did substitute brown sugar for the white sugar called for in the recipe. Also, I used toasted pecans in place of the raisins/crasins. I think the response to these has been so good b/c most of us want healthy food that taste great. Thankyou, Mel.
Hi Mel, I didn’t see this asked yet in the comments…do you think I could sub canola oil in for the butter/coconut oil? These are on my make list for today!!! Thanks.
I just pulled these muffins out of the oven. Tasty, moist and delicious!
Just adding another positive review. I was expecting a so-so muffin (being healthy and all, you know :), but they were delightful — light, tasty and yummy. Thanks!
I just made these today with my toddler, and they were delicious! This recipe is a total winner! I just wish I had taken your advice about doubling the batch – I’ll have to make more very soon. Thank you so much!
Mel, Do you know the calorie count per muffin? I made these for my wife and she loves them , but would like to know how many calories per muffin. Thank You for a great recipe.
Hi Frank – so glad your wife loves these muffins! Unfortunately I don’t keep track of the nutritional facts on my recipes but I know there are several free calorie calculators you can use online (you can google to find them). Good luck!
Made this today for an after school snack and they were devoured. Thankfully I heeded your advice and made a double batch. Thanks for another winner recipe!
Thanks for another great recipe Mel! My kiddos and I whipped these up this morning and had them with lunch. They were great! I am definitely making a double batch soon for my freezer.
All I had on hand were quick oats so that is what we used. I used the same amount listed in the recipe and they were perfect. My batter wasn’t too wet looking so I was concerned at first, but they baked up beautifully.
I thought these were good the first day, but they were AWESOME on the second day! I don’t usually find that to be the case with muffins, so I was pleasantly surprised!
Love love love em! I made them this afternoon. The girls (3.5yrs and 7) loved them too. Super moist and so tastey!
Just made these and they were delish! Thanks Mel!
I made these and thought they were ok. We love your recipes but this one wasn’t one of our favs. The muffins stuck to the paper so we were digging them out of the wrappers. I think a strussel on the top might help.
Do you think quick oats would work in this? I just made these yesterday and love them, but the oats are a little chewy at times. I’m thinking quick oats would just give it a little less chunky texture and more even distribution. Do you think I would measure them the same, or do a little less of the quick oats?
Tracey – I think you could definitely play around with using quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats. I’d probably do a little less quick oats – due to their shape, they’ll add more volume to a cup then old-fashioned oats and too much dry ingredients can cause the muffins to be dry. Good luck!
Absolutely loved these muffins, Mel. I made some homemade applesauce with the apples that were dying in my fridge and added extra cinnamon, but otherwise stayed true to the recipe and they were GREAT. Healthy without tasting super healthy, which means my husband ate one too.
They inspired me to comment on your site, which has provided this first-time-stay at home-mom with some seriously wonderful recipes. Yesterday was a “Mel-filled” day here, as I made these muffins and your recipe for sweet mustard chicken. Both were hits!
Thank you so much for posting so many awesome real-food recipes!
Just made these and my kids and I have already gobbled up many of them! Unfortunately it’s almost dinner time, so hopefully they’ll still eat their dinner! 😀 Another win, win from your site! Thanks again, we will definitely be making these over and over again!
Yummy! Just pulled a batch out of the oven . . . my toddler is on his second muffin as I type(: This is now my favorite muffin recipe.
I made these last night, my family ate them for breakfast, and my 5 children & husband got some in their lunches. They are perfect for a not too sweet snack. Also, I showed my very picky 4 year old son your boys’ pictures. Now when he complains about something new I’m making I tell him Mel’s boys love it, they always ask for seconds, it’s their favorite, etc. So far, he’s eaten beef stroganoff, skillet lasagna, chicken and the beef/bean burritos, and about 6 other recipes from your list. Thanks for the great meals!
Oh, by the way, Sarah G asked about using homemade applesauce in the recipe. I used my canned applesauce which had a little sugar and didn’t decrease the sugar in the recipe at all. Thought about it — but decided to follow the recipe. The muffins were not overly sweet — my applesauce has only a little sugar compared to store-bought brands, so that probably helped. Love the comments — makes me feel like I’m listening to friends. Hope others try this muffin.
These muffins are delish! Thanks Mel. Yesterday I was up early — about 4:30 — and checked your site before starting breakfast for out-of-town guests. I had all the ingredients for these muffins and whipped them up as a last-minute addition. They were a great hit — warm from the oven and so yummy! Thanks. I never have to worry about trying your recipes on a whim. You are my go-to gal for everything re: cooking and baking. Thanks again.
Oh, and my guests were leaving right after breakfast, so I bagged the left-overs for their trip. You helped me be a gracious hostess . . . hugs to you.
Leslie
Following up after my comment yesterday…less than 24 hours later the entire batch is GONE! My 8 year-old even brought one in for her teacher today because she thought she’d like it!
One question…have you ever tried making these with honey or something besides sugar? I’m slowly trying to cut out processed foods here and there in our diet. Thank you!
Jessica – I haven’t made these without sugar but I definitely think you could try subbing honey or agave nectar.
Just made these, still hot from the oven when I tasted. Either I’m really hungry and wouldn’t be a discerning palate for anything or these turned out delicious! (Kidding about the undiscerning palate.)
I made a variety…sprinkled brown sugar over the tops on one row, cranberries poked into another row, drizzled honey in another row and plain on the last row. I tried the cranberry row with pure delight and satisfaction.
I had a question of the sweetened applesauce and no sugar that I no longer see in the comments. My answer, found myself, is that I used a semi-sweetened homemade applesauce (knowing how little sugar I used when I canned it) with a sprinkle of added sugar – maybe 2 TBSP and was perfect!
Thanks to Katie for sharing and you, Mel, for the testing and publishing.
Hi Sarah – if you are using sweetened applesauce, you’ll probably just have to experiment with the other sugar amount. Without knowing how much sugar is in the applesauce, it’s hard to say whether or not you would want to include a bit of sugar, too, but it sounds like you were able to make it work. Thanks for including your variations!
I stopped by your blog yesterday in search of a good, healthy breakfast-on-the-go option, and was so excited to see this recipe! I had everything on hand at home and made them last night. However, (total pregnancy brain), I left the melted butter in the microwave and forgot to add to the recipe. The entire 15-20 minutes of bake time I was practically in tears over my misstep (again, pregnancy)… but, miraculously, I have to say – the muffins are delicious! totally moist and flavorful. and, I guess, even healthier because they don’t have any butter!?? (although, in full disclosure, I put dark chocolate chips in 1/3 of them… because it just sounded good. but I promise that even the plain muffins – minus butter – are delish!) thanks again!!
Could I assume -before baking these- that if I use my homemade applesauce, which I add some sweetener to, would be an equivalent to the no-sugar applesauce and sugar content in the recipe?
I’m going to give it a try. I’ll tell you how it tastes.
I am an apron wearer! I started wearing them for practical purposes–I am a seriously messy cook. (God bless my husband who cleans up afterwards.) Now, I like wearing aprons. Somehow I feel both more feminine and more like I’m doing something special here (i.e. I’m being a rockstar) when I put one on. I bought my first apron in the Amana colonies on a first anniversary trip 11 years ago so it high time I replace it and wouldn’t you know…I have a chance to win a really fun one.
haha, this post made me laugh, I can imagine the whole scene! And I’m trying out those muffins!
These are the perfect snack for my nephew’s lunchbox! Keep em coming Mel! There isn’t a single recipe on here that I have not wanted to try!
Can’t wait to try these! Do you think I can make them with chopped apples or must I use applesauce?
marybeth – feel free to add chopped apples but don’t sub them for the applesauce – it will mess with the texture of the batter.
Say more about beef sticks! I want the whole package!
Ok, for all of you who asked about the beef sticks (who knew that would be such a popular topic today?)…here’s the deal…the all-natural ones are hard to come by but I stock up on them everytime I see them and throw them in my freezer. I’ve found some stores that carry them (Woodman’s in my old stomping grounds of Green Bay, WI) and surprisingly I’ve found them on occasion at Walmart. Any time I go into any grocery store, I look for beef sticks without sodium nitrite or nitrate (scary stuff which I avoid at all costs). When I don’t have them, I substitute by rolling up nitrite-free salami and putting that in my kids’ lunches (Hormel has a nitrite-free brand and the Walmart nearest me – several hours – carries it). Here’s an online resource I’ve used a time or two, also: http://www.grasslandbeef.com/Detail.bok?no=845
At first glance, the prices seems high but I’ve found that good quality beef products like this are not hot-dog-cheap (and it’s not an everyday thing for us to eat – once a week or less). Hope that helps a bit!
Rachelle should try using oat flour – blending the oats up first and see if that helps the texture. I do that in my zucchini muffin recipe and its delish. 🙂 gotta try these. I have a similar recipe that has Greek yogurt and buttermilk too. Yum! Love oatmeal!!
I just made these and I think they’re amazing. I did increase the sugar to 1/2 cup and the vanilla came out a wee bit fast, and that’s how I plan to make them next time also.
Just made these and I love them! Thanks for the yummy, easy recipe. Can’t wait to see if my kids like them now too. I’m hoping they can be a PB&J substitute in lunches. 🙂
and they are delicious! my boys love them! they stuck to the muffin papers so will just use the muffin tin next time. And I will double the recipe next time too!
I love your blog, Mel!! This recipe saved my life for snack time after school today! Delicious muffins! Please don’t ever stop cooking & blogging:)
These muffins are amazing!! My 4 year old son loves them!! Thank you so much! Your website is the best! Your recipes are amazing!! Thank you for taking time to post so many wonderful family friendly recipes!!
I made these this afternoon for my 3 boys 🙂 and used 1/2c applesauce and 1/2c pumpkin puree (because I had some in the fridge to use up). I also squeezed about a tbsp of honey in as well since the pumpkin is not as sweet as applesauce. they are baking now and smell delicious, thank you for your wonderful recipes!!
OMG! These were so good. My kids just ate them up. All I can say is thank you for telling me to double the recipe. I was making these for breakfast in the morning and they are almost all gone and daddy has not even gotten home from work yet:)
Thank you for all you do! We love your website. You do make me laugh and when I see something new from you I can’t wait to try it. I was so glad I had all these ingred. on hand and made these today. You have the best recipes.
I made these today and they are delicious! My kids just got home from school and are loving them!! Thanks for all the yummy recipes. I also have 4 boys:)
I’ve got these baking in the oven now and they smell heavenly! Can’t wait for the kids to try them after school and naps!
Hi, I love all your recipes.. but im sorry to say this one is just ok. It just tastes like your eating oatmeal in a muffin form. My kids actually didnt like them very much either.. I was really excited about these since we loved muffins. Oh well like i said just wasnt our favourite.
Hi Rachelle, I’m sorry you didn’t like these. Everyone’s taste buds are different. They are definitely very hearty and healthy tasting…but yummy for us. My friend Katie had a little streusel on the top, a bit of butter, oats and brown sugar. Perhaps a sprinkling of that on top would sweeten them up a bit. I make them without the streusel but they were tasty with as well.
Sounds like we all could use a friend like Katie!! These would be perfect for the mornings that we are running out the door!
It is cold here this morning so I thought I would attempt to bake something to warm up our house and logged on to your site to look through your muffin recipes. So excited to see muffins first thing! 🙂 Do you know about how long I would bake these if I used a mini muffin tin??
Oh, and my husband helped with dinner last night and attempted your french bread recipe. He was thrilled that he made it all on his own and it turned out wonderful! Thanks for your awesome site!!
Shauna – I think if you checked the mini muffins after 7-8 muffins, that should work (sooner if your oven bakes hot). Good luck!
We love muffins around here. Its our Sunday morning tradition, turned occasional treat now that I’m the Primary President and ward council has turned into a weekly endevour. These sound good for lunches, but I had to comment to say that sandwiches freeze great too. With 6 children, I am always looking for ways to ease our busy school mornings. We make 4-6 loaves of sandwiches at a time and freeze them. I wrap them in sandwich bags and then put 8 sandwiches in a labeled freezer bag. PB&J, PB&Honey, Tuna, Ham … they all freeze and thaw beautifully.
LOVE applesauce in baked goods!! Will definitely be trying these 🙂
You read my mind sister. I have two gigando boxes of apples picked fresh. I am from Las Vegas living in Iowa. My first fall figuring all this out. Can’t wait to try this! Thanks
bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com
Thanks for all the great recipes. I have been making dinner from your recipes for the last 8 days and am so grateful to have some variety for my family! We had smothered pork chops last night and tonight is greek tacos!
I will absolutely be making these!!! I love your recipes so much. I made the confetti chicken with cheddar biscuit topping last night for supper and everyone had seconds. Also, on the weekend I used up the last of your refrigerator bran muffins and had some zucchini that I had to use up, so I threw that in the muffin mix with some cinnamon. Well, they took the already delicious bran muffins to a new level!!! Thanks again
Yummy! Making these soon!
I want to second the last comment. Your blog is seriously amazing and I love everything you make! I think I pin every last recipe of yours! Keep up the good work 🙂
Mel, just a clarification, in your recipe you are talking about 1 cup cooked oatmeal? Not 1 cup of simple uncooked rolled oats?
Hi Ellen, I can see how that is confusing since it says oatmeal instead of oats but actually I’m talking about one cup uncooked oats.
These look so fun! I’ll have to make a batch…. quick question… my 8 year old son would love it if I packed a beef stick in his lunch, but don’t know where to begin looking for the “all natural” variety you’re speaking of… where can I find some of those? Do you have a favorite brand?
I could use some more healthy foods in my diet. I’m pretty sure I could get my whole family to eat these too. We’re a bunch of applesauce fans around here. Looking forward to trying.
LOL! I thought I was the only person on the face of the earth that “sucked the air out” of a ziplock back when it was headed for the freezer! ……and I’ve certainly never told anyone that I do that! Can’t wait to make the muffins for breakfast.
I think I have everything to make these. I won’t tell anyone that they are healthy though! 🙂
I love everything you make, seriously I love that you are cooking and baking with ingredients that I love and that you make things that are healthier and tasty at the same time. Thanks for all you!
Mel, starting off the day with you is so much fun and brings laughter on first thing in the morning! I sincerely hope Brian realizes how blessed he is to have you. Thank you so much for passing on these healthier muffin recipe. You truly are the best!!
We often make your baked oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce. These muffins remind me of that recipe. I have all the ingredients, so I’ll be making these muffins today!
Can’t wait to make these! BTW, where do you purchase your beef sticks? My kiddos would love them!
You crack me up, Mel! These sound amazing. The fact that they are healthy is a nice bonus! Yeah for Katie!