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.
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!