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.
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!