Easy Applesauce Muffins (Incredibly Moist Recipe)

These Sour Cream Applesauce Muffins are incredibly soft, wonderfully moist, and absolutely bursting with comforting spice and genuine applesauce flavor. I love how simple they are to whip up, resulting in perfectly sized, bakery-style treats that feel just right for a cozy breakfast or a sweet snack any time of year. They’re a true hug in a muffin cup.

Simple and Speedy Applesauce Muffins

This recipe truly is a breeze to make. It comes together in roughly 10 minutes, which is fantastic for busy mornings or spontaneous baking sessions. The ingredients are straightforward staples you likely already have on hand, making it super convenient.

I appreciate how fuss-free these muffins are. You don’t need fresh apples for this recipe, which means no peeling, coring, or chopping. Using applesauce simplifies things immensely. Applesauce is not only usually more budget-friendly, but it also has a much longer shelf life and is a common pantry item in most homes. It just makes baking these muffins so accessible.

Developing This Applesauce Muffin Recipe

I actually started developing this recipe based on a favorite classic applesauce muffin I used to make.

To enhance the richness, I incorporated a half cup of full-fat sour cream. This addition required slightly increasing the flour amount to balance the extra moisture and fat. I also gently adjusted the leavening ingredients (baking soda and baking powder).

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure of the precise science, but for some reason, using the exact same amount of baking soda as my previous recipe just didn’t work well here. It seemed like too much, even though this version has the same amount of applesauce and even more flour. Baking really can be a bit mysterious sometimes, can’t it?

I slightly increased the sugar too, just a small amount to account for the slightly larger volume of batter created by the added ingredients. Everything else remained pretty consistent with my original favorite.

This recipe uses a blend of both white granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Applesauce muffins made with brown sugar are undeniably delicious. The bit of molasses in the brown sugar adds a wonderful depth of flavor that complements the warming spices beautifully.

Speaking of spices, these muffins get their cozy aroma and taste from a generous amount of ground cinnamon and a touch of ground nutmeg. It’s just enough spice to make these muffins smell and taste absolutely incredible while they bake and cool. Plus, adding spice feels almost mandatory when baking anything with apple flavor. They simply belong together.

Moisture From Sour Cream and Oil

You definitely don’t need to worry about these muffins turning out dry. Muffins that combine sour cream, applesauce, and oil are practically guaranteed to be wonderfully moist and tender.

The sour cream contributes richness and a lovely tanginess that enhances the overall flavor. The vegetable oil is fantastic for adding moisture and creating a soft texture and tender crumb that melts in your mouth.

This recipe keeps things simple and easy because it comes together beautifully in just one bowl. Fewer dishes to wash is always a win in my book!

Here’s a helpful hint: make sure you measure your flour accurately. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup gently and then level off the excess with a straight edge. This simple step is crucial for ensuring your muffins turn out moist and light, rather than dense and heavy.

How to Make Sour Cream Applesauce Muffins

Creating these soft, spiced applesauce muffins is quite simple. Here is the process I follow to get perfect results every time.

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Prepare a standard 12-cup muffin tin by lining each cup with paper liners. Set the prepared pan aside for now.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. This includes the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Whisk them together gently to ensure they are well mixed.
3. Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Pour in the full-fat sour cream and mix everything thoroughly until you have a smooth batter.
4. Add the large eggs one at a time, beating each one in until fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the pure vanilla extract after the eggs. Continue mixing until all these ingredients are well combined.
5. Now, pour in the unsweetened applesauce and the vegetable oil. Stir these in until they are just combined with the rest of the batter.
6. Finally, add the all-purpose flour to the bowl. Mix very gently until the flour is just incorporated into the batter. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as overmixing can result in tough muffins. A few small streaks of flour are okay.
7. Using a scoop or spoons, distribute the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Fill each cup nearly to the top to get those lovely bakery-style domes.
8. Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 24 to 25 minutes. You can tell the muffins are done when the centers are fully baked through. Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, they are ready.
9. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for about 5 minutes after removing them from the oven. This helps them set properly. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.

FAQ About Sour Cream Applesauce Muffins

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