Easy Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins (Fluffy & Soft!)

These cinnamon applesauce muffins are wonderfully fluffy and incredibly soft. Made with comforting cinnamon applesauce and warm spice, then finished with a delightful buttery cinnamon sugar topping, these muffins always disappear fast.

I think you’ll find these muffins are just perfect for a cozy weekend morning or an afternoon snack. They are so simple to whip up too, making them a practical choice for any baker. Imagine biting into one warm, the soft crumb giving way to that sweet, spiced topping.

What You’ll Need to Bake These Muffins

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to creating these amazing muffins. This recipe is designed to be simple, and you can easily mix everything in just one bowl. You don’t necessarily need a stand mixer or hand mixer for this recipe, a whisk and a spatula will work just fine to bring the batter together.

• Sugars: We use a mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar here. The light brown sugar adds a touch of moisture and a subtle molasses flavor. If you happen to prefer a darker, richer molasses taste, you could certainly try using dark brown sugar instead.
• Oil: Canola or vegetable oil works well in this recipe. Using oil helps make these muffins incredibly tender and moist.
• Eggs: Just one large egg helps bind everything together and contributes to the muffins’ structure and richness.
• Cinnamon Applesauce: This is the star ingredient that brings so much flavor and moisture. Make sure you are using a cinnamon-flavored variety for that extra spice punch.
• Sour Cream: For the best results in baking, it’s usually recommended to use full fat, real sour cream. It adds richness and a slight tang that complements the sweetness.
• Milk: I like using whole milk, but any milk you have on hand should work just fine. It helps achieve the right consistency for the batter.
• Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla always enhances the warm flavors in baked goods.
• Dry Ingredients: All purpose flour, baking powder, and salt are the standard dry components that give the muffins their lift and structure. Make sure your baking powder is fresh.
• Ground Cinnamon: We add extra ground cinnamon right into the batter to make sure that warm spice flavor really shines through.

And let’s not forget that absolutely necessary cinnamon and sugar topping. It’s a simple mix of melted butter, granulated sugar, and more ground cinnamon. While it might seem like a lot of sugar for the topping, that sweet, slightly crunchy finish on top of the soft, slightly sweet applesauce muffin creates a perfect balance. Trust me on this one.

Bringing These Muffins Together

Making these muffins is a straightforward process. You’ll start by getting your oven ready and preparing your muffin pan. Lining the pan with cupcake liners is an option, and you can lightly coat them with cooking spray. Alternatively, you can skip the liners entirely and just spray the pan cups very well with cooking spray. Both methods work perfectly and give lovely results for the muffins.

In a large mixing bowl, you’ll combine the sugars, oil, and egg. Whisk these together until the mixture starts to look thick and has a darker color. Next, you’ll add in the wet ingredients that bring all the moisture and flavor: the applesauce, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Give everything another stir with your whisk until these wet ingredients are fully incorporated.

Now it’s time for the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Switch over to a wooden spoon or a spatula at this point. Gently stir the ingredients together just until they are combined. It’s really important not to overmix the batter. Stop stirring as soon as you don’t see any dry streaks of flour anymore. Overmixing can result in tough muffins.

Once the batter is ready, you’ll divide it among the prepared muffin cups. Using a scoop can make this part really easy and helps ensure your muffins will have evenly rounded tops. Fill each cup almost completely full, around three quarters of the way is usually good, but a little bit more is also fine.

Place the pan into your preheated oven and bake them until the tops look puffy and rounded. After baking, let the muffins cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. They should be cool enough to comfortably handle after this time. While they are cooling slightly, you can get the topping ready. Melt your butter in one small bowl and in a separate bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for the dry topping mix.

Once a muffin is cool enough to pick up without burning your fingers, you’ll dip the top surface into the melted butter. Immediately after the butter dip, you’ll dip the buttery top into the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Gently rolling the top part of the muffin around in the sugar mix helps make sure the sides of the muffin top get coated too. Place the finished muffins on a cooling rack to cool completely. You can enjoy one warm right away, of course. Any leftover muffins should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

My Baking Insights and Advice

Over the years of baking, I’ve picked up a few things that can help make these muffins turn out perfectly every time.

You might be wondering if you can freeze these muffins. Yes, I do think you can freeze them. I haven’t personally frozen this specific batch, but I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t freeze beautifully. Just make sure they are completely cooled before wrapping them tightly and placing them in the freezer.

For getting the batter into the muffin cups easily, and to help produce muffins with nice even, round tops, using a large cookie scoop is a game changer. It makes portioning the batter so much simpler and cleaner.

Sometimes when you look at the ingredient list, it might seem like a lot of cinnamon is going into these muffins, both in the batter and the topping. But honestly, the cinnamon flavor isn’t overwhelming at all. They are cinnamon spiced muffins that are wonderfully soft and just slightly sweet, making them absolutely perfect for all your Fall baking needs.

You have a choice when it comes to preparing your muffin pan. You can use cupcake or muffin liners in the pan, or you can simply spray the pan cups really well with cooking spray. Either way works just fine and gives good results. I have actually done it both ways myself. I have to admit that I actually prefer not using the cupcake or muffin liners sometimes because I am not a big fan of the slightly crinkled edges it leaves on the muffin when you peel off the wrapper to eat it. I personally prefer the clean look of the muffin baked directly in the pan without the liners. But truly, it is totally up to your personal preference and what look you like best.

Frequently Asked Questions About These Muffins

These questions come up often when discussing these delicious muffins.

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