Can I use a different type of flour?

Yes, absolutely. While the recipe calls for whole wheat flour, you can substitute it with all purpose flour or white whole wheat flour. A blend of half whole wheat and half all purpose flour works too. The texture might change slightly depending on the flour you use.

What if I do not have unsweetened applesauce?

You can use sweetened applesauce instead. If you do, I recommend slightly reducing the amount of maple syrup called for in the recipe, perhaps by a few tablespoons, to prevent the muffins from becoming too sweet.

Can I leave out the oats?

Yes, you can omit the oats if you prefer. If you leave them out, I suggest adding about 3 extra tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients. This helps absorb some of the liquid that the oats would have soaked up.

Why do you start baking at a high temperature?

Starting at a high temperature, like 425°F, gives the muffins a quick burst of heat. This rapid heat helps the tops of the muffins rise quickly and create those nice, tall domes. Reducing the temperature then allows the inside to bake through evenly without the tops getting too dark or burning. It is a great trick for tall muffins.

How should I store these muffins?

These muffins stay fresh when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. For longer storage, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week. Make sure they are completely cooled before storing.

Can I freeze applesauce muffins?

Yes, they freeze beautifully. Once they are completely cool, place them in a single layer in a freezer safe bag or container. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or warm them gently in the microwave if you like.

Is it important to use room temperature ingredients?

Using room temperature ingredients, especially the eggs, applesauce, and milk, really does make a difference. Cold ingredients can cause melted fats like coconut oil to solidify unevenly in the batter, leading to a less consistent texture in the baked muffins. Letting everything sit out for about 30 minutes beforehand is ideal.

Easy & Healthy Applesauce Muffins (Incredibly Moist!)

Description

These Applesauce Muffins are incredibly moist and packed with cozy flavor, made simple with wholesome ingredients you likely have on hand! They are wonderfully soft and truly irresistible!

Ingredients

2 cups (260 grams) whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
⅔ cup (60 grams) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 and ⅓ cups (320 grams) unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
⅓ cup (75 grams) coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil or melted butter works too)
⅓ cup (80 ml) pure maple syrup, at room temperature
⅓ cup (80 ml) milk (dairy or nondairy is fine), at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (120 grams) raisins
optional 3 Tablespoons oats and/or 1 Tablespoon coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Prepare a standard 12-count muffin pan. You can spray it with nonstick cooking spray or use cupcake liners. If using paper liners, give them a quick spray too, these muffins can stick when warm.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until they are well combined. Set this bowl aside.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the applesauce, eggs, melted oil, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract until everything is fully combined and smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients from the medium bowl into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently just a few times. Then, add the raisins to the batter.
Carefully fold everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Make sure there are no dry pockets of flour left.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Fill each liner all the way up to the top for nice, tall muffins. If you like, sprinkle the tops with a little extra oats and coarse sugar now.
Place the muffin pan in the preheated 425°F oven and bake for exactly 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, and without opening the oven door or removing the muffins, reduce the oven temperature down to 350°F (177°C). Continue baking for another 16-17 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. The total time in the oven should be about 21-22 minutes. (Note for mini muffins bake them at 350°F (177°C) for the entire 11-13 minutes.)
Let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for about 5 minutes before attempting to remove them. Then carefully transfer the warm muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling completely, or enjoy them warm straight away.

Notes

Storing Leftovers: Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage transfer them to the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezing for Later: For keeping them even longer you can freeze the cooled muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator when you’re ready for one. You can warm them up in the microwave if you like.
Using Different Oats: This recipe calls for old-fashioned whole rolled oats. You can substitute the same amount of quick oats if that’s what you have. You can also leave out the oats entirely if you prefer a different texture. If you omit the oats, I recommend adding a little extra flour to the dry ingredients. About 3 Tablespoons or roughly 25 grams should help absorb some of the liquid.
Applesauce Type: It works best to use unsweetened applesauce here. If you use sweetened applesauce, consider slightly reducing the amount of maple syrup down to 1/4 cup (60 ml) to avoid them being too sweet. Any consistency of applesauce works fine thick thin smooth or chunky it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the final muffin texture. If your applesauce already contains cinnamon you might want to slightly decrease the cinnamon called for in the recipe if you prefer less cinnamon flavor.
Maple Syrup Alternative: You can use honey instead of maple syrup in this recipe. Just be aware that using honey will give the muffins a slightly different flavor profile.
Adding Mix-Ins: These muffins are delicious as is but they are fantastic with extra goodies stirred in. Besides raisins you could add about 3/4 cup (roughly 115 grams) of dried cranberries. A cup (about 120 grams) of chopped walnuts or pecans is a great addition. You can stir in 1 and 1/2 cups (about 170 grams) of peeled and finely chopped apples about 2 medium apples such as Granny Smith Honeycrisp Gala or Pink Lady work well. Chocolate chip lovers can add about 3/4 cup (roughly 140 grams) of chocolate chips.
Why the High Start Temperature: Starting the bake at a high temperature 425°F creates a sudden burst of hot air that helps the tops of the muffins rise quickly and beautifully. Then the lower temperature 350°F allows the inside of the muffins to finish baking through evenly without the tops burning. This two-temperature method helps ensure your muffins are wonderfully tall.
Room Temperature Ingredients Matter: It really is best to use ingredients that are at room temperature especially the eggs applesauce milk and any melted fat like coconut oil. Cold ingredients can cause the melted coconut oil to solidify upon mixing. This can result in small greasy or oily pockets within the finished muffins rather than a smooth even texture.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 181
Sugar: 9g
Sodium: N/A
Fat: 7.2g
Carbohydrates: 27g
Fiber: 3.3g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: N/A