These classic applesauce muffins have a soft, moist crumb, light apple flavor, and warm cinnamon. The batter is mixed by hand, and a two-temperature baking method helps the muffins rise tall, while cinnamon sugar gives the tops a lightly crisp finish once cooled.
Diana’s Notes For Tall Muffin Tops
First, bake the muffins for exactly five minutes at 425°F (220°C). This hot start encourages an early rise, allowing the muffins to rise taller than if you’d started them at a lower temp.
After 5 minutes, turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C) and keep baking. Don’t open the oven door, and don’t wait for the temperature to fall before you continue timing. Just lower the setting and let the oven adjust naturally.
How full you fill the pan matters too. I use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to portion the batter and fill each muffin cup to about ¼ inch below the rim. That gives the batter enough volume to rise over the liners instead of staying flat. Ovens vary, so every muffin may not look exactly like mine, but you should see rounded domes over the tops of the liners.
Applesauce Cinnamon Muffin Ingredients
- Unsweetened Applesauce: I use a full cup of plain, unsweetened applesauce. It adds moisture as well as light apple flavor, although the apple flavor is gentler than it would be in muffins made with apple chunks. Sweetened or flavored applesauce will change the flavor of the recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness and supports a soft crumb.
- Canola, Vegetable, or Avocado Oil: Any of these neutral-flavored oils work well in the recipe.
- Whole Milk: I tested this recipe with whole milk and unsweetened almond milk, and both worked fine. I suspect that you can use whatever type of milk you have in your fridge, but I haven’t tested all variations.
- Ground Cinnamon: This is the only spice needed to make these tasty muffins. Adding other spices is an option, but would turn the muffins into more of a “spice muffin”, rather than an apple cinnamon muffin.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Cinnamon sugar can be purchased already made, or you can simply mix 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. We’ll add just a little bit of this to each muffin before baking to create a lightly crisp top.
If you want chunks of fresh apple in your muffins, try my apple oat muffins with Granny Smith apples, crumb topping, and maple glaze.
How to Make Applesauce Muffins
(The full recipe, including photos and ingredient amounts, is in the recipe card below)
The batter for these muffins comes together using just two bowls, a whisk, and a spatula.
- Start by whisking the dry ingredients together in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and fold gently until the batter comes together, but avoid overmixing or the muffins will get tough.
- Add the batter to paper liners in a muffin pan, filling each cup to about ¼ inch below the rim. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake at a high temperature (425°F) for 5 minutes, then turn down the oven and continue baking until the muffins are done.
How to Tell when the Centers are Baked
After 12-15 minutes at the lower temperature, your muffins will look golden brown because of the cinnamon sugar tops, but color alone is not enough to judge doneness. To test doneness, insert a toothpick into the middle of one of the center muffins.
Clean or with a few moist crumbs, the muffins are done. Wet batter means they need more time.
Storing, Freezing, and Warming the Muffins
For storage, keep the muffins at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Frozen muffins should thaw at room temperature before warming.
I usually warm one muffin in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
What happens to the cinnamon sugar topping after storage
The cinnamon sugar is lightly crisp once the muffins have cooled. After the muffins are covered, moisture softens the sugar, and the topping can become slightly syrupy. This texture change is expected.
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Applesauce Muffins
Equipment
- 12 paper muffin liners or nonstick cooking spray
- Rubber Spatula
- ⅓ cup measuring cup
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt
- 1 cup (250 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) canola oil or vegetable oil, or avocado oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), or 200°C for a fan oven. Line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners or lightly coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, light brown sugar, oil, milk, eggs, and pure vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the applesauce mixture into the flour mixture. Fold gently until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups using a ⅓-cup measuring cup, filling each to ¼-inch below the top of the liner. Sprinkle each muffin with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C), or 200°C for a fan oven.
- Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C for a fan oven. Continue baking for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.
Notes:
- If you aren’t using paper liners, spray the pan lightly with cooking spray. Paper liners don’t need to be sprayed.
- Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling the top. Scooping the flour directly from the container can add too much and make the muffins dry.
- Mix the batter only until the flour is incorporated. A few small lumps are fine.
- Do not open the oven door when reducing the temperature. The initial high temperature helps the muffins develop tall, rounded tops.
- Use plain, unsweetened applesauce rather than sweetened or flavored applesauce.
- Cinnamon sugar can be purchased or made by combining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze the muffins in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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