Applesauce Muffins! Fluffy, tender oatmeal muffins made with cinnamon, applesauce, and a touch of honey, these pleasantly plump, healthy muffins contain no butter and no sugar. Best (and most importantly) of all, they are scrumptious!

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These wholesome muffins are simple, cozy, and homey in the best possible way.
The warm touch of cinnamon and the toasty bits of oatmeal make me think of spontaneous hugs and baking something fun just because.
And while I have a few different oatmeal muffin options—Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, Healthy Oatmeal Muffins (and even more non-oatmeal muffin options like Healthy Banana Muffins, Healthy Zucchini Muffins, and all of these healthy muffin recipes)—I did not have a recipe to suit what I was most craving: a batch of good, old-fashioned applesauce muffins.
This is the ideal healthy muffin for kids, toddlers, and adults alike.
The familiar flavors of cinnamon and applesauce appeal to all, they are perfect for breakfasts on the go, and the healthy ingredient lineup means you’ll feel great eating them too.
THESE ARE THE BEST APPLESAUCE MUFFINS YOU WILL EVER BAKE. I pinky promise!

5 Star Review
“THE MUFFINS ARE SO GOOD! They are definitely moist, which I love.”
— Meesh —
How to Make Healthy Applesauce Muffins
While these aren’t one bowl applesauce muffins, the prep is incredibly simple, quick, and you don’t need a mixer.
With warm, cozy spices and a tender crumb, these muffins are a heart-warming embrace wrapped into a tiny package.
The Ingredients
- Flour. These muffins are 100% whole grain, meaning they are rich in fiber and other nutrients to keep you fuller for longer. I promise they don’t taste like it! Enjoy the healthy breakfast boost, and help yourself to another.
- Applesauce. You can use applesauce in muffins (either store-bought or homemade versions like Crockpot Applesauce or Instant Pot Applesauce) to make them moist. It’s an excellent replacement for a portion of the oil in many healthy baking recipes like this one. Here, applesauce also becomes part of the muffins’ flavor.
- Eggs. To create the perfect muffin texture.
- Honey. I wanted to see if I could make applesauce muffins no sugar by using honey as a natural sweetener. While honey is still a form of sugar, it’s more natural, and I simply adore the way its homey taste pairs with the oatmeal.
- Oats. Heart-healthy rolled oats are high in fiber, give the muffins a delicious texture, and make them more filling (just like in these Oatmeal Pancakes).
- Coconut Oil. Since these are applesauce muffins no butter, we need a little oil to create perfectly moist, flavorful muffins.
- Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice. I knew I wanted to make cinnamon applesauce muffins. For extra flavor, I added cinnamon’s BFFs nutmeg and allspice. These two small touches make the muffins truly special.
- Coarse Sugar. For a dreamy, lightly crunchy sweet muffin topping.
The Directions
- Mix the wet ingredients together in one bowl, and whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine, adding in the oats.
- Pour the batter into the wells of a muffin pan. Sprinkle sugar over the top of each muffin, then bake the applesauce muffins for 18 to 22 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let cool on a wire rack, then DIG IN!

Storage Tips
- To Store. Place muffins in a single layer in an airtight storage container lined with paper towels. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze. Freeze muffins in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy as desired.
Meal Prep Tip
Wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap, and store them in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. They’re perfect for grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks!
See my guide on How to Store Muffins for additional tips and tricks.

What to Serve with Applesauce Muffins

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Muffin Pan. Perfect for making these applesauce muffins.
- Measuring Cups. These are great because they wash well and don’t bend when scooping a particularly hefty cup of oatmeal.
- Measuring Spoons. These stay organized in my drawer. Also, two sides mean fewer dishes to wash.
I hope you’ll give these delicious muffins a try! They’re a valued member of my healthy muffin family.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make applesauce muffins gluten-free, swap the white whole wheat flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour like this one. Make sure your oats are certified gluten free.
I don’t recommend trying to swap coconut flour or almond flour in this recipe. If you want to use one of these flours, try my Coconut Flour Muffins or Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins instead.
While we enjoy these muffins without any mix-ins, I think chopped walnuts (a favorite in this Apple Bread) or pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, or blueberries would be delicious.
If you need these muffins to be vegan, try using flax eggs instead of regular eggs and swap the honey for maple syrup.
Applesauce Muffins
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce store-bought or homemade Crockpot Applesauce
- ⅔ cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted & cooled
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- Up to 1/2 cup optional mix-ins: chopped walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries, etc. (I kept it simple and left them out, but feel free to add if you like)
- 1 ½ tablespoons coarse sugar such as raw (turbinado) sugar or sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 10 wells in a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, honey, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. The batter will be a little lumpy. Gently stir in the rolled oats and any other desired mix-ins.
- Divide evenly among the muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the muffin tin on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then gently remove the muffins from the pan (run a butter knife around the edges if the muffins are sticking) and let them cool completely on the wire rack.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Place muffins in a single layer in an airtight storage container lined with paper towels. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- TO FREEZE: Wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap, and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- See my guide on How to Store Muffins for additional tips and tricks.
Nutrition
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I made this recipe this morning for my family; it was so delicious! They could not believe it did not contain any butter or refined sugar. Thanks so much for this recipe; I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Hi Layla! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I really want to try thsese but I have a coconut sensitivity. Can these be made with another oil?
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried it myself but you could possibly try olive oil or vegetable oil. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
I just made these this morning and they are delicious! I didn’t use coconut oil but used olive oil & they are light and very tasty! I hope that Stephanie will try this with olive oil, as they were wonderful!!!
Thank you for this recipe, as it was very quick to make and my husband said they are very good! I followed the exact recipe, so will be making these again!
Hi Joyce! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback about the oil!
I made these muffins this week and they are delicious. I love baking with all the warming spices in the autumn. I added walnuts and it was perfect!
Woo hoo!
i do not have white whole wheat flour, do i use straight whole wheat?
Hi Alison, I haven’t tested it myself but other readers have used whole wheat flour with success. Also you can use all-purpose flour. Let us know how it goes if you decide to experiment!
Hi Erin! Can I use whey protein instead of any ingredient?
Hi Olenka, I’ve only tested the recipe as written so it would be hard for me to say for sure. If you decide to experiment with it, let me know how it goes! Hope you enjoy it!
I would make this recipe again
Thank you Jenny!