These happy little Applesauce Muffins are packed apple-cinnamon flavor, whole grains, and vitamins. And all without excess added sugars! They’re a perfect healthy snack or breakfast for kids to make ahead and serve throughout the week.
Applesauce Muffins
Applesauce is a staple in our house and I try to keep it on hand for both eating as a snack or as a simple side—and for turning it into easy baked goods like these muffins. This recipe stirs together in one bowl just a few minutes and the mini muffins pack balanced nutrition into each bite. Plus, they are just so yummy!
We love to have these for breakfast or a snack—and I love even more to make a batch on the weekend and dole them out throughout the week.
This is the muffin recipe I make when I don’t have any fresh fruit or veggies in the house. Pantry staples to the rescue!
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
I did my best to keep the ingredient list for these healthy muffins streamlined so that you wouldn’t need to go off in pursuit of any hard-to-find ingredients. You’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.
- Applesauce: I prefer to use unsweetened applesauce in this recipe so I can control the sweetness levels, but any kind will work. You can use homemade or store bought applesauce.
- Butter: I bake with unsalted butter, so that’s what I use here. You can use salted butter, though, if that’s what you have on hand.
- Egg: Adding egg to the batter ensures that it bakes through nicely with a tender crumb.
- Milk: I usually make these muffins with whole dairy milk, but you can use a nondairy milk if you prefer or as needed.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla extract ensures that these muffins are nicely flavored.
- Whole wheat flour: This flour has fiber and whole grains and works well with the moisture level of the applesauce.
- Oats: I like to add old-fashioned rolled oats to my Applesauce Muffins to add complex carbohydrates and fiber.
- Sugar: A very small amount of sugar ensures that the muffins have a great texture and taste sweet enough.
- Baking powder: Baking powder ensures that the muffins rise and bake through evenly. Be sure that yours is fresh.
- Cinnamon: Apple and cinnamon are a perfect flavor pair, so I use ground cinnamon here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making these muffins. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the full information, including the amounts and the timing.
- Preheat the oven and grease a mini muffin tin. I use nonstick canola spray, but any spray meant for baking will work. Gently stir all ingredients together.
- Fill each muffin cup.
- Bake until lightly browned around the edges and cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
TIP: You can serve them warm, or let them cool and save them to enjoy later in the day—or even in a few months if you store them in the freezer. (See the note at the end of the recipe for details.)
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to use unsweetened applesauce that’s smooth or almost smooth. Chunky applesauce is okay as long as you know that you might wind up with piece of applesauce chunks in the final muffins! Just use one that you like the taste of to ensure that there’s good flavor in the muffins.
You can use store-bought or homemade—both work fine. Sometimes the color of the muffins can be lighter or darker according to the color of the applesauce.
To make these muffins without dairy, use an unsweetened plain nondairy milk. Use a neutral oil, such as canola oil or avocado oil, instead of the butter.
To make these muffins without eggs, omit the 1 egg that’s called for and stir together 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 2 tablespoons water. Let the u0022flax eggu0022 sit for a few minutes before adding it to the batter.
When the muffins come out of the oven, let them cool completely inside the pan (so don’t transfer them to a rack—this batter is a little moister and likes the extra heat!).
You can make Applesauce Muffins without added sugar for a baby or younger toddler by omitting the sugar. The resulting muffins will be less sweet. You could also omit the sugar and add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup.
You can top with a little butter, nut butter, applesauce, apple butter, or honey if desired.
How to Store
You can bake these muffins and store them for about 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. You can serve them either at room temperature or warmed slightly. Or cold! It just depends on what your kids prefer.
You can freeze fully cooled muffins and store in zip top bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
Best Tips for Success
- Try not to over-mix the batter, which could make the muffins denser than they should be. Stir gently and stop when the ingredients are mixed together.
- Use an applesauce that tastes good to you when eaten by the spoonful. The applesauce provides flavor and sweetness.
- Be sure to grease the bottom and the sides of the muffin cups to ensure that the muffins come out of the pan easily.
- You’ll know they’re done when the edges are lightly golden brown, a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly, and the tops are firm.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold, according to what your kids prefer.
- You can top with a little butter, nut butter, applesauce, apple butter, or honey if desired.
Related Recipes
I’d love to know how your family likes these muffins, so please comment below.
Favorite Applesauce Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled (or neutral oil like canola)
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- ½ cup milk (dairy or unsweetened plain nondairy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup rolled oats (or ¼ cup all-purpose flour)
- ¼ cup sugar (or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a mini muffin tin well.
- Stir together the applesauce, butter, milk, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
- Add the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and gently fold together.
- Fill prepared muffin tin to the edge of each cup. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- (You can also bake in a 12-cup standard muffin pan with about ¼ cup batter in each cup for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.)
- Remove from oven, let cool for about 2 minutes in the pan, run a paring knife around the edges if needed, and remove to cool on a wire rack. (Or sort of just tilt in the pan to allow air under the muffins.)
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- To store, let cool fully and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Egg-free: Stir together 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 2 tablespoons water. Let the “flax egg” sit for a few minutes before adding it to the batter. When the muffins come out of the oven, let them cool inside the pan (so don’t transfer them to a rack—this batter is a little moister and likes the extra heat!).
- Gluten-free: Use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour like this one.
- Dairy-free: Use canola oil instead of the butter and a plain, unsweetened nondairy milk.
- Be sure to grease the bottom and the sides of the muffin cups to ensure that the muffins come out of the pan easily.
- You’ll know they’re done when the edges are lightly golden brown, a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly, and the tops are firm.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold, according to what your kids prefer.
- Pair with fruit and or milk or a smoothie for a simple meal or snack.
Nutrition
This post was first published September 2017.
Can I use oat flour or regular flour instead of whole wheat?
I would use all purpose flour and add 2 extra tbsp.
Super easy and very yummy!
Super easy and very yummy!
Silly question – Do you think I can use honey in substitute for the maple syrup or sugar? 🙂
Sure!
Another solid recipe, toddler enjoyed helping and tasting! I was out of milk so I subbed cottage cheese that I blended with water – worked well. Didn’t have applesauce on hand but I was able to steam & blend 3 apples w splash of water for a substitute. Lastly, I had toddler garnish muffins w cinnamon chips I had in the pantry before baking – good addition but not required. Will bake again!
My daughter & I made these this morning! She’s 2.5, this girl ate 4.5 muffins! Toddler win! I used a heaping 1/4c of ground oats instead of rolled oats & added chocolate chips to some. I also thought they were yummy! I love that it’s an easy recipe for her to help with too!
So yummy! I did a combo of warm spices instead of only cinnamon because we like them, and I also followed another commenter’s note of soaking the oats in the milk 30ish minutes prior to mixing the rest of the batter. Soaking the oats helped give them less “bite” in the muffins which my family prefers. Definitely will make again.
Is the nutrition and info for 2 regular size muffins? Or 2 mini muffins?
Minis or one standard size muffin
These are delicious. Super moist and subtly sweet. Some muffins feel like you’re eating cake and these don’t, in a good way!
Subbed AP flour because that’s all I had, and I added 1/3 cup of chopped pecans. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
These came out excellent. I made 12 mini’s and 5 regular sized muffins. The only variations I made were to soak the oats in the milk for 30 minutes prior to mixing and I used maple syrup. Really great simple recipe and easy for my 4 year old to help with. They came out moist and balanced level of sweetness.
I forgot to add 5 stars!
So easy and quick – everyone from my toddler to his grandmother loved them! Perfect flavors for the fall.
Thank you so much! I make these for my toddler as a weekly staple, with some slight adjustments (haven’t tried the original unfortunately):
1) instead of 1 cup apple sauce I used 2x ~3.2oz pouches, sometimes apple cinnamon, sometimes fruit/veggie blends or both
2) In place of sweetener, I use ~1oz plum puree (squeeze from a pouch) + 1 mashed banana
3) 2 eggs instead of 1
4) cupcake liners
5) I add 3 frozen blueberries to each cup
6) baby oatmeal in place of oats (trying to get rid of stock, that’s how I found this recipe)
7) 4x heaping teaspoons of benefiber
He seems to like them, though obviously mine are not particularly sweet. My next batch I’m going to try adding some veggies (carrot or zucchini) and maybe reducing the leavening agents since I increase egg. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
These make amazing pancakes!
thanks for this comment! i was just wondering if they would work as pancakes or waffles
Can i use self raising flour instead of rolled oats ?
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure whether it would work. Let me know if you give it a try!
I haven’t had a lot of success with mini muffins in the past but these turned out great! We will make them again.
Delicious! Great flavor and very moist — my toddler loves them! I did the All Purpose Flour substitution and they turned out great.
Delicious! I cant stop eating them!
These muffins are so yummy and have a ton of apple flavor! I used AP flour instead of whole wheat, sweetened them with maple syrup, and they turned out great! The whole family enjoyed them.
Good flavor, I used cupcake liners and these did not work. Most of the cupcake ended up stuck to the paper.
I do not show or recommend using cupcake liners with my muffins as they do not have enough fat to not stick. If you want to use them, you will need to spray them lightly with nonstick spray. Enjoy.
Made these today for my grandchild coming to visit and they turned out great. I didn’t use as much cinnamon in case it was too strong but I think I could have added the whole teaspoon – will see when the little darling gets here. The recipe made 24 mini muffins with only one eaten so far.
So good! So easy! Made for a play date today and the kids gobbled them up. I may have eaten 5-6 myself, lol. I used maple syrup and didn’t even use quite 1/4 cup and they were still delicious. Love that they are made with ingredients I always have in the house. Highly recommend!!
Another amazing recipe! My 3 year old loved helping. Followed the recipe and it turned out delicious! Thank you, Amy!
Can I use regular flour?
To make them with all purpose flour, I’d use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons and know you may need to bake a few extra minutes.
I made these for my 1 year old and 4 year old and they both loved them! I substituted the sugar for 2 tablespoons of maple syrup which worked really well and the muffins were slightly sweet. Super easy and quick to make.
These were a bit bland, and I was disappointed after getting really good results with the banana muffins. Will serve with maple syrup for dipping and up the sugar a little next time.
This recipe was a huge hit with our toddler. She ate 4 (large) muffins. My husband and I thought they were pretty good too. I love that this used ingredients we usually have around the house. Thanks for sharing so many good recipes! I am excited to try more.
I made these for my 4yo and 1yo and they couldn’t get enough! Very yummy and easy to make. Thank you!
Finally got the chance to make these, and after lurking and using other YTF recipes for over a year I had to leave a comment on this one. Super quick to whip up, toddler loved them and didn’t understand why he couldn’t eat the whole pan. I had maple sugar handy so I used that, and I’m glad I have a recipe that I can easily throw that in for.
So glad to hear that!
Had some applesauce pouches that nobody wanted to eat so I made a batch of these muffins. They are so light, yummy and perfect amount of sweet. I used date syrup instead of sugar and whole wheat pastry flour. Will freeze most of these for future lunches for my kids!
My favorite go to muffins for kids! Quick, easy and delicious!
These became a staple in my house. My husband has to whip up a batch every week for us. My toddler loves them. I (pregnant momma) love them. They are bland enough to eat any time of day, great cold out of the fridge or warmed up with butter. Healthier than most options out there and very easy to make.
These are SO SO GOOD. I made them with homemade applesauce, also Amy’s recipe. I’d added cinnamon to the applesauce so I used about half what this recipe calls for and it was perfect. I also added about a 1/4 tsp cardamom because I love it and that was lovely and the perfect amount, but these would still be delicious without. I used quick oats because I was worried about texture for my baby, but I think they’d be fine either way. I’m making more applesauce today so I can make these muffins again!
Can you just do all oats blended for oat flour?
Can you do loaf instead of muffins?
I haven’t tried them with all oat flour but I suspect it might change the texture a bit. I have a recipe for Applesauce Bread too https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/applesauce-bread/
Hello. Could this recipe be used to make a loaf? What temp and how long please? Thanks
Here is my Applesauce Bread recipe that you can use for reference: https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/applesauce-bread/
My daughter (14 months) absolutely loves these. She goes through these and the fruity yogurt pancakes so quick. These are the best for when she is teething and won’t eat anything too hard. I love how easy they are to make too!
These are amazing! I make 12 and they are gone so fast in my house.. Love how easy it is too!
Came out perfect
Flavor very good. But the texture was soggy, chewy .
If the texture was soggy, it’s likely that the leavening you used didn’t active properly. Often it’s the baking soda so you may want to check that. I hope that helps!
I made the applesauce muffins with my granddaughters (ages 4 and 1/2 and 2 and 1/2) this week. They loved them and were so proud to share with mommy and daddy when they got home!!
We have been making these about once a month for the last year and they are GREAT! We store them in the freezer and pop them in the microwave for a quick snack or pack them for an outing and they thaw to room temp. We like to add 1/2 tsp of All Spice to make them a bit spicier but follow the rest of the recipe and they are always awesome!
Just made these and my 4yr old and 2 yr old have almost devoured half the muffins!
Thank you for you simple but scrumptious recipes!
Will they stick to muffin liners?
P.S. we love your recipes – my toddler is a big fan of Food Play!
I recommend using a nonstick pan and nonstick spray. My muffin recipes usually don’t have enough fat in them to come off paper liners cleanly. Yay Food Play!
Love this! I replaced some of the whole wheat flour by vegan protein powder (I’m not vegan, but can’t digest whey) and now these became both a functional and a yummy snack! Love it!
My little one doesn’t love the texture of oats, can I blend the oats slightly before adding to muffin mixture to lessen the oat texture? Will it bake the same?
Thank you!! We’ve loved all your recipes so far!!
Sure or replace the oats with all purpose flour as mentioned in the recipe.
Love this recipe for the kids and myself! Quick and easy to make.
I’m so glad to hear that!
I actually always have ww flour on hand but I’m out currently. Can I use ap flour or almond flour?
All purpose flour will work. Enjoy
Can I use all purpose flour instead of the whole wheat flour? If yes, would you recommend I use the oats instead of the additional all purpose flour? Thanks!
Can you use regular flour in this recipe
Yes
Can we replace sugar with any natural sweeteners? Like jagery or dates powder?
You can use maple syrup or another similar liquid sweetener
I used baby oatmeal and apple baby food because it’s what I had. The flavor is light, but I attribute that to the baby apples rather than applesauce. Next try I want to add peanut butter to the batter.
Wondering about making this a cake. What size and for how long.
Recommendations for which frosting
If you have an idea of which pan you want to use I can try to figure out the timing. And I would suggest my cream cheese frosting.
were so good, we did frozen fruit on top, pecans, chia seeds etc… will make banana ones tomorrow
Yum! Turned out great! I used regular flour because that’s what I had on hand, as well as 2 cinnamon applesauce pouches and one apple strawberry rhubarb 😆 you’d never know. Thank you for another fantastic recipe, Amy!
Hi! Can we do 1:1 GF flour for these? 🙂
Sure
Thank you for this recipe! My daughter is quite the picky eater and she just loved these muffins. I’m looking forward to putting them into our breakfast rotation!
So insanely yummy. My four year old loves them and even said he wants to dream while eats them. Sure thing, buddy, go right ahead. These are so good that mom will enjoy them, too, and daydream right alongside you.
Made these today for my 13 month old. They turned out well overall, not super flavorful though. Despite following the recipe to a T and filling to the edge of each cup, it only made 20 mini muffins. We’ll still enjoy them and they’ll make a good snack for an upcoming trip.
Can lower the sugar to a 1/2 tbsp and it still tastes good, enough sugar already with the apple. Also just peel and dice 2 apples and a mango and mash while boiling and let cool, keeping it a little chunky. Can also lower the butter to 1 tbsp and grease the pan with a little more butter
These are so yummy! I used half all purpose flour and half whole wheat with canola oil and they came out delicious!! Love your recipes!
Another recipe that didn’t disappoint!! I made these vegan with coconut oil, a tbsp of maple instead of sugar, and no vanilla since I was out, and they’re still delicious. My 1.5 year old had 3 after they cooled down!
Made these for baby (minus the sugar). Even without sugar, they were fantastic! Husband ate just as many as baby!
I made these without the added sugar and got 12 regular sized muffins. Sweet enough and fluffy!
How long do you bake a regular-sized muffin?
WOW. These are AMAZING! I used apple baby food I had left over and plain flour because I didn’t have whole wheat flour. My son and husband won’t crazy about them but I loved them and will make them again!
Can this recipe be made in regular size muffin pan? How long to bake using this?
Yes and baking time would likely be around 20-22 minutes. Enjoy!
My kids really love these! They don’t like meat so for a little extra protein, I added 1/4 c plain unflavored protein powder and reduced flour by 1/4c. These are our new favorite school snacks! Thank you for another hit, Amy!
These are great! Currently baking my second batch this week. I made them according to the recipe except I added a few Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips to some. Either way they’re sooo good!
My 19 month son loves these muffins.
My grandson LOVES these! I make sure to always have a batch in the freezer.
I’ve been following the recipe twice and happen to have completely flat muffi that do not want to bake…
I don’t understand…
3rd time I doubled the flour and oats and this then seemed to work, but I guess this is not as tasty as this should be…
Anybody has an idea of what’s going wrong with me?
Hi- If a muffin isn’t baking through, the most likely explanation is that the baking soda you’re using isn’t fresh or active. I would check that. (Adding that much more flour would likely make very bland and dry muffins.) I hope that helps!
Hi Amy,
Thank you for your fast reply!
Well I cooked other muffins the same day with the same baking soda and it worked well…
Will keep on trying as the taste is fabulous.😍
Can you substitue AP flour equally?
They may not bake through exactly the same way. I think I might add an extra tablespoon to ensure they aren’t wet inside.
My ultra finicky toddler loves these🥹 The only thing I changed was substituted the cinnamon for cinnamon sugar. These have now become a weekly bake for us.
I made these with maple whipped cream to send to my son’s daycare for his first birthday, swapped out sugar for agave in equal amount, added a touch of nutmeg and cardamom. Overall, wonderful texture and taste. I’m going to use the rest of my apple sauce to make more for home.
Two tips — (1) I recommend putting the milk in a microwaveable measuring cup with room for the melted butter and (2) letting the batter rest for 5-15 min seems like it can improve texture. I did two single batches deliberately so I could test out the recipe first instead of one double batch. The first batch tasted fine but looked much lumpier and didn’t rise as well.
On #1, most of my baking involves creaming room temp butter and sugar first (not for babies!), so I was unpleasantly surprised when my butter immediately solidified upon combining with cold milk and applesauce. Duh. For second batch, I warmed the milk in the microwave slightly and poured melted butter into that measuring cup, then stirred as I combined with applesauce. Immediately smoother visible texture to my wet ingredients.
On #2 I only have one mini tray, so the second batch of batter tested maybe 10 minutes while the first batch finished and my tray cooled from the first batch. When I spooned it into the tray, I could tell there was already a little rise and the oats were already softened — reminds me of how Jiffy cornbread says to let the batter rest before baking. So I’m guessing this might have improved my second bake, too.
Thanks for this recipe!!
Definitely a winner. Taste great. Kids love them. Made them dairy free using nutelex and oat milk.
Exceptional! Simple and so fine texture
Can you use bananas instead of applesauce?
I haven’t made this recipe that way, but usually it works the same.
I made these the other day and my almost-4-year-old is obsessed with them! I accidentally got sweetened applesauce, so I didn’t add any sugar, but they turned out perfect. I also didn’t have any vanilla extract, which is what happens when I’m trying to order groceries while sick, so I used orange extract instead, and that hint of flavor is SO good.
Just made my first batch of applesauce muffins, and they are delicious!
My son is absolutely obsessed with these! I didn’t change a single thing in the recipe, and they came out absolutely perfect after 19 minutes. I love them too! 10/10! I’ll be making these regularly!
We love these! I normally replace half the applesauce with mango puree and leave out the sugar. We’ve added all kinds of mix ins – berries, dried fruit, nuts, etc 🙂 thank you!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I tried it just now and it turned out perfect!
I substitute sugar to honey and combined extra virgin coconut oil and butter (1 table spoon each).
I used whole grain wheat flour in same measurement.
My daughter loved this muffins!!! Thanks so much! I use maple syrup instead of sugar and they came out great!
The serving size says 2 muffins. Is that 2 mini muffins (12 servings) or is it 2 normal muffins (6 servings)? Thanks so much!!!
2 mini muffins!
I made these today for my super picky toddler and they were delicious! I followed the recipe to a T and will not change anything next time either. Thank you for sharing such a scrumptious and healthy recipe for little ones and big ones alike!
Thank you for the variety of muffin recipes! For the kids, they are great. What adjustments would you recommend to enhance the flavours of this recipe to suit the taste of adults?
You could add more cinnamon, maybe a little ground ginger, some additional sugar. It’s really dependent on your taste buds. I personally love these as they are, but you may prefer more spice or sweetness.
They were very good and I felt I was being so healthy!
Another great muffin recipe. I made these for my 2 year old, who doesn’t like ‘stuff’ in his muffins like raisins, chocolate chips, etc. He loves these. My husband was not really interested when I said they were applesauce muffins, then he promptly ate 3 and said ‘they go down easy’. I had some leftover batter so I put it some (very) mini silicone bundt pans and ended up with a few adorable cakes too.
Delicious! I used apple pie spice instead of cinnamon, substituted Just Egg for the egg, and used high protein soy milk. A delicious breakfast served with a banana cardamom smoothie. Thanks for posting so many allergy friendly suggestions!
Are instant porridge oats okay?
Yes, that should work okay
Hello, i know is a healthy recipe but can i substitute the whole wheat flour Wt all purpose flour?
Thanks before hand 😊
Yes, I think that should work but you may need to cook them for a minute or two longer to ensure they cook all the way through.
How much honey can I substitute for the sugar? Thank you!
It’s the same amount as the sugar!
I used grape seed oil, oat milk, gf flour, and gf oats. Added chopped walnuts and sprinkled cinnamon & sugar on top. They baked perfectly at 16 minutes! Moist and flavorful.
Made these this last week to freeze 1/2 for later. My 2+yr old eats these and he is in a picky phase. A lot of Amy’s mini muffin recipes have been helpful! My husband and I enjoy a lot of them too.
If using applesauce already flavored with cinnamon would you lessen the amount of added cinnamon?
You could leave the added cinnamon out if the flavor in the applesauce is strong.
Is it possible to make this recipe without Oats? My son is allergic to Oats.
I think if you omit the oats and use 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, that should work well. You may want to check them for doneness starting at 14 minutes of baking time.
Great staple recipe. I didn’t add any sugar to leave them plain, they were quite filling. The baking soda/baking powder taste was a tad too strong so I will lower it next time. Ended up with 10 regular muffins, baked for 20min. Thank you
These were delicious! Added ground flax and some chia seeds for extra nutrition and also made them regular size…about 24-25 min in our toaster oven and they turned out great! Thanks for these – will be on repeat in our house – not only for our toddler for the hubby and me as well 🙂 cheers!
Oh! and also opted out of the refined sugar and added some maple syrup – which was awesome! no issues
Hi Erica! Just wondering how much chia and flax you added? And maple syrup? I always get nervous altering baking recipes lol!
These were such a hit with my 2-year-old (who never seems to like anything I’ve baked in the past)! I didn’t have any whole wheat flour and didn’t want to use just AP, so I substituted 3/4 cup oat flour (since it’s lighter it’s not an equal measure to whole wheat or AP flour), and 1/2 AP flour. Used the same bake time and they turned out great! I’ll definitely be making these again, and will try with honey instead of sugar the next time. Thanks for yet another simple and delicious recipe!
They’re amazing!! Used honey instead of sugar! It is a family hit!
Xx
I’m so glad to hear that!
Love these, literally saw the recipe 5 minutes before we made them. My 4 and 2 year old boys helped make them, even better. They always eat better when they can help, and this is low stress. They gobbled them up, I may have snagged a few. And we have plenty for next couple days which I also love!
The muffins were delicious and so simple to make. It was a nice Sunday afternoon treat! Thank you Amy for this wonderful recipe!
I’ve been making these for the last few months for my son! They’ve been great for when we’re on the go – I’ve been freezing the batch and pulling the muffins out as needed. My 13mo loves them and eats them no problem! They make a great snack or part of breakfast and have been great for travelling! They’ve been great to make when I have extra apple/pears/plums in the fridge. I just cook and make them into a sauce and then make the muffins! I definitely recommend and I am definitely going to try more recipes from the site!
Subbed in honey for sugar (for no real reason other than I had an excess of honey around) and these were so so yummy! My house of 4 went through 10 of them before they were off the cooling rack ☺️
Great! Delicious made with dairy and egg free subs!
These are so good! We made them today, but also added chocolate chips! My toddler and I love them. Definitely recommend 🙂
I just made these with the intention of freezing for my toddlers-tasted one… then another. I think these are delicious! I also opted to use 3 Tablespoons of maple syrup instead of sugar and they are perfect. Thanks for a great recipe!
Not sure who loved these more, my husband or my kid. Definitely adding to the regular rotation.
Could I make it as a loaf instead of muffins?
Can you make these in a regular size muffin tin? Any idea how long they’d need to bake?
Yes. I would guess 20-22 minutes.
20 minutes worked well in my oven for full size muffins, thank you! They were delicious.
Awesome!
Fantastic and so easy! My babe loved them! I used a few tablespoons of maple syrup rather than sugar and threw in sunflower seed butter for a boost of nutrition and it turned out fantastic! Thanks!
I’m so glad!
I’m so excited to try these out for my one year old! Can I use regular flour for this recipe?
I haven’t ever made them that way—I might reduce the applesauce a little bit to ensure they aren’t too wet or you may need to bake them for a few extra minutes.
I’m so excited to try these for my 1 year old! Can I use regular flour in these?
I haven’t made these with ap flour and they may wind up much moister in the middle. You may need to reduce the baking time a little to compensate.
These are a staple in our house. For mom and child. Amazing. I sub about 1/2 almond flour for the WW flour and I think it’s super delicious and extra moist. We don’t have a nut allergy, obviously. THANK YOU for this recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that it works with the almond flour that way!
This recipe is AMAZING!
My son is allergic to eggs, and he LOVES these muffins.
I used the flax egg. I also used zero sugar, I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup instead.
The muffins come out perfect.
I am so excited to try other recipes from you.
Thanks for sharing!
Why is this listed under a non dairy recipe? This recipe calls for eggs, butter, and milk.
Because in the Notes of the recipe, there are variations on how to make this without dairy, butter, and milk for anyone who needs that option.
Could I add nuts to this ? Like ground walnuts or almonds?
Sure, maybe 1/4-1/3 cup
Very good and Super simple Recipe. I used homemade Blueberry-Ponegranate Applesauce and it turned out great. Thank you for the recipe.
These are simple and delicious. My three year old helped me make them 🙂 I thought they were perfectly sweet. I used olive oil and they turned out great. They are going quickly. Thank you!
Came out fine, but suggest using more oil/fat, perhaps another tablespoon or two. Could also use some more sweetness so perhaps an extra tablespoon there (maybe honey?). Also recommend combining the dry ingredients separately so you have an opportunity to optimize integration of all the powders before folding into the wet ingredients.
Twas a hit with my 16 month old. Made them in full sized muffins with an extra 15 mins or so baking time and let them cool overnight
Hi! I tried this recipe in a baking pan because I don’t have muffin tins and the center didn’t ever get firm. Is there a way this can work as a loaf? Thanks!
I think it’s possible in an 8×8 inch pan as bars
I make these weekly, they are so yummy and low in sugar but still sweet! Since my daughter is allergic to eggs, I add 1/4 cup extra flour along with 1/4 cup plain yogurt as a substitute and they come out perfect! With no eggs it’s especially important to spray the paper muffin liners with baking spray.
I’m so glad!
This recipe sounds so good, however I need a recipe without nuts. Do you know of a granola bar recipe without nut butters? My 2 yr old granddaughter is allergic to peanuts, and we’re afraid to try other nuts at this point.
Hi. There aren’t any nuts in this recipe. For a granola bar recipe, I bet you could use regular melted butter in this one (though sunflower seed butter is a very unlikely food allergy and is usually a safe choice for peanut kids). I hope that helps!
I’ve made 5 of your muffin recipes in the last week (freezing and using for kids breakfasts before school). This was my favorite and kids loved it too!! It’s delish with some apple butter smeared in the middle. Thank you for the recipe. I’ll be making it again!
I’m so glad to hear that and that’s so smart to get ahead for breakfast!
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For the applesauce, could I use the baby food pouch of plain apple puree?
Yes, I think a baby food pouch of applesauce would be fine!
These are my favorite muffins to bake! They are delicious and the easiest muffin recipe I’ve found. You can have them mixed up and ready to go by the time the oven is finished preheating.
Thanks a bunch for the recipe !! Tried it.. it was super soft and yummy !!!!
What ratio would I use if substituting maple syrup for the sugar? Same amount, more, less?
I would think you should use the same amount. I haven’t tested them that way so I can’t say for sure, but that’s my best guess!
Can I use almond flour?
Almond flour doesn’t bake the same way as flour with gluten so it’s not usually a good direct substitution.
I made these for my 2-year-old. Instead of oats I used oat bran, and added an extra egg for a nutrition boost because she is sooo picky and turns away so many foods! She loves these! I made these in full size muffins and they were done in 18 minutes at the same temp indicated. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Can I substitute the whole wheat flour for white all purpose flour? That’s all we have in the pantry. Thanks!
Yes, that should work fine!
Made these for my VERY picky 14 month old. I used honey instead of sugar and he gobbled two up! It’s really difficult to get him to eat any solids so thank you so much! You saved my sanity! Now I want to try to sneak in some veggies in them and see how I can expand his palate. Thank you again!!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that!
For some reason the insides of mine didnt’ cook but the tops were burnt to a crisp. Any ideas?
Did you change anything in the recipe? Did you use a regular muffin tin or a silicone one?
A regular mini muffin tin and no I didn’t change anything.
I’m honestly not sure what could have happened since that has never been my experience with this recipe, but I’m sorry that you had issues.
These are delicious! I used coconut sugar instead of regular sugar. I used my homemade almond milk. I also only had steel cut oats available so I ground them up and soaked them before using. They turned out amazing and smell so good! My picky one year old tried one and ate several bites which is a good sign!
These muffins are delicious!! I substituted the applesauce for bananas due to a mom fail of the applesauce having mold in it ??♀️ My 2.5 y.o had 2 right out of the oven (yes they were cooled) and asked for more. Also I used regular size muffin pan.
I’m so glad they worked out with bananas! (I’ve totally been there with the applesauce!)
These turned out great, however I modified pretty heavily to use what I had/was trying to use up. I used oat flour instead of wheat, & had a leftover an orange infused maple syrup (that had been reduced down) that I used instead of the sugar. Also made regular sized muffins with silicone muffin cups. But they turned out really tasty & will make a great packable breakfast for my 2-yr-old 🙂
I’m glad it worked out—your changes sound delish!
Any idea if I’d need to adjust the temp if I used a regular size cupcake tin instead of a mini? I know I’ll have to increase cook time.
Temp should be the same
Can you use baby oatmeal? Instead of regular rolled oats?
I don’t think it would work the same way so I wouldn’t recommend doing that.
I used Baby oatmeal and they came out great
I made these for my 19 month old granddaughter .
They are delicious!
I baked them at 350’ for 12 minutes and they came out perfectly- not dry at all. I think a pinch of salt would help to bring out some flavor, so I’ll add that to the batter next time!
Perfect!
Meant 18 minutes!!!
I love having an assortment of muffins in the freezer and these are a go-to. I love that i don’t have to have ripe bananas on hand or blueberries or carrots… such simple ingredients and a lovely taste. I serve it crumbles in yogurt, like all my muffins, for breakfast or snack. My toddler loves them (and all your recipes!).
I’m so happy to hear this, thanks so much for the feedback!
My two year old ate two but I didn’t think they had much flavor.
These are very tasty with good flavor, but not “too much.” Great for an on-the-go snack or quick breakfast. Mine came out a bit dry, but I’ll make them again and see how they turn out. My 2yo ate one with breakfast, so I’ll call that a win lol. I liked them, too!
I’m so glad! (Maybe bake for a minute or two less next time if they seemed dry?)
My kids can’t eat oats. Can I omit them completely?
I haven’t tried it but I would think you’d need to replace them with additional flour. Let me know if you try it!
My toddler loves these. I just have one question: I use a gluten free flour and Almond milk, as well as honey as the sweetener. For some reason, they come out flat on top (don’t rise), which doesn’t affect the delicious taste but they just look funny. Lol any tips?
You could add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon baking soda if it bugs you!
Wonder if you can vegan butter and if it will still turn out ok ?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure but melted coconut oil is usually a good sub for butter.
These are DELICIOUS!!! Just made them for my daughter’s preK class and taste-tested one- they are so good! I don’t like muffins that are too sweet so I appreciate this recipe. Now I want to try your other healthier muffin recipes! Thanks!
I’m so glad and I hope that the kids enjoy them!
What could you use instead of whole wheat flour?
You could use regular all purpose flour if you prefer or a cup for cup gluten free flour.
Easy to make and came out great. Toddler and adult approved!
Very good. I used almond milk nog which I had on hand. Loved them and still low sugar per a mini muffin. Will make again?
I’m so glad to hear that!
These were amazing!! I needed to find a breakfast meal that is commuter freiendly and healthy. My 1yr old daughter will be starting daycare this week and her daycare is near my job in NYC. So she will be on the train with me. I thought these would be a great idea to prep the Sunday before the week and have in a ziplock bag to give her while we are on the train. The only difference I did was use coconut milk and I added this pumpkin spice seasoning I had from the holidays. These turn out nice and moist in the middle with a little crunch on the outside. I love them even for me. 🙂 Wish I could attach a picture.
I’m so glad that these worked out for you and I hope that the transition to daycare goes smoothly! (You might also want to check out a reusable Squeasy Gear pouch for yogurt or smoothies or applesauce—that could be a good thing to have in the mix for eating on the go!)
Passed by my 9yo and 6yo. I have permission to add to lunchboxes. That’s a win. For me personally, I was thinking of increasing the sugar…
I’m glad to hear that the kids enjoy them!
Awesome! I used applesauce with squash and blueberries as that’s what I had on hand. Came out great, one year old loves it ?
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear that!
These look delish! The directions dont say anything about the oats though? Do those go in with the flour whole? Pulsated? Looking forward to making these for my apple sauce addicts!
I’m sorry, I fixed it—just stir them into the batter with the flour!
If I added some frozen blueberries to the batter, would I need to make any adjustments?
I don’t think so. Maybe an extra 1-2 minutes of baking if you add a lot, but otherwise should be the same I think.
These look yum! (And perfect to use up a jar of applesauce sitting in our fridge.)
Do you know how long these would need to cook (and at what temperature) as regular sized muffins?
Thanks!
Do the same temp and I would think 22-24 minutes would be good if you use about 1/4 cup batter in each muffin cup. Use a cake tester or a toothpick in the center at the end of that time. It should come out cleanly. If it seems a little damp or you see batter on it, go longer in two minute increments. I’d doubt it would be more than 26 minutes but it might vary based on your oven. (If you’d be using the egg-free option, I’d recommend doing them as minis since that will ensure they cook all the way through.)