These super moist Applesauce Mini Muffins are perfectly wholesome and delicious muffins for toddlers and kids! Made in less than 30 minutes with white whole wheat flour, applesauce, and a big spoonful of cinnamon for the ultimate muffin your little one will devour.

Green plate with small toddler hand reaching for a mini muffin.
5 stars (36 ratings)
“First, let me start by saying I never ever write reviews for anything! I could not believe how quickly my really picky 2 year old gobbled one of these up and asked for more. Thank you so much! It’s such a struggle to get my picky toddler to eat.” -Charlene
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Applesauce Muffins

Are you looking for an easy-peasy muffin recipe with all the flavors of applesauce and cinnamon?

I’ve got you!

The first time I made these muffins, I was absolutely shocked at how fast my girls devoured them! It was like they had some secret muffin-eating contest where the winner would take a found rock trophy. They couldn’t get them inside their bellies fast enough.

To say these muffins are a winner.. is a complete understatement! 🥇

I have since made these muffins countless times over the years, and they are still a winner! Usually, my kids eat them for a quick breakfast, or I pack them into their school lunches along with yogurt, a berry salad, and some nut-free granola. I usually eat them standing at the kitchen sink, dunked into my lukewarm coffee ;).

This one-bowl recipe is made with white whole wheat flour, applesauce and a big spoonful of cinnamon.. these muffins are a simple yet delicious breakfast or snack for your little ones.

#momhack – I recommend making a double batch and freezing half of these muffins for a quick breakfast. They freeze great and are perfect for pulling out of the freezer and gently reheating in the microwave on a crazy weekday morning when there isn’t ever enough coffee. You know the ones!

Applesauce Mini Muffins Video

Spread of ingredients for homemade applesauce muffins.

Ingredients

  • Flour: you can use white whole wheat, all-purpose, a gluten-free one for one, or half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour for this recipe.
  • Applesauce: homemade or store-bought. If using store-bought then look for applesauce that has no sugar added.
  • Egg
  • Butter: you can use butter or any mild oil in this recipe – coconut, olive, canola or sunflower.
  • Sugar
  • Brown Sugar: you can use regular brown sugar, coconut sugar or coconut brown sugar for this recipe. If you are going to reduce the amount of sugar, reduce the white sugar, not the brown sugar.
  • Cinnamon: gives these muffins a to-die-for warming taste.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: gives the muffins a little lift to make them super moist and fluffy. You can also use white vinegar if that is all you have on hand, or leave it out completely.
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda

Let’s Get Cooking

In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract until well combined.
n the same large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Gently fold the ingredients together until just combined. Do not overmix.
Fill each muffin cup 2/3 the way full. Cook until golden brown – roughly 13 minutes.
If serving plain, let cool and then serve.
Plate of mini applesauce muffins getting a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar.
If using the cinnamon sugar coating, dip the muffin tops into the butter and roll into the sugar mixture.
Hand holding up a mini applesauce muffin made with wholesome ingredients.
Enjoy!

Storing and Freezing these Mini Muffins

You can store these muffins in a loosely covered container on the counter for up to 4 days.

These muffins freeze beautifully! To freeze muffins, place the muffins in an air-tight container, zip-lock baggie or stasher bag and then place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply leave the muffins in the fridge overnight or heat in the microwave.

Small kids hand holding a plate of mini applesauce muffins made with whole wheat or gluten free flower.

Tips for making the best applesauce muffins

  • Do Not Over Mix: do not over mix the muffin batter, as this will cause hard and dense muffins. Gently fold in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Some lumps will be okay.
  • Sugar: I know we don’t want our kids to have a ton of sugar; these muffins have just 3 grams of added refined sugar per mini muffin. I tried to find the perfect balance of having delicious muffins without excess sugar. If you want, you can cut the white sugar in half or omit it completely. This will, however, affect the muffins and make them denser and less fluffy.
  • Use No-Added Sugar Apple Sauce: We are adding our own sugar and want to control how much added sugar goes into these muffins.
  • Mini Muffins Vs. Regular: You can definitely make this recipe into regular muffins. You will get roughly 6 full-size muffins and must bake them for 18-20 minutes.
small kids hands holding a green plate of mini muffins.

Get the recipe: Kid-Requested Applesauce Muffins (made in 25 Minutes)

5 stars (36 ratings)
These muffins are perfectly wholesome and delicious muffins for toddler and kids! Made with white whole wheat flour, applesauce and a big spoonful of cinnamon for the ultimate muffin your little one will devour.
Yield: 24 mini muffins
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 22 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
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Ingredients 

Applesauce Mini Muffins

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Instructions 

Applesauce Mini Muffins

  • Preheat oven to 375° F. Line or spray a mini muffin pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract until well combined.
    Bowl of wet ingredients for mini applesauce muffins.
  • In the same large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Gently fold the ingredients together until just combined. Do not overmix.
    Bowl of batter for easy mini applesauce muffins.
  • Spoon the batter into the muffin cups until 2/3 the way full. I use a ____ cookie scoop which works great for mini muffins.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just golden brown.
  • Let cool.
    Small kids hand holding a plate of mini applesauce muffins.
  • You can serve as is, or coat in the cinnamon-sugar topping.

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

  • In a small bowl, melt the butter. In another small bowl, mix together the sugar and the cinnamon.
  • Take a cooled muffin and dip it into the butter and then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until well coated. Repeat with all of the muffins.
    Plate of mini applesauce muffins getting a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar.

Notes

Age: 1 year and up
Storage: You can store these muffins in a loosely covered container on the counter for up to 4 days. These muffins freeze beautifully! To freeze, place the muffins in an air-tight container, zip-lock baggie or stasher bag and then place in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, simply leave the muffins on the counter overnight.
Notes on Flour: you can use white whole wheat, all-purpose, a gluten-free one for one blend, or half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Allergy Info:
  • Gluten-Free: make these gluten-free by using a one-for-one gluten-free flour.
  • Egg-Free: you can make this egg-free by using any egg substitute or a flax egg.
  • Dairy-Free: you can make these muffins dairy-free by using oil instead of butter.

Making them Sugar-Free
If you are looking for a refined sugar-free muffin, you can remove some or all of the sugar in this recipe. I made them without the white sugar, and used coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar and while they had a slightly deeper flavor, my kids still devoured them.
Just note: the more sugar you remove from the muffins, the denser the muffins will be. I would not suggest taking all of the sugar out completely, as you will have very hard muffins.
Cooking with Kids

Toddlers

  • Toddlers can help measure and put the ingredients into the bowl.
  • They can help mix the ingredients together.
  • Once cooked, toddlers can help roll the muffins into the melted butter and cinnamon sugar topping.

Kids

  • Preheat the oven.
  • They can pick out and measure all of the ingredients. 
  • Kids can help mix the ingredients together.
  • They can help to fill the muffin cups with the batter.
  • Once filled, kids can carefully put the muffin tin into the oven (with adult supervision) and remove once baked.
  • Kids can melt the butter in the microwave, and then roll the muffins into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  •  
Serving: 1mini muffin, Calories: 56kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.6g, Protein: 0.8g, Fat: 2.2g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 68mg, Potassium: 27mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 4.4g

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