Easy Applesauce Banana Muffins Recipe

Using just a few simple ingredients and a single bowl for mixing, these are the easiest applesauce banana muffins you will make! This is the perfect healthy snack and such a delicious way to use applesauce, providing plenty of room to make the recipe even healthier.

Why I Love This Recipe

Muffins are perhaps my favorite type of make-ahead finger food to serve for breakfast on busy mornings. They're so easy! And can be made the day before serving them.

Here are my favorite things about these super easy applesauce banana muffins:

• It's such a quick breakfast and easy recipe, using just one bowl and no hand mixer is required. Mix everything in a single mixing bowl and using a spoon! Dishes couldn't be slimmer and muffin-making couldn't be easier.
• I am obsessed with apples in the fall, so I often have homemade applesauce hanging out in my fridge. These super moist muffins are the perfect use for applesauce!
• The same goes for overripe bananas. My counter is often littered with the aging fruit and this is the perfect way to use them up.
• This might be a healthy recipe, but they'll still make your taste buds sing!
• These healthy muffins are the perfect treat to enjoy all throughout the day.
• Make these applesauce oat muffins as healthy or indulgent as you'd like!

Recipe Ingredients

Flour - To make this a gluten free recipe, substitute all-purpose flour with almond flour, oat flour or your favorite gluten free flour (in tandem with GF oats).

Old fashioned oats - Regular old-fashioned oats work great! Grab a gluten-free variety to make this a gluten free breakfast (in tandem with a GF flour).

Brown sugar - Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar can be used interchangeably.

Honey, agave nectar or maple syrup can be used as replacements for a healthier recipe.

Baking soda - Make sure your baking soda has been stored properly and is fresh, for best results.

Cinnamon - Consider adding other warm spices such as nutmeg or ground allspice in addition to the cinnamon. Apple pie spice is a great addition, too!

Salt - Any variety of salt works great, such as sea salt, table salt or kosher salt.

Eggs - If you'd like to create an egg-free recipe, you can replace the egg with another half of a mashed ripe banana.

Applesauce - To keep these muffins on the healthier side, use unsweetened applesauce. For a more indulgent treat, use a variety with added sugar.

Bananas - Use over-ripe bananas that have been mashed with fork tines or a potato masher.

How To Make Applesauce Banana Muffins

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients: flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Step 2

Now add the wet ingredients to the same bowl: egg, applesauce and banana and stir until combined.

Fill muffin cups with 1/4 cup each of muffin batter.

Step 3

Bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin. The tops will have a perfect golden brown color when they're done. Serve warm!

Recipe Notes

• If using cupcake liners, spray the insides lightly with cooking spray before adding the batter! This batter likes to stick to paper.
• Spruce up this recipe by including some delicious add-ins. Add no more than 1 cup of the following: chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit or coconut flakes.
• Make this recipe even healthier by using less sugar or no sugar at all. Replace all or a portion of it with a natural sweetener such as honey.
• Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or caramel extract for a delicious added touch.

What Does Applesauce Replace in Baking

Applesauce can be used in place of oil (vegetable oil, olive oil or canola oil) or butter in baked goods. Substitute using equal amounts. It is a great way to reduce the amount of fat in the recipe as well as add a delicious apple flavor.

Apple Butter vs Applesauce

Both applesauce and apple butter are made by slow cooking apples with other ingredients including sugar and warm spices to achieve a delicious outcome.

Apple butter typically contains more sugar and is cooked for a longer period of time, giving the final result a deeper color and flavor, as well as a thicker, more spread-like texture.

Applesauce can be cooked with minimal sugar and has a more sauce-like consistency. It is usually enjoyed as a solo snack or as an ingredient in baked goods.

How To Make Applesauce From Whole Apples

Use whole apples and just a few other simple ingredients to make this slow cooker applesauce recipe from scratch, and with minimal effort.

How Long Does Applesauce Last After Opened

An unopened jar of store-bought applesauce has quite a long shelf life, lasting for 1-2 years beyond the printed expiration date when properly stored.

Once the jar has been opened, it should be refrigerated. It will stay fresh in the fridge for anywhere between 7-14 days.

Homemade apple sauce has a shorter shelf life, ranging between 4 to 6 days.

For more information about how to store applesauce, check out this article!

How To Store Muffins

Store leftover homemade muffins in a single layer in either a resealable bag or airtight container, at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Alternatively, you may freeze them in a heavy duty freezer bag for up to 3 months for best results.

What To Do With Applesauce

• Use this ingredient to replace oil and/or butter in any baked good recipe to give it a burst of apple flavor.
• Serve it as a healthy snack to the kiddos after school.
• Use it as a topping for oatmeal pancakes.