Heather is happiest when taking a beautiful photo, creating something in her kitchen, or elbows-deep in a DIY project.

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Easy Apple Muffins

I love baking muffins from scratch, but I also really enjoy recipes that are easy and don't have any complicated ingredients or steps. These applesauce muffins couldn't get any easier.

Baking with applesauce is easy, and it helps to give these muffins a well-developed flavor. Baking with applesauce can also save you a little time and money since you won't have to buy and prepare fresh apples.

These muffins taste great right out of the oven, but I love them even more when they're a day old. After 24 hours, the tops get just the tiniest bit firm and crunchy, while the insides are still super soft and moist. I've made these yummy muffins with a few different kinds and flavors of applesauce, but using cinnamon applesauce is my favorite variation. Do you have a favorite kind of applesauce?

Cook Time

Prep time Cook time Ready in Yields 10 min 25 min 35 min 2 dozen muffins

Ingredients

4 cups flour

2 cups applesauce

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon allspice

What Is Allspice?

Allspice comes from the dried, unripened fruit of a tree called the Pimenta Dioica. It smells and tastes like a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, and other spices. You may have used it before if you've made pumpkin pie. Did you ever open a can of pumpkin puree and expect it smell like pumpkin pie? The signature smell of pumpkin pie relies greatly on allspice as a staple ingredient. One whiff of allspice instantly makes me think of fresh pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie and these applesauce muffins just aren't the same without allspice.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla to the mixture and mix well. Fold in the applesauce. Combine the dry ingredients, and gradually add to the mixture. Fill your well-greased or paper-lined cupcake tins 3/4 full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the baked muffins to rest for 5 minutes in the pan before moving them to baking racks to finish cooling.

Tips for Perfect Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce: Use applesauce that is freshly opened rather than trying to finish off applesauce that's been in the fridge for a while.

Use applesauce that is freshly opened rather than trying to finish off applesauce that's been in the fridge for a while. Butter: Allow your butter to soften on its own—don't melt it. Creaming the softened butter and sugar together in step 2 creates a fluffy texture full of air. Melted butter creates a denser finished product.

Allow your butter to soften on its own—don't melt it. Creaming the softened butter and sugar together in step 2 creates a fluffy texture full of air. Melted butter creates a denser finished product. Filling the tins: For fuller, picture-perfect muffins, fill each muffin 3/4 full of batter.

For fuller, picture-perfect muffins, fill each muffin 3/4 full of batter. Muffin liners: Use muffin liners for easy serving and cleanup. My brown liners are made by Wilton and have a plain and simple charm to them.

Use muffin liners for easy serving and cleanup. My brown liners are made by Wilton and have a plain and simple charm to them. Accompaniments: These muffins taste great as is but really sing when paired with butter, cream cheese, apple butter, or your favorite spread.

Thanksgiving Muffin Ideas

These muffins are yummy all year round, but I usually reserve them for the colder months and winter holidays since they're such a special treat. Applesauce muffins are perfect to serve at Thanksgiving breakfast or as a snack to tide over hungry tummies while Tom Turkey is still in the oven. Customize these muffins with other festive additions such as cranberries in the mix or walnuts on top.

Heather Says

These applesauce muffins remind me of The Walton's Homecoming Christmas special wherein Mrs. Walton has to walk to the country store in the snow to buy sugar for her special Christmas applesauce cake. The show takes place in a rural part of Virginia during both the great depression and World War II. This large family struggled to survive and so spending money on sugar for a cake was truly uncommon and impractical during this time. My own mother has watched the television special just about every Christmas that I can remember. When I first made these muffins, my husband took a bite and said, "Now I understand why Mrs. Walton wanted to make her applesauce cake so badly!" I've always wondered what ingredients she used in her own applesauce cake. These muffins are a special treat and I'm always thankful to have the means to buy all of the ingredients necessary. I'm also thankful to be able to bake and enjoy them with cherished friends and family.

© 2013 Heather

Judy Niermann on November 08, 2017:

Wow!!!! Awesome muffins!

Kristen Howe from Northeast Ohio on March 10, 2015:

Delicious recipes, Heather. I might give it a go someday. Voted up!

Shinichi Mine from Tokyo, Japan on November 09, 2014:

Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!

Fay Favored from USA on September 02, 2014:

OK, not fair. I could go for these right now, but I'll be good and save this recipe for the holidays. I might have to practice first though :)

Delores Lewis from North Carolina on August 29, 2014:

Apples and cinnamon complement each other so well and they are also healthy for you. Thanks for a great recipe.

Edith Rose from Canada on August 26, 2014:

Congrats on HOTD. I am going to make your Applesauce Muffins.

Beth37 on April 24, 2014:

I totally want to make this for my family this weekend. I gotta go buy some applesauce. You're so good.

Kathleen Odenthal from Bridgewater on April 24, 2014:

these sound delicious! i can't wait to try this out!

RTalloni on April 24, 2014:

Congrats on your Hub of the Day award for what is surely a yum muffin recipe!

thefedorows from the Midwest on April 24, 2014:

Heather, these really do look amazing! Also, you are very talented at writing about food! Your pictures, details, and personal touches are simply lovely. Congratulations on HOTD! I am pinning these to my Thanksgiving Board as they look perfect for fall!

Kalpana Iyer from India on April 24, 2014:

Congrats on HOTD! The muffins really look tempting, literally drooling here!

Dana Tate from LOS ANGELES on April 24, 2014:

Those muffins look scrumptious I will be trying out your recipe thank you for sharing.

Anamika S Jain from Mumbai - Maharashtra, India on April 24, 2014:

I love the combination of Apple and Cinnamon, so this should not disappoint me. Thanks!

Thelma Alberts from Germany and Philippines on April 24, 2014:

Congrats on the HOTD award. This recipe is an easy to bake muffins. thanks for sharing your recipes.

Chin chin from Philippines on April 24, 2014:

Great hub on making applesauce muffins. Congrats! Now I know how to improve on the texture of my muffins. Thanks.

cjbehr on April 24, 2014:

Congrats on HOTD - your hubs as some of the highest quality I've seen!! Awesome!

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on April 24, 2014:

I came back to congratulate you for HOTD! Well deserved!

Rebecca Mealey from Northeastern Georgia, USA on April 24, 2014:

What a great recipe! Easy and also very versatile. I love the Thanksgiving muffin idea. Thanks so much!

Ashraf hassan from United States on April 24, 2014:

There are a lot of cinnamon benefits , cinnamon was used in ancient to improve energy and circulation of blood

Heather (author) from Arizona on March 18, 2014:

@Crystal Tatum-- Thanks so much! I'm also avoiding sugar AND white flour and just recently switched to whole grains. Since this is one of my favorite recipes, I'll be redoing it soon with a healthier flour and perhaps and video tutorial too. Thanks for stopping by :)

@VVanNess-- Thanks so much for the visit and kind words. I'm happy to have you visit so we can bake together when your schedule allows :)

@tutta-- Thanks for stopping by! These muffins are a hit with the kiddos! My neighbor's daughter is 18 mos and she loves this recipe. Thanks again :)

Crystal Tatum from Georgia on March 18, 2014:

These look delicious. I'm trying to avoid flour and sugar though. Drats! Your photos are awesome. Would love it if you would write a photo tutorial.

Victoria Van Ness from Fountain, CO on February 07, 2014:

What a fantastic recipe! These look delicious and your pictures are incredible. If only I could live a day in your shoes and see how you do this, I would soak it all up. I'm so impressed! Very nice job!

Tatiana from Florida on January 27, 2014:

These sound yummy and healthy! Definitely going to make these for my son once he's a bit older! Voted up!

Heather (author) from Arizona on January 24, 2014:

@Sheri Faye-- Thanks so much for stopping by and pinning. I also love love love muffins. This recipe in particular is such a hit in my house. I hope you get a chance to try them and let me know how they turned out. Thanks again :)

@randomcreative-- Thanks! Sometimes simple is best :)

@Writes4You-- Oh boy! Homemade applesauce AND applebutter sound quite heavenly right now! All of your little kitchen tricks sound amazing! I hope you get a chance to try these muffins and will let me know how they turned out. Thanks again :)

@wiserworld-- Thanks for visiting and commenting. This recipe is definitely a yummy one for the holidays. Thanks again :)

@Glimmer Twin Fan-- Thanks so much for stopping by. I have to agree... I can only think of one or two things that are more comforting than eating a freshly baked muffin that's still warm from the oven. Thanks again :)

Sheri Dusseault from Chemainus. BC, Canada on January 22, 2014:

I love muffins and these look great...pinning on to my cooking board!

Rose Clearfield from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 09, 2013:

How simple and delicious!

Cheryl Nunez from AZ on December 01, 2013:

Applesauce! Oh how it complicates and simplifies my life at the same time!

I used to make all my own applesauce and applebutter. Winters in IL were awesome to have the stove going on for hours. I like to take a thick pork chop and pocket it, then fill the pocket with applesauce (or even applebutter). I also whip fresh butter (yes! from my own cow) and applebutter together to put on my muffins. If you haven't tried it before, add some ginger schnapps to your fresh or canned applesauce!

Your muffins look so very good, they are going on the list for our next family get-together.

wiserworld on November 26, 2013:

Looks like a great recipe to try out for the holidays. Thanks for sharing!

Claudia Mitchell on November 25, 2013:

These look wonderful Heather. I love muffins, especially in the winter. There is something comforting about them. Pinned for later use. Nice recipe.

Heather (author) from Arizona on November 23, 2013:

@tillsontitan-- Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! I appreciate all the votes and shares. Thanks as always :)

@ChristyWrites-- Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm glad you stopped by :)

Mary Craig from New York on November 23, 2013:

Heather this is tops ;) Thanks for the explanation of allspice, I always wondered about that. I'm so glad I read this great recipe hub and have a feeling there'll be some new muffins in town.

Voted up, useful, awesome, interesting and pinned.

Christy Birmingham from British Columbia, Canada on November 21, 2013:

Yes, please! These do sound yummy :)

Heather (author) from Arizona on November 21, 2013:

@carter06-- Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I love apples and cinnamon together too :)

@ChitrangadaSharan-- Thanks for all of the kind words. I'm glad you stopped by and enjoyed it :)

@Claudia Tello-- Thanks so much for reading and commenting! Be sure to come back and tell me how you liked them :)

@rebekahELLE-- Thanks so much for stopping by and the very kind comments. You'll have to stop back by after Thanksgiving and let me me know how they were :)

@purl3agony-- Thanks! I like your definition of allspice-- it totally makes sense. Thanks for stopping by and reading. You'll have to let me know how they muffins are after you've tried them :)

@Jeannie-- Thanks Jeannie! I'm glad you stopped by. I almost did a crumb topping too. That's a fine idea :)

Mary from Cronulla NSW on November 21, 2013:

You gotta love apples and cinnamon together!! great recipe Heather and a nice one coming into the Xmas season..Voted up & will pin this..Cheers

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on November 21, 2013:

A very well presented recipe hub, with full details, helpful pictures and instructions. The combination of ingredients looks interesting and the recipe wonderful. I love to combine apple with cinnamon.

Thanks for sharing and voted up!

Claudia Tello from Mexico on November 20, 2013:

I would love to try these apple sauce muffins, they look delicious! As per usual, I love your magazine-like presentation, excellent job.

rebekahELLE from Tampa Bay on November 20, 2013:

You could be writing for a food magazine! These are definitely going to be on my Thanksgiving breakfast menu. They look and sound delicious. Thanks so much for sharing your fabulous recipes. Your hubs are always a delight!

Donna Herron from USA on November 20, 2013:

These muffins sound super yummy - definitely going to give them a try. And thanks for the lesson on allspice. I always thought allspice was all the commonly used spices put together in one box - hence, "allspice". But now I know better :)

Jeannie on November 20, 2013:

These look so good and I think I'll put a crumb topping on mine.

Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.

Heather (author) from Arizona on November 20, 2013:

Thanks so much Lyndsay Gamber! I'm so happy you liked the cookies :) I'm a sucker for cute dishes and have amassed quite a collection. Thanks again :)

Lyndsay Gamber from California on November 20, 2013:

these look so good! I am going to have to try this recipe!! Also I tried the pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies and they were soooo good! Everyone loved them! I am definitely adding them to my recipe book! I also really love your dishes! They are so adorable!

Heather (author) from Arizona on November 20, 2013:

Thanks so much Paul :)

Paul Edmondson from Burlingame, CA on November 20, 2013:

These look totally amazing.