Name: Applesauce Muffins
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup light brown sugar; 1.5 teaspoons baking powder; .75 teaspoon kosher salt; .25 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; .5 teaspoon ground ginger; .125 teaspoon ground cloves; .5 cup golden raisins, optional; .5 cup walnuts, roughly chopped, optional; 2 large eggs; .5 cup applesauce; .5 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt; Turbinado sugar for sprinkling, optional

A simple way to add seasonal spice to the beginning of your day.

Micah A Leal

Published on September 2, 2021

Applesauce Muffins — Photo: Micah A. Leal

Active Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Yield:

1 dozen

Applesauce and Greek yogurt are used in this muffin recipe in lieu of oil or butter, making these muffins a healthier choice for breakfast or a quick snack without sacrificing taste. Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves spice the dry ingredients with the familiar taste of autumn. Brown sugar gives the muffins the deeper sweetness that comes from molasses, and a sprinkling of turbinado sugar on top before baking results in a delightfully crunchy and sweet surface. Arguably the best perk of this recipe is the minimal equipment required—everything comes together with a whisk in a large mixing bowl. Combine the dry ingredients, and briefly mix together the wet ingredients before incorporating. The batter comes together in less than 10 minutes, and it's ready to scoop into the muffin tin. Add the raisins and walnut pieces to the dry ingredients before the wet ingredients to allow flour to coat the surface of these pieces. This step is essential in ensuring that the pieces are evenly suspended throughout the crumb of the muffin instead of clumped together at the bottom of the muffin. Whether you're wanting a healthier baked good to grab on the go or you're simply craving the spices and flavors of autumn apple, this recipe is sure to satisfy those cravings without requiring too much of your time.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup golden raisins, optional
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped, optional
2 large eggs
½ cup applesauce
½ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves until well combined. Add raisins and walnuts, if using, and stir to coat in flour.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, and yogurt until homogeneous. Add to dry ingredients and whisk until no pockets of flour remain.
Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, fill each lined muffin cup two-thirds full of batter. Sprinkle surface of each muffin with turbinado sugar, if using.
Bake until lightly browned, rotating pan halfway through baking, and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.