Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins
Applesauce and rolled oats add flavor, moisture, and structure to these muffins. A chunky brown sugar–oat topping adds texture and just enough sweetness.
Table of contents
You’ll Love This Easy Recipe
This recipe is easy to make using the muffin method—a simple mixing technique that relies on pantry staples and minimal handling of the batter.
With the muffin method, all the dry ingredients are mixed together in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, and the two are combined just until incorporated.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- All Purpose Flour: All purpose flour has a medium protein content. Thanks to the gluten in the batter the muffins can form a nice dome as they bake and can support the crumb topping. Because the batter is mixed gently, enough gluten develops for structure without making the muffins tough.
- Rolled Oats: I recommend Old Fashioned Rolled Oats for this recipe. Quick cooking or instant oats break down for a less interesting texture.
- Sugar: This batter has a relatively low amount of sugar. Muffins are not cupcakes and shouldn’t be as sweet as cake. The topping does add a layer of sweetness to the muffins. You can make the muffins without the topping if you prefer even less sugar.
- Applesauce: I used lightly-sweetened, homemade applesauce to make these muffins. Sweetened or unsweetened applesauce is fine.
- Whole Milk: Use low fat or skim milk if you prefer. Almond or oat milk will also work.
- Eggs – Help form the structure of the muffin.
Process Photos
Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.
- Combine the dry ingredients for the topping in a mixing bowl.
- Add the butter and mix until it looks like lumpy wet sand.
- If you squeeze some topping in your hand, it should form a large clump.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in separate bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once and stir until the flour is incorporated.
- Set the batter aside for at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.
Why Rest The Batter?
Letting the batter rest allows the rolled oats to absorb moisture and soften before baking. It also gives the flour time to fully hydrate, which improves structure and helps the muffins rise more evenly. This step makes a noticeable difference in both texture and height.
- Use a scooper to portion the batter into 12 standard muffins. The batter can also make about 6 jumbo or 24 mini muffins.
- Grab a handful of the topping and squeeze it to form a large clump. Break the large clump into smaller clumps over the muffins. It will look like a lot of topping on each muffin but it will spread out as the muffins rise.
- Bake the muffins until they spring back when pressed lightly in the center.
Storage
These Muffins are best eaten slightly warm from the oven or the day they are baked. They will keep, covered, at room temperature for 2 days. Don’t refrigerate the muffins. Leftover muffins can be frozen for up to a month. To revive the texture, previously frozen muffins can be warmed in a low-oven (200F).
More Muffin Recipes
More Oat Recipes
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Oat and Applesauce Muffins
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 2 ½ oz all purpose flour (½ cup, see note)
- 1 ½ oz rolled oats (½ cup)
- 2 oz brown sugar (¼ cup)
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 oz unsalted butter (at cool room temp)
Batter
- 7 ½ oz all purpose flour (1 ½ cups, see note)
- 3 oz rolled oats (1 cup)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 6 oz granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 9 oz applesauce (1 cup)
- 4 oz whole milk (½ cup)
- 3 ½ oz vegetable oil (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crumb Topping
- Combine 2 ½ oz all purpose flour, 1 ½ oz rolled oats, 2 oz brown sugar, ⅛ teaspoon table salt and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until completely combined. With the mixer running, add 3 oz unsalted butter in chunks and continue to mix until the topping looks like lumpy wet-sand. The mixture should form a solid clump if you squeeze it in your hand. Set aside while you mix the batter.
Batter
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Butter and flour 12 standard-size muffin cups (or 6 jumbo) or line with paper liners.
- Place 7 ½ oz all purpose flour, 3 oz rolled oats, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon table salt, 6 oz granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 large eggs, 9 oz applesauce, 4 oz whole milk 3 ½ oz vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until the flour is incorporated. Set the batter aside for an hour to allow the flour and oats to absorb moisture. At this point the batter can go into the refrigerator overnight. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
- Grab a handful of the topping and squeeze it together to form a large clump. Break the clump into smaller clumps over the tops of the muffins. Continue until all the topping is used.
- Bake until the center of a muffin springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 20 minutes.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes then turn them out onto a cooling rack.
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