Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins

A stack of two muffins with the top having a bite taken out of it.

If you're searching for the best Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins, you've found them. These muffins are soft, fluffy, warmly spices with cinnamon applesauce, incredibly moist thanks to applesauce, and they have a buttery cinnamon sugar topping. They come together in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients - no mixer required.

Course Muffins, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon applesauce muffins

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Cooling Time 15

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 257kcal

Author Jessica

Equipment

Ingredients

Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt

Cinnamon & Sugar Topping

4 tablespoons butter melted
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with parchment paper muffin liners, and then lightly spray each muffin liner with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, and large egg until it's well combined.
1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg
Add the cinnamon applesauce, sour cream, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Continue whisking until combined.
1 cup cinnamon applesauce, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add in the dry ingredients; all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until combined and no flour streaks remain in the batter.
2 cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon sea salt
Scoop the muffin batter into each muffin cup filling each one nearly to the top.
Bake for 16-20 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are puffy, rounded, and when gently pressed it springs back. You can also use toothpick to test the centers of the muffins. It should come out clean or with crumbs, not wet raw batter.
Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool inside the warm muffin pan for about 15 minutes or until you can safely handle them.

Cinnamon & Sugar Topping

Add the melted butter into a small bowl. In another separate bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon until well combined.
4 tablespoons butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Grab a muffin, turn it upside down, and dip the top only into the melted butter. Immediately dip it into the cinnamon sugar mixture until it's well coated.
Place the muffins onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling to room temperature, or eat one warm! Either way is delicious. Enjoy!

Notes

My family loves the cinnamon sugar topping but it is optional if you don't want it. The muffins will still be super moist, lightly sweet, and amazing without it.
Once you add the flour do not aggressively, or overmix the muffin batter. Gently stir everything together just until no flour streaks or pockets remain in the batter. Be sure you are scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure you're getting everything mixed in.
I prefer using parchment paper muffin liners but you could just spray the muffin pan instead. Liners help prevent the sides of the muffins from browning to much, and I think the liners also help the muffins bake more evenly, which is why I prefer using them.
To make scooping the muffin batter into each muffin cup, I suggest using a large cookie scoop to do it! I have linked the one I love in the recipe card below.

Nutrition