These vegan applesauce muffins are the perfect breakfast or brunch treat but they can also double up as dessert. They are tender and delicious and infused with the flavor of apples and crunchy almonds. They are also quite guilt-free!
These vegan applesauce muffins are loaded with so much goodness. They are whole wheat and every bite is infused with the scent of cardamom and cinnamon. Now who wouldn't want to eat that for breakfast?
Applesauce is a great ingredient for tenderizing breads and cakes, like in this vegan banana crumb muffin recipe. But it also works really well as a flavoring agent on its own. In these muffins it does double duty as a great tenderizer that produces a soft, fluffy muffin, while also adding an intoxicating apple aroma.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Healthy and delicious. There's so much goodness packed in these muffins with the applesauce and the whole wheat flour. Use a natural sugar, like coconut sugar or turbinado sugar, to maximize their goodness.
- Easy. The batter for these muffins comes together in one bowl in just minutes. And you can only need pantry ingredients! It's a great way to use up any applesauce standing around in the fridge before it goes bad.
- Kid-friendly. These guilt-free applesauce muffins are the perfect treat to pack in your child's lunchbox. You can also bake these up as mini muffins for small hands and mouths.
- Dairy-free, soy-free and can be nut-free. Skip the almonds for a nut-free version (see other suggestions in "variations" section below).
Ingredients
- Flour. Use whole wheat pastry flour for all-whole-wheat muffins. You can also use regular whole wheat flour or unbleached all purpose flour.
- Baking powder + baking soda
- Ground cinnamon + ground cardamom. These add amazing flavor and an appetizing aroma to the muffins.
- Applesauce. Unsweetened applesauce is preferred.
- Pure vanilla extract
- Neutral oil. A flavorless oil, such as avocado oil or grape seed oil, is preferred. You can use coconut oil if you want a coconutty flavor in your muffins.
- Sugar. Turbinado sugar or coconut sugar are preferred for a healthier muffin. You can use any sugar of your choice or maple syrup.
- Apple cider vinegar (optional). You don't absolutely need this because the applesauce is tart enough to activate the baking soda, but it helps make the muffins lighter and fluffier.
- Sliced almonds. These are optional, especially if you are nut-free. See variations below for more ideas.
Variations
- Stir chocolate chips into the batter instead of almonds for muffins kids will absolutely love! You can also use other types of nuts, like walnuts or pecans.
- Use almond extract instead of vanilla for a differently delicious flavor.
- Swap out the cardamom for nutmeg, or use pumpkin spice in these muffins.
How to make vegan applesauce muffins
1. Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon and ground cardamom in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to mix.
2. Add the applesauce, oil, pure vanilla extract and sugar to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
3. Mix with a spatula until the batter comes together. Stir in the almonds. Don't overmix.
4. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners or spray with cooking spray or oil. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups. Bake in a preheated 400-degree Fahrenheit/205 degree Celsius oven for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. The muffins will taste a bit nuttier and the crumb will be more dense, but they will still be delicious.
To make mini muffins use a 24-cup mini muffin pan and bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
The quantity of sugar -- ¾ths of a cup -- gives the perfect sweetness, without making these applesauce muffins too sweet. You can reduce the amount of sugar to ½ cup if you want a less sweet muffin.
More yummy vegan muffin recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a review and a star rating below or tag us on Instagram! Thanks!
Vegan Applesauce Muffins
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour (whole wheat pastry flour is preferred. You can use unbleached all purpose flour or regular whole wheat flour, or a mix of both).
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup oil (any neutral oil, like sunflower oil, avocado oil or grape seed oil).
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- ¾ cup sliced almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the flour in a bowl along with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Whisk.
- Add the applesauce, oil, vanilla, sugar and apple cider vinegar, if using, to the bowl. Use a spatula to mix using a few strokes, then stir in the sliced almonds, if using. Don't overmix.
- Line a 12-cup, standard-size muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray the pan with cooking spray or oil. Divide the batter equally among the cups.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean with no batter sticking to it.
- Cool on a wire rack, then serve warm or at room temperature.
Shelley
I am trying this recipe Vegan Applesauce Muffin for the first time and want to swap the cardamom for nutmeg. Would 1 tsp nutmeg be too strong? Other recipes I have only use 1/2 tsp nutmeg which gives a hint of the flavour.
Vaishali
Use 1/2 a teaspoon, taste the batter and add more if you want to.
John
I'm a beginner baker, and I was really surprised how easy they are to make and they are really delicious!!! WOW
Vaishali
So happy you loved them, John!
Vivienne
Oh my gosh, these are delicious! Love them. Will definitely be making again. Thank you for this recipe Vaishali.
Debra Sherbondy
I am gluten and dairy free. Can I make these muffins with Gluten free flour?
Vaishali
Yes! Use a combination of almond flour and oat flour, or use a gf all purpose flour.
Anonymous
Thank you so much!
Mom to three boys...
I just made these and they were super easy and delicious. All the kids loved them and they make a great snack on a Saturday afternoon.
Vaishali
So happy to hear!
broken in more ways than one
Could I use whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour?
Vaishali
Yes, that's fine!
Uma
Lovely muffins dear! I can have them any time of the day. And your navaratan kurma just out of the world.
Laavanya
Oh these look like they will also double up as a perfect after school snack - Goody ... 🙂
Priya
I was going through your archives y'day and boy! just last month had so many posts! I am planning on making savory muffins for breakfast this weekend. I don't have a sweet tooth and eating cereals is such a hassle in the mornings 🙁
Divya
Pre breakfast eh? Cool, more food the better. Love it that you made it with whole wheat pastry flour, which is my fav. these days.
Whatz not to like!
Only problem is, I could eat anything sweet the whole day. Not sure if this is gonna last long if I make it though.
Simran
Pre-breakfast! I love the idea
srikars kitchen
Nice entry... looks yummy & nice Click..
Vaishali
Cham: Thanks, dear.
Pete: You can definitely use any vegetable oil so long as it doesn't have a strong flavor like olive or sesame.
Sunshinemom: Thanks, and I'll definitely be participating in the Green!
Aparna, Sowmya, Thanks!
Usha, Bhawana: Thanks, and I hope you like them!
Mihl, Welcome! I must say that now that I'm used to it, pre-breakfast is pretty special 🙂
Alka, Thanks.
Anjali: You are very kind, my dear. Thanks!
ANJALI J.
i love ur posts vaishali.. i love to read all the stuff that u write in ur posts and ur recipes too..
Alka
lol....loved the word pre breakfast,all i can pass on as breakfast for myself is a khari biscuit with tea....except weekends ,when there is proper breakfast....prebreakfast is sumthng i cant even imagine
And thanks a lot for stopping by at my blog and agreeing to my thoughts....seldom does ppl do so with me! he he he
Mihl
I am totally including pre-breakfast into my day!Your mini-muffins sound like a great way to start the day.
You have a very nice blog over here, I discovered yesterday on the ppk forum.
Bhawana
Vaishali this is too good. Made a note of this. will try once and come back to you :).
Usha
These mini muffins look perfect..and how convenient that I have the whole wheat pastry flour in my pantry..so I am going to try these soon 🙂
sowmya
nice recipe..looks delicious too!!
Aparna
Mmmm. My favourite cardamom in a muffin. If they're sweet, they have no fat and noeggs, of course. Great recipe.
sunshinemom
Quite logical, I will say - If one can have midnight snacks why not have pre-breakfast? Ha, ha!
I too like the flavors of cardamom and cinnamon so this completely agrees with me:)
See you again for the September theme of Green:)
Pete
Can I use other vegetable oil instead of canola oil?
Cham
Pre-breakfast? Ha ha Vaishu , i think i will run away if in my house , my son or husb learn those words 🙂
Probably that would be our breakfast or healthy snack, i love the jelly topped one!