Light and Fluffy Applesauce Donut Muffins

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These soft, fluffy, Applesauce Donut Muffins are loaded with homemade applesauce, whole wheat flour, and topped with melted butter and cinnamon sugar. These muffins are perfect for a cool fall morning or an afterschool treat!

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Happy fall friends–I brought you some Applesauce Donut Muffins today!

These are light, fluffy, and made with a whole bunch of homemade applesauce, which makes them super moist and a little extra sweet. Perfect for fall!

For added nutrients and extra toasty flavor, I mixed in a little whole wheat flour too.

But let’s talk about the pièce de résistance: the cinnamon sugar topping!

In this recipe, you take a perfectly wonderful muffin, and then you unapologetically dip it in melted butter and roll it in cinnamon sugar.

I KNOW.

And when you eat the whole ensemble together–the crunchy cinnamon sugar coating and the light, fluffy muffin…next level my friends.

Now personally, I just coat the tops of these muffins. I think they look prettier and also it’s a little less messy to eat.

But a lot of people actually dunk the whole muffin in butter and roll it in cinnamon sugar. I have no doubt that would be delicious too.

I encourage you to try it and I also encourage you to eat a whole batch of these applesauce muffins in one sitting.

They’re THAT good!!

What makes these “donut muffins” rather than regular muffins?

Well, for starters, both my husband and I ate one and thought, “hey! these would make great doughnuts!”

But I also researched this topic and a traditional “donut muffin” is pretty plain, with a little bit of vanilla and some nutmeg in the batter. Just like an old fashioned cake donut.

Over time, the recipes have evolved and changed, but the common denominator still seems to be the cinnamon sugar coating on these muffins.

My interpretation is that dunking the muffin in cinnamon sugar is supposed to mimic the coating that you find on an old fashioned cinnamon sugar doughnut.

So when developing this recipe, I knew in order to make these “donut muffins”, I had to dip these puppies in buttah and cinnamon sugar.

And that’s exactly what I did. And I’m a better person for it.

With all that being said, here’s how you make them:

How To Make Light and Fluffy Applesauce Donut Muffins

Makes 14 Muffins

Ingredients for the applesauce muffins

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffin Topping

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° and line two muffin pans with paper muffin liners, or grease the muffin pan really well with butter or cooking spray.

Melt the butter in the microwave or a small sauce pan and set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk together flours, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

With a whisk or hand mixer, mix the sugar and melted butter together until combined.

Add in eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until well incorporated.

Next, add in the applesauce and sour cream and beat again with the whisk or mixer until well blended.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low or with a wooden spoon until the batter just comes together.

Let the batter sit 5-10 min for the flour to hydrate.

Divide the batter into 14 muffin cups–about a 1/3 cup of batter in each cup.

Bake the muffins at 400° for about 17-20 min. The muffins are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, set the muffins aside for about 15-20 minutes, until they’re cool enough to handle and can be lifted out of the pan.

For the topping: Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small sauce pan or in the microwave. Transfer to a small dish with an opening slightly wider than the top of the muffins.

In another small dish, combine the 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of sugar and the 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix well.

Once the muffins are cool enough to pick up and not fall apart, dip the tops in the melted butter. Let any excess butter drip off back into the dish.

Immediately dip the buttered top in the cinnamon sugar mixture, rolling the top around to get every nook and cranny coated in the sugar mixture. Set aside and repeat with remaining muffins.

Serve warm and store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Are applesauce donut muffins healthy?

I wouldn’t call these Applesauce Donut Muffins healthy, but they do have some good stuff going on!

The applesauce I use in this recipe is free of any added sugar–or really anything. It’s apples only. I made my own (here’s the recipe), but of course store bought is perfectly fine!

In addition to the applesauce, I added some whole wheat flour. It not only boosts the structure of the muffins, but it adds a little extra nutrition in the process!

And unlike a traditional doughnut, we’re baking these into muffins, rather than frying them. So that eliminates the excess oil and fat in the recipe.

The high baking temperature is a huge factor in this recipe. It helps to set and brown the outside of the muffin for a delightful extra toasty flavor, and it gives the muffins a great rise and texture. So no need for frying here!

Can I use sweetened or cinnamon applesauce for this donut muffin recipe?

Sure!

Just be aware if using sweetened applesauce, you may want to cut back on the sugar in the topping. It might be too sweet!

You can try reducing the sugar in the recipe by a 1/4 cup, but just be aware it may change the texture slightly.

But if you have a big sweet tooth, then having a little extra sweetness won’t be a problem!

How do I store these Applesauce Donut Muffins?

You can store these in an airtight container on the counter for 4-5 days.

Applesauce Donut Muffins can be frozen as well! They actually freeze beautifully.

To freeze, bake per the recipe, but don’t dip the muffins in the butter and cinnamon sugar.

Instead, allow the muffins to cool completely and transfer to a freezer safe bag or container and pop them in the freezer.

When you’re ready to eat, thaw muffins at room temperature. Once thawed, you can either eat them as is or move forward with dipping them in the butter and cinnamon sugar.

They will be deliciously moist and fluffy!

So what else can I do with lots of applesauce?

Ok, so you went apple picking, got a bushel of apples and made a metric ton of applesauce. So what can you do with all of it?

Well first off, you make these muffins of course. And make sure to bake a lot of them because they freeze really well.

But if you still have some applesauce leftover, here are some of my favorite uses!

• Enjoy a bowlful cold or warmed, with a dash of cinnamon or some dried fruit and nuts. It makes for a fabulous and healthy breakfast!
• Add your applesauce to baked goods! If you’re baking something that calls for oil or milk, try using applesauce in its place. I do that for my applesauce pancakes and carrot apple muffins.
• Applesauce makes great baby food
• Add applesauce to squash soup or other root vegetable based soups for a little extra sweetness
• Spoon over yogurt
• Blend into smoothies
• Serve with pork chops and sauerkraut
• Use as a base for sauces and dips!

Pin Light and Fluffy Applesauce Donut Muffins for Later!

Other Recipes You May Like

Natural and Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce

Fluffy Applesauce Pancakes Without Milk

Carrot Apple Muffins With Oats

Orange Almond Muffins

Warm Apple Crisp with Oats and Cinnamon

Tools You May Need:

12 Cup Muffin Pan

The Muffin Liners I Love To Use

This Pan Would Be Super Cute For Applesauce Donuts

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