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These are the best banana applesauce muffins with wonderful flavor both kids and adults will love! Bananas and applesauce provide the bulk of the sweetness without a lot of added sugar. They’re a lighter banana muffin that doesn’t sacrifice texture or flavor.
A lot of recipes for banana muffins with applesauce will leave you with a disappointing chewy texture and dull flavor, but this is one you’ll actually enjoy eating. It has become a such fan favorite recipe that I had to recipe test this 8 times before even posting – all my recipe tasters kept wanting more!
Why You’ll Love These Banana Applesauce Muffins
- Ready in 25 minutes with 13 ingredients.
- Best texture – Applesauce in banana muffins provides both moisture and sweetness, but doesn’t completely replace butter or olive oil. The combination of all three gives you the perfect texture that’s soft and crumby – not rubbery.
- Family friendly – This recipe came out of baby banana muffins I was making for my son. For his, I completely left out the sugar, but I really wanted to make a version adults would like just as much as kids.
- Sweet and savory flavor – Olive oil is used instead of seed oils in this muffin recipe. Combined with butter, it creates the perfect flavor and texture. Butter adds that savory flavor, and cutting with the oil makes the texture light and fluffy.
- Breakfast or snack – These make a perfect morning meal or a snack for kids!
- Meal prep and freezer friendly
Ingredients
The ingredients in these banana applesauce muffins are very simple and most should already be in your pantry! Scroll to the recipe card below for amounts.
- All purpose flour – I use Gold Medal or Bob’s Red Mill Organic. This could also be substituted with gluten free 1:1 baking flour.
- Bananas – Because these muffins are low sugar, it’s important that the bananas are on the sweeter side. Use ripe bananas that are beginning to brown, or fully browned.
- Applesauce – I like to use no sugar added applesauce and it can be used in other recipes like these cinnamon oatmeal muffins as well.
- Butter and olive oil – Butter can be substituted with your favorite butter substitute for dairy free, but I still recommend using both for the best flavor and texture.
- Baking soda and baking powder – Both are used in this recipe to create a large domed top, which I personally love! Using both provides balance to the flavor and appearance of the muffins.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – Warming spices that compliment bananas and apples well, I believe ginger would work in place of cinnamon too.
- Oatmeal is completely optional, but I love to sprinkle some on top for both look and texture.
Recipe Tip
Why add sugar to a banana muffin recipe? Sugar does more than sweeten muffins, it also provides softness and moisture so the muffins don’t dry out or become a rubbery texture. I’ve made these banana applesauce muffins without adding sugar when my kids were babies, and they’re still great – so feel free to omit it for younger kids. But a tiny bit of added sugar is what you want for the perfect muffin that stores well for longer.
Substitutions
- Bananas – Use 1 cup of pumpkin puree instead of banana. This would be HYH diet friendly.
- Flour – Gluten free flour can be used with success.
- Butter – Use a dairy free butter substitute, ghee, or more olive oil. Using all olive oil will still be great, but does change the flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
I love to make these muffins in one bowl to use less dishes so here’s how I do it.
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C). In a large bowl, begin by mashing the peeled bananas with a fork.
- Some small chunks can remain, but try to get it into an even texture.
- Stir in melted butter, olive oil, applesauce, spices, sugar, and vanilla until fully combined. Then mix in one egg.
- On top of the wet ingredients, add flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Then gently stir that into the wet ingredients. A dough mixer can make this very easy too!
- Spoon the batter into each cup evenly, filling about 3/4 full. Top with a pinch of oats, which look beautiful after baking and provide some extra texture!
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, till just light brown on top and set. The muffins may appear a little underdone, but will continue cooking after you remove them from the oven. This will retain a moist texture. Allow the muffins to cool at least 5 minutes before removing them from the pan and serving.
Troubleshooting Tips
If the muffins are dry and crumbly – They are most likely over-baked. Try decreasing the baking time, as different ovens can vary with cooking time. It also doesn’t hurt to have your oven calibrated every so often!
If the muffins don’t rise well – Check the expiration on the baking powder and baking soda. These do go bad and won’t give you the same lift.
If the muffins are dense – The batter probably got over-mixed or you substituted the butter with something else. A dough whisk can help with this, or just stirring till everything is combined. Don’t worry about the lumps from the banana! They offer a great texture element in baked muffins.
Storage Information
- Room temperature – These are best to store at room temperature when they are completely cool. If you intend to consume them all at once, I recommend storing them in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- Freezer instructions – If you don’t intend to consume all of these in 2 days, transfer to a ziplock freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Defrost them at room temperature, or you can reheat them (from frozen) wrapped in foil at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend substituting in 1 cup of pumpkin puree in place of the mashed bananas for a similar recipe, or making one of my other recipes like these delicious strawberry cream cheese muffins, pumpkin jumbo muffins, or cinnamon oatmeal muffins.
I did all the hard parts for you with recipe testing! The secret is to combine butter and oil, don’t over-mix the batter, stirring till JUST combined, and don’t over-bake them. The muffins should never bake longer than 20 minutes. Even just a few minutes over can dry them out.
I recommend pairing these banana applesauce muffins with this easy quiche florentine for a brunch, or this cottage cheese with fruit for a lighter alternative.
Muffin Recipes
Breakfast
Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins (Bakery-Style)
Breakfast
Savory Cheese Breakfast Muffins
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review in the recipe card! Don’t forget to tag me @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram, and follow along on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Banana Applesauce Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas (speckled or brown)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Rolled oats for garnish, if desired.
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C). In a large bowl, begin by mashing the peeled bananas with a fork. Some small chunks can remain, but try to mash it enough for an even texture. Stir in melted butter, olive oil, applesauce, spices, sugar, and vanilla until fully combined. Then mix in one egg.
- On top of the wet ingredients, add flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Then gently stir that into the wet ingredients. A dough mixer can make this very easy!
- Fill a muffin tin with liners and spoon the muffin mixture into each, filling about 3/4 full. This should create 11-12 muffins. Sprinkle a small pinch of oats on top, if desired.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, till just light brown on top and set. The muffins may appear a little underdone, but will continue cooking after you remove them from the oven. This will retain a moist texture. Allow the muffins to cool at least 5 minutes before removing them from the pan and serving.
Notes
- For an accurate flour measurement, scoop the flour into a measuring cup with a spoon, then level with a knife. Do not directly scoop the measuring cup into the flour.
- Because of the low sugar added to this recipe, make sure the bananas have browned at least enough to be speckled and are not a green color.
- For babies and younger kids – Just omit the added sugar! You can also substitute maple syrup. Sugar creates softness and moisture in a muffin recipe, so we add a little bit here for texture purposes and so they will keep well without drying out. I find babies aren’t that picky with this recipe!
- HYH – To replace bananas, use 1 cup pumpkin puree or try my Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
thanks for sharing this recipe and your story!!
Thank you for reading!!
Fast and easy recipes with low sugar and they taste delicious! This is a repeat recipe for me.
I made these muffins with my homemade applesauce and added a scoop of organic protein powder to the mix. The batter got a little thick so I added a spoon of milk to loosen it up.
The muffins were light, moist and flavorful! I will be making these again!
I’m so glad that worked out! I will have to try it.
Just a quick note. Butter and any oil should not be combined as they produce unhealthy compounds. Use one or the other for healthier you.
Haven’t made them but sound great.
These turned out so yummy! I will definitely make again, as it was quick and easy. Putting the oats on top was a great addition. love!
Thank you!!
These muffins are wonderful. Moist and sweet…with only 2 tablespoons of added sugar! Can walnuts or blueberries be added to the recipe?
Yes, you definitely can!! I think the blueberries would be great.
This was a great way for me to reintroduce banana. And thank goodness it went well bc these are delicious!
Thank you, Courtney! I love this recipe!