Applesauce Banana Muffins are naturally sweetened and made easy in one bowl. Moist and delicious healthy banana muffins your family will love for breakfast or snack.
Other favorite banana muffins include these almond flour banana muffins and kodiak banana muffins.
When it comes to baked goods, simplicity is key. These healthy banana muffins with applesauce, whole wheat flour and no refined sugar win every-single-time. Along with applesauce banana bread, they are our family favorite and I can guarantee they will be yours too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Low fat: Banana applesauce muffins do not need much oil or butter thanks to applesauce.
- Low sugar: Naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and a touch of maple syrup, these healthy muffins contain only 10 grams of sugar.
- Whole grain: Using 100% whole wheat flour or spelt flour adds both fiber and nutrients you don’t get with white flour.
- Easy recipe: Made in one bowl, with simple ingredients.
- Light and fluffy: Both adults and kids love these banana muffins with applesauce!
Reader’s Review
These are so good! I used maple syrup (not honey) and sprinkled them with chopped honey roasted pecans and a cinnamon and sugar mix before baking. They are so moist and delicious!!
Traci Marschalk
Ingredients for Applesauce Banana Muffins
- Bananas: Choose very ripe bananas that are yellow with many brown spots to brown patches. Here is a quick tutorial how to ripen bananas faster if your bananas are not quite there yet. Previously frozen bananas are OK too, just make sure to thaw them first.
- Flour: I have tested this recipe with whole wheat flour and spelt flour. You should be OK with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour in same amount.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup, honey, agave or any other liquid sweetener works.
- Applesauce: Either sweetened or I like to use unsweetened applesauce, it adds moisture and sweetness. You can substitute it with 2% and higher fat Greek yogurt but keep in mind your banana muffins will be less sweet. Add a touch more sweetener or just make my Greek yogurt banana muffins.
- Egg: For lift and binding. You may try to replace it with a flax egg or chia egg.
- Oil: Avocado oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil works. Coconut oil is great too although it has to be melted first and then measured. A little bit of oil is necessary to avoid rubbery texture.
- Baking staples: Baking soda and baking powder for leavening, and salt for taste.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract for extra flavor. You can also add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for warmth.
How to Make Banana Applesauce Muffins
This healthy banana muffin recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes.
- Combine wet ingredients and leavening agents: In a large bowl, lightly whisk an egg. Add bananas and mash well with a potato masher. Add applesauce, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, baking powder and soda and salt, then whisk to combine or I use the same masher to “whisk”.
- Add flour and gently stir until well incorporated. Give the muffin batter a few stirs and let it sit for a few seconds. Then stir in a different direction again. Try to stir from the very bottom to avoid patches of flour in the muffins.
- Bake the muffins: Using a trigger cookie dough scoop, fill each muffin pan opening with batter almost full. Bake banana muffins for 22 minutes in preheated 375 F degrees oven.
- Cool the muffins: After baking, let banana muffins cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool off completely.
Tips for Best Results
- Follow the recipe: Dry to wet ingredients ratio has to be maintained. Do not use dry sweetener like brown sugar or white granulated sugar, please.
- Other flours: If you want to use all-purpose flour, I recommend 1 3/4 cups. Do not use coconut flour because all flours act differently. For gluten free versions, check out my almond flour banana muffins and oat flour banana muffins.
- Do not over mix the batter: Vigorous mixing will result in gluten development in the flour. Banana applesauce muffins will come out rubbery and tough.
- Muffin tin liners: Be sure to use parchment paper liners and not just paper liners to prevent sticking. If using no liners, be sure to spray your muffin tin well and make sure it is truly non-stick one.
- To avoid sinking in the center muffins: Measure 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana, use fresh baking powder and next time add a tad more flour, if you had collapsed centers.
Variations
You can add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of these add-ins without any other changes to the recipe.
- Nuts: Chopped or in pieces walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pistachios.
- Chocolate chips: Mini chocolate chips would go a long way and you will have to use less of them.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries work great. You might love my healthy blueberry banana muffins too!
- Dried fruit: Raisins or dried cranberries.
- To make mini banana muffins: Bake mini banana muffins for 15 minutes and do a toothpick test. If it comes out with muffin batter on it, bake longer, if necessary.
- Would you like a banana bread? Check out my banana bread with applesauce.
How to Store
Store: To prevent banana muffins from drying out, place in a resealable bag or airtight container and store muffins on a counter for 3 days. Afterwards if any left (never happens to us), refrigerate for another 3 days.
Freeze: Bake and cool the muffins and freeze the same day to ensure freshness. Freeze muffins for up to 3 months. To thaw just remove banana muffins from the freezer and let defrost in a bag for a few hours or overnight on a counter.
More Banana Muffin Recipes to Try
- Greek yogurt banana muffins
- Banana carrot muffins
- Healthy banana oatmeal muffins
- Banana protein muffins
- Pumpkin banana muffins
- Healthy banana chocolate chip muffins
Applesauce Banana Muffins
These Banana Muffins with Applesauce are naturally sweetened and made easy in one bowl. Moist and delicious healthy banana muffin recipe!
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 3 large very ripe bananas, 1 1/2 cups mashed
- 1/2 cup applesauce, sweetened or unsweetened
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, or honey
- 3 tablespoons mild oil, I use avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray non-stick 12 muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk the egg. Add bananas and mash well. Add applesauce, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, baking powder and soda and salt; whisk to combine.
- Add flour and gently stir until well incorporated. Do not over mix otherwise muffins will be tough.
- Fill each opening almost full with batter (I used regular ice cream scoop) and bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Let muffins cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool off completely.
🎉 Last step! If you made this recipe, please leave a review and let us know what you think!
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: In an airtight container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours or overnight.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 107kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 179mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!
I make these as mini muffins and my kiddos devour them. I do add a few chocolate chips on top but a few goes a long way. Such a great recipe! I love most of your recipes 🙂
Awesome! Glad you love most of my recipes haha.
I made with 1/3 cup oat flour, 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry (what I had), 1/3 cup cornmeal, and 1/3 cup all purpose. I added sunflower seeds and black sesame. I liked all the changes and think these are good breakfast food. Not too sweet. Easy to add nut butter or some kind of jam. I would make again.
Glad your substitutions have worked.
These muffins are delicious, super moist, and surprisingly filling. They’re not too sweet, but just sweet enough, without all the sugar. Just perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tall glass of almond milk. Another plus, is how quick and easy it was to make them. I’m planning to add these to my healthy breakfast meal rotation. Thank you!
These are the best whole wheat muffins I’ve tasted. They are super moist and very filling. Only substitution I made was using sugar-free syrup instead of regular. sweet ass, but not too sweet. These will be a regular snack or on-the-go breakfast. Delicious!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the awesome feedback!
I made these using glutenfree flour and adding walnuts. I eat gluten free and my husband is diabetic, so I try to make recipes we both can eat. These were great, will make again.
Awesome! Glad to hear the gluten-free flour swap worked. I would love to know which one you used.
Absolutely delicious! Only thing I did differently was to stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts at the end.
12 muffins baked up moist and tender in time specified. This recipe is a keeper!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
These muffins are delicious! I ground my own Spelt Berries for flour, and Fuji apple for sauce in my Vitamix. I added Chocolate chips, Walnuts and Raisens. This recipe will be a regular make whenever there are extra ripe bananas. Thank you Olena!
Your banana muffin sound extra healthy! I’m so glad you have a new favorite. My pleasure, Amy!
Made this today Used silicone muffins pans! They came out a little soggy ! Wondering if I should cook longer! I tested them with a tooth pick came out clean ! Maybe next time I should use my normal tin muffin tins!
I don’t think it has to do anything with silicone muffin tin but you could try. I think sometimes bananas are a tad larger so that’s why muffins turn out a bit wet. Using less bananas or a bit more flour should fix it.
Yes. Too much liquid not enough flour in this recipe. I had to cook an extra five minutes and they were still too soggy.
I made these with regular flour because I didn’t have whole wheat flour and they turned out well! Really moist.
Awesome! Good to know that regular flour works.
Turn out really good! I added a 1/2 cup oatmeal and some chocolate chips… what I like is that they are not sweet at all.also they stuck to the muffin cups but no big deal… will make them again.
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback! They do stick to some cups because of applesauce. Either spray them well or there are better ones like parchment paper ones.
I followed this recipe to the T.. no changes, no substitutions. OMG THEY ARE SO FLUFFY AND DELICIOUS! my 2 yr old couldn’t wait and devoured one right after i took out of the oven. Finally found my favorite banana muffin recipe! Will definitely make this again and add some cinammon! T
Had them in the oven for 36 minutes and still came out soggy in the middle, small and dense – all of them ended up in the garbage. An unfortunate waste of ingredients.
Delicious and Nutritious!
Wow, this hits all the marks with no sugar, and only WW flour which is exactly what I was looking for. I use coconut sugar but really want to start using honey instead when possible and this recipe made that happen. I have another banana muffin recipe that I have used for years that uses sugar but your recipe tastes surprisingly better! I noticed a stronger banana flavor which is delightful.
Olena, thank you for sharing your recipe and I have already marked several of your other muffin recipes and look forward to trying them as well. I also appreciate the way you share information concerning the recipe and break down the reasonings behind each ingredient, way to go.
You are a marvelous chef and I’m sure your grandma would be proud.
My pleasure and thank you for your kind words. Strong banana flavor in banana baked goods is a must.:)