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.
- 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
- 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!
OMG!!! I have to admit that while I hoped that these would be yummy, I was expecting them to be ‘okay’. Grab the ingredients and make these right now!!!!! They are soft, and moist and so full of banana flazvor.
I opted for honey as my sweetener and coconut oil as my fat, and opted to add in 1/4 cup diced walnuts, my bananas were really ripe 🙂 These come in as 3 WW points
Make these today, you won’t be dissapointed!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the healthy banana muffins. 🙂
I followed the recipe closely. Used pure maple syrup and coconut oil. Only had one addition, mini chocolate chips. They were fantastic!!!
Happy to hear! Yes, those are great ingredients to use.
Delicious! Made as described. Great choice for a non -400 calorie breakfast muffin.
My family loves this recipe… it is my “go to” for quick muffins
I made these not long ago and they were so yummy! As a type 2 diabetic it’s nice to find muffin recipes that aren’t loaded down in sugar. I did have one question…in the oven and after first taking them out when done they rose up to a nice dome, but then as they cooled they sunk into a flat top. I used exact measurements and had fresh baking powder/soda. Not sure if it’s the spelt flour…
K, have 2 ideas for you. #1 add a few tbsps of flour more next time and bake at teh recipe T and time. #2 Bake at 425 for 7 mins and then reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake for another 10-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Both times I would use those 2 extra tbsp of flour.
Love this recipe! I make it all the time and amend based on the ingredients I have..super simple – 2 bowls – one for wet, one for dry- mix each then mix together…the easiest!!! And, they are delicious!!
Awesome! I don’t even do 2 bowls and banana muffins come out just fine. You honestly don’t need to complicate your life with 2 bowls. Just try. Break the rules of Julia Child.:)
Just made these muffins with 1/2 cup chocolate chips added. They are delicious!!
Happy to hear you loved these whole wheat banana muffins, Brenda!:)
Made these last night using olive oil, lite maple syrup, and all purpose flour. I made a double batch – half with chocolate chips for me and half with blueberries for my little guy and added spinach to both as well! They turned out delicious and moist despite the modifications 🙂 Bookmarking this recipe to use again for sure!!
So happy your modifications to my healthy banana muffins worked. I have to say that was risky haha.
Delicious! I used honey, coconut oil, & added small amount of walnuts & raisins (1/4 cup of each), they were a real hit! I have already been asked for the recipe!
I didn’t have maple syrup so I used honey. They are really tasting good! I love these healthy alternatives in all of your recipes. Is it possible to use coconut sugar and add more banana as a wet ingredient since we are replacing honey and sugar?
I would say if you know what muffin batter should be like then yes. The main thing is not to throw off ratio of liquids to dry ingredients. I would experiment. Sounds like you know what you are talking about. Have fun.:)