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Fun and Easy to Make Applesauce Muffins Your Kids will Love!

Apples are always in season and these are just sooo cute to make.

By Kyrie Collins, Highlands Ranch-Parker-Castle Rock-Lone Tree Publisher September 24, 2022
Who loves apples? Apple are plentiful all year long! Did you know: apples are high in pectin - a soluble fiber that lowers blood pressure and glucose levels, and can even lower the "bad" cholesterol in the body; boron, also found in abundance in apples, supports bone and brain health; apples also have vitamins A, C, E. and beta carotene! So it seems there may be some truth to the old adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Of course, the healthiest form is simply a whole apple. But for a fun and yummy twist, try our Applesauce Muffins . . . and decorate them to look like the real thing. Your kids will eat 'em up!

Fun and Easy Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups applesauce 
  • 2 cups raisin bran cereal
  • 2 1/2 cups flour - I use half whole wheat and half unbleached all-purpose
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • For decorating: vanilla frosting, red food coloring, pretzel sticks, gummy worms

Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. 
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, applesauce, and cereal -  Let stand 10 minutes.
  3. Stir brown sugar and oil into cereal mixture until combined. 
  4. Meanwhile, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and spices in a large bowl. 
  5. All at once, add cereal mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened - mixture will be thick
  6. Scoop muffin batter into the muffin cups till about 2/3 full. 
  7. To give the muffins a little bit of an apple shape, place a glass marble or a balled-up piece of aluminum foil in between the liner and the pan (save this trick for heart-shaped muffins for Valentine's Day . . . or any day!
  8. Bake for 18 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Let cool completely.
How to make the topping:
  1. Stir together half a tub of vanilla frosting - save the rest for another batch of cupcakes or just eat it by the spoonful while watching reality TV . . . your choice
  2. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and several drops of red food coloring - We went more "Pink Lady" than "Red Delicious." 
  3. Frost the cupcakes. 
  4. Break pretzel sticks in half and insert one at the top of each muffin
  5. Cut the gummy worms in half and stick one half on the top of each muffin - Cute huh?

Enjoy!