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Healthier Pumpkin Muffins Recipe (With Applesauce)

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Our healthier pumpkin muffins are filled with the tastes of fall, and made with applesauce instead of oil. Perfect for school lunches, quick breakfasts, or an afternoon snack. 

You might also like these pumpkin recipes: quick rise pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pretzel bites and pumpkin cinnamon swirl bread.

collage of muffins, chopped walnuts and a bottle of applesauce

My kids get bored with sandwiches in their lunch so I often find myself baking a batch of muffins in the evening to add to lunches the next day. We love all varieties; blueberry, apple cider muffins, and poppyseed, but pumpkin reigns supreme this time of year. Today I’m sharing our cinnamon pumpkin muffins that are packed with of the flavors of fall. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, walnuts for crunch, and sprinkled in a cinnamon and sugar topping. This recipe is an adaptation of the one that I use for pumpkin mini loaves and pumpkin bread. It is so versatile!  This version is made with all applesauce instead of applesauce + oil and has a cinnamon and sugar topping. Yum.

bottle of applesauce and two brown eggs
You can use oil or melted butter in this recipe, but I really like substituting applesauce (1/2 cup applesauce = 110 calories. 1/2 cup vegetable oil = 960 calories). Applesauce adds moisture to the recipe and cuts out calories, fat, sodium, and cholesterol at the same time. I don’t cut out any sugar so they aren’t aren’t as healthy as they could be, but still delicious and lower in fat just the same.

cinnamon pumpkin muffins on cooling rack

Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffin Ingredients

Makes 12 muffins

  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (can be made with half whole wheat flour)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
  • Topping: 2 Tbsp. sugar + 2 teaspoons cinnamon

(can use 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg)

bowl with dry ingredients, measuring cup of applesauce, measuring cup of pumpkin puree and teaspoon of vanilla
In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder, salt).

Add wet ingredients.

bowl of pumpkin muffin batter
Give batter a nice stir.

cutting board of chopped walnuts
Nuts are completely optional, but you’d be crazy not to add them 😉

bowl of cinnamon and sugar
Line a muffin tin with 12 baking liners. Divide batter into 12 muffin liners. Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Let muffins cool in muffin pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Store in an air tight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Can also be stored in the freezer for a month or two.

Nothing smells better than fall baking. My house smelled like I was burning all sorts of amazingly scented candles while these were in the oven.

cinnamon pumpkin muffins in muffin liner
 

Healthier Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

Healthier Pumpkin Muffins

Our healthier pumpkin muffins are filled with the flavors of fall, and made with applesauce instead of oil. Perfect for school lunches, quick breakfasts, or an afternoon snack. 
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 220kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts optional
  • Topping: 2 T. sugar + 2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder, salt).
  • Add eggs, applesauce, vanilla, and pumpkin.
  • Give batter a nice stir. Stir in nuts (optional).
  • Line a muffin pan with 12 baking liners. Divide batter into 12 muffin liners. Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Let muffins cool in muffin pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

Store in an air tight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Can also be stored in the freezer for a month or two.

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal

Here is another healthier pumpkin recipe to try.

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About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

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Comments

  2. Emily says

    I’m visiting from Your Whim’s Wednesday. These look great! I bet my kids would love them, too; and I’m all for my house smelling fallish!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  3. Emily says

    My mouth is watering right now! These sound like a perfect bite of fall flavors! Thanks for linking up with Merry Monday this week.

    Reply

  6. Christine @ www.rustic-refined.com says

    That looks wonderful Brandy! Thanks so much for joining us at the DI & DI Link party.

    Reply

  7. Miz Helen says

    We will just love your Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins, they look awesome. Hope you have a great week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  10. Florence says

    Why is it that I’m always looking at recipes, when I’m starving…LOL! These muffins look so good, and I know they are good b/c I see those ingredients, and they are my faves too. Love that it’s made with applesauce, which tastes just as good as oil, IMO. Thanks for sharing at Sweet Inspiration!

    Reply

  11. Kim says

    I so didn’t know you could trade applesauce for oil! I’ll have to try it! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
    Kim

    Reply

  13. Dawn Beaver says

    Just made these…substituted stevia for the sugar to reduce the Weight Watchers points. So good!!!! I’ve been craving all the pumpkin baked goods and these were perfect!

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      This is so good to know! I JUST had a reader ask if she could substitute the sugar for sweetener for another pumpkin recipe that I have, but I hadn’t ever tried and wasn’t sure what to tell her!

      Reply

    • Brandy says

      Hi Joyce! You can definitely use mini loaf pans. You’d just need to adjust the baking time to probably 25 minutes or so.

      Reply

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