Applesauce Muffins - The BEST Healthy Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What makes a muffin healthy or unhealthy? ›

Signs of a healthy muffin recipe are whole-food ingredients like fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, eggs, and low-fat milk and yogurt (or a dairy-free alternative). Fats from plant-based oils or moderate amounts of butter can be incorporated into a muffin recipe — remember, you are making 12 servings.

If you're looking to make some of your favorite baked goods a wee bit healthier or vegan, applesauce is your magical friend! Applesauce can be used as a substitute for oil, butter, or eggs, and still give you delicious baked treats.

While you can substitute applesauce in place of granulated sugar, there are some things to be cautious of. Like butter and oil, you can substitute applesauce and sugar in a 1:1 ratio. However, sugar is a dry ingredient and applesauce is a wet ingredient, so you will have to cut back on other wet ingredients.

Plant-based yogurt, fruit puree, and even mashed banana are all viable substitutes that can be used in place of applesauce.

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All of these varieties clock in around 110 to 120 calories, 3 grams protein, and 3 grams fiber, which is along the lines of our dietitians' recommendations. "The protein and fiber will help keep you full, but also promote blood sugar regulation," Galich says.

When you're trying to eat healthy, baking at home may seem out of the question because of all the fat, calories, and cholesterol found in the oil, butter, and eggs. But luckily, applesauce works as a substitute for all three.

Use applesauce to add moisture. Replace one egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce in sweet desserts. If you want a lighter texture, add an extra 1/2 teaspoonful of baking powder, as fruit purées tend to make the final product denser than the original recipe.

You can substitute unsweetened applesauce for sugar in a 1:1 ratio in recipes, but you must reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe. Typically, reducing the liquid (milk, water, etc.) by ¹⁄₄ cup will do the trick. If there is no added liquid, there's no need to adjust.

The soluble fiber in applesauce, in the form of pectin, can be helpful in treating digestive issues, such as diarrhea and constipation. It can help to neutralize the effects of irritable bowel syndrome. Pectin also acts as a prebiotic, which feeds good gut bacteria and promotes good digestive health.

Why do people use applesauce in baking? ›

Unsweetened applesauce plays the same role as butter or oil in your bake. Applesauce acts much like the fat. It keeps the flour protein from mixing completely with the wet ingredients and forming a rubbery, dense texture. This is what does applesauce do in baking.

There are many substitutes for applesauce that can be used in baking. These include pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, pear puree, and plain Greek yogurt or more. Each of these substitutes has its own unique flavor and texture that can add something special to your baking.

Using 1/4 cup (about 65 grams (g)) of applesauce can replace an egg in most recipes. It's best to use unsweetened applesauce. If you're using a sweetened variety, you should reduce the amount of sugar or sweetener in the recipe itself.

Applesauce (store-bought or homemade) can substitute for a banana in baked goods. Replace one banana with 1/2 cup of applesauce, but don't use more than 1 cup of applesauce because the mixture will be too wet.

Most store-bought muffins are like glorified cupcakes—they're full of sugar and simple carbs. "They can be packed with added sugar and low in fiber, sending your blood sugar levels on a roller coaster before you even get to work," says Charlotte Martin, MS, RDN, CSOWM, CPT.

Unfortunately, this is often a misconception. In fact, most muffins are made with refined white flour, oil, and loads of sugar, offering little in the way of protein or fiber. Additionally, they're often large and loaded with calories, some containing nearly 400 calories each ( 10 ).

Cupcake recipes generally contain much higher levels of sugar and fat. This makes cupcakes sweeter, and juicier with finer crumbs. Muffins usually have fruit, nuts, and other ingredients mixed into the batter to compensate. Because of this, muffins are usually considered healthier than cupcakes.