These Healthy Apple Muffins are moist, fluffy, and packed with real apple flavor from both grated apples and applesauce. They’re quick to make, freezer-friendly, and perfect for breakfast, snacks, or packed into school lunchboxes. A hit with toddlers, kids, and grown-ups every time!

Teal blue plate with a stack of apple muffins and a side of sliced muffins sitting on a blue napkin on a white counter.
5 stars (4 ratings)
“Delicious muffins! My 1 yr old loves these!” -Karina
Add your comment

It’s no secret that I love a good muffin recipe. Over the years, I’ve built up quite the collection – from my Banana Muffins to Spinach Muffins, Yogurt Muffins, and even Mini Blueberry Avocado Muffins. And now, we’re adding a timeless classic to the list: these Healthy Apple Muffins!

These muffins are bursting with real apple flavor – two ways! Freshly grated apples keep them soft and moist, while unsweetened applesauce adds a gentle sweetness. They are spiced with the perfect amount of cinnamon and vanilla and have just the right amount of sweetness to feel like a treat, without tipping into sugar-overload territory.

Toddlers, kids, and adults alike love these fluffy apple muffins. I like serving them with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast, or with a smear of peanut butter and a cup of coffee (for me, not the kids;) for the perfect mid-afternoon snack.

Apple Muffin Video

Ingredients

Ingredients in a spread with graphics with what they are labeled on top.

Muffins for Toddlers & Kids

These apple muffins are great served as is, or with a smear of cream cheese, butter or peanut butter for breakfast. My kids’ current favorite is to serve them with a hard-boiled egg or a cheese stick for a little extra protein for snacks or packed into a school lunch.

Teal blue plate with a cut up muffin, side pink bowl full of yogurt and sliced apples showing how to serve apple muffins to toddlers and kids.
Teal kids plate with a stack of apple muffins and a hand reaching out to pick one up.

Get the recipe: Kid-Requested Healthy Apple Muffins (25-Minutes)

5 stars (4 ratings)
Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked apple cinnamon muffins! These no-fuss, real fruit-added Apple Muffins come together in just minutes to create a warm, comforting addition to breakfast or snacks you can enjoy all week. Great for toddlers, kids, and adults alike!
Yield: 12 muffins
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Total: 22 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Breakfast
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 1 3/4 cups white wheat flour, or all-purpose, gluten-free blend
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup melted butter or oil (such as olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil or melted coconut oil)
  • 1/3 cup applesauce, homemade or store-bought
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup apples finely chopped or grated

Instructions 

  • Prep: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray or line a muffin tin.
  • Prep Apples: Grate or chop the apples and press out any excess moisture.
    Paper towel on a white counter with shredded apple on top.
  • Whisk: In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, sugar, applesauce, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
    Clear glass baking bowl with wet ingredients inside sitting on a white counter.
  • Stir: Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently stir until just combined.
    Clear bowl with both wet muffin ingredients and dry ingredients getting ready to mix together.
  • Combine: Add in the grated or chopped apples, and gently fold in. Do not overmix.
    Clear white bowl on a white counter with apple muffin batter.
  • Fill Muffin Tin: Scoop the batter into the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full.
    Blue muffin tin on a white countertop with apple muffins inside.
  • Bake: Place the muffin tin into the oven, and bake for 15-18 minutes or until just golden brown.
    Blue muffin tin with cooked apple muffins.
  • Eat: Let cool to the touch, serve and enjoy!
    Teal kids plate with a stack of apple muffins and a hand reaching out to pick one up.

Notes

Age: roughly 9 months and up 
Mini or Regular Size: you can make these muffins into mini or regular size muffins, the only difference is the baking time. For mini muffins, bake for 10-12 minutes, for regular muffins bake for 18-20 minutes. 
Storage: store in an air-tight container on the counter or fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
Note on Flours: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour. 
Kids in the Kitchen
Muffins are a great beginner recipe to help kids build their skills in the kitchen. There are many different ways both toddlers and older kids can help out.

Toddlers

  • Toddlers can help count out the muffin liners and place into the muffin tins.
  • They can help measure and place ingredients into the bowl.
  • Toddlers can help mix the ingredients together.
  • They can help scoop the batter into the muffin tins. (I find it’s easiest to give them their own smaller bowl and spoon to use.)

Kids

  • Older kids can pick out and measure all of the ingredients. 
  • They can help chop or grate the apples with adult supervision.
  • Kids can help mix the ingredients together.
  • They can help pour the batter into the muffin tins.
  • Depending on your child’s age and skill level, they can carefully put the muffin tin into the oven (with adult supervision) and remove once baked. 
 

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @babyfoode on Instagram and hashtag it #babyfoode!

Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).