Applesauce Muffins: A Favorite Toddler Snack

I try to keep the snacking in our house to a minimum. My toddler has one small snack after her nap, and I like to keep it relatively healthy. These applesauce muffins are one of our favorites, and I hope they’ll become one of yours too!

I like them because they use whole grain flour, have a reasonable amount of sugar, and not much oil. I also love that you only need a single mixing bowl. I usually make them as mini-muffins because Ella can finish one or two easily (she has trouble finishing a full-size muffin). They also aren’t very crumbly, so they’re nice to take on the road as a little snack.

Rustic Applesauce Muffins

Makes 1 dozen standard-size muffins (or 2 dozen mini-muffins, plus a couple of standard-size muffins)

• 1 heaping cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 cups flour (I use white-wheat, but you could also use all-purpose or half all-purpose and half whole-wheat)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup raisins (optional; I leave them out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 12 regular-size muffin cups or 24 mini-muffin cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, egg and oil until smooth. Add all the dry ingredients without stirring between additions, and then stir together until well-combined. The batter will seem extremely dry at first, but keep going and it will come together (the batter will be very thick). Stir in raisins, if using them.

Fill each muffin tin level with the rim and bake until the tops are dry and spring back when gently pressed (25-30 minutes for standard-size muffins and about 18 minutes for mini muffins). Let cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing them.

(adapted from the extremely excellent Williams-Sonoma Muffins Cookbook)