Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce Muffins recipe with cinnamon, raisins and nuts or frost with Butter Cream Cheese Frosting for cupcakes. 

This is a personal recipe given to my husband in 1969 by Mrs. Cordelia Kelly, Greensboro, NC.

She hosted a cooking show, "What's Cooking Today" on WFMY - Channel 2.

The original recipe was titled Apple Cupcakes and did not include a frosting recipe.

Because these moist, yummy cupcakes were not frosted, but looked and tasted like muffins.

I called them muffins.

Later, I add a delicious frosting calling them cupcakes.

Applesauce Muffins or Applesauce Cupcakes, they are scrumptious, either way.

Applesauce Muffins Recipe

• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  
  
• 2 cups sugar
  
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  
  
• 1 1/2 cups thick, unsweetened applesauce
  
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
  
• 2 eggs
  
  
• 1/2 cup soft vegetable shortening (I use Crisco)
  
  
• 1/2 cup water
  
  
• 1 cup seedless raisins
  
  
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
  
  

Sift together flour, sugar, salt, soda, baking powder, and spices twice into a mixing bowl.

Add eggs, applesauce, shortening, water, and vanilla extract.

Mix on low speed for 1 minute.

Scrape down sides and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until well blended and lumps are gone.

Fold in raisins and nuts.


Line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

Fill cups 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated oven 400F. 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done.


Remove from oven.

Let set 5 minutes and remove from pan leaving the liners intact.

TIP: Applesauce is now available flavored with cinnamon. 

You may use the new flavored version and eliminate the above cinnamon ingredient or add if for a spicier taste.

Serve hot out of the oven or cool them on a rack before serving.

Frosting may be added to the tops to serve them as Applesauce Cupcakes.

These muffins make a lovely addition to your breakfast or brunch table.

They also make a delicious dessert to your lunch boxes.

Makes 12-15 medium size muffins or cupcakes.

Muffins can be served warm or cold.

Cupcakes Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 lb. (16 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  
  
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
  
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
  
  

Mix all together in mixing bowl on high speed until light and creamy.

Frost cooled muffins to serve as cupcakes.

Variant Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Use 1/2 cup melted butter instead of the vegetable shortening.

Substitute 1 cup of fresh or thawed, frozen and drained, blueberries for the applesauce. 

Coffee Cake Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  
  

• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
  

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  
  

• 1/4 cup shortening
  
  

• 1 beaten egg
  
  

• 1/2 cup whole milk
  
  

Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.

Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

Blend the egg and whole milk together and add all at once to the flour mixture.

Stir until the ingredients are moistened.

Set aside.

Alternate layers of batter and the spicy nuts mixture in greased muffin tins.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375F. for about 20 minutes until muffins tests done when probed in the center with a fork.

Spicy Nut Mixture

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  
  

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  
  

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
  

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
  

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
  
  
  

History Of Muffin Recipes

Muffins originated in America in 1703.

It was called a mouffin (later the name changed to muffin).


Muffins were very popular back then and cook books listed several variations of them. 

I have several variations of the recipe in my own old cook books.

My 1931, Aunt Sammy's Radio Recipes, Revised Cook Book contains five recipes for the muffins. 

My old Fannie Farmer Cooking School Cook Book contains 20 variations of the muffin recipe. 

And my 1962 Better Homes And Gardens Cook Book contains 21 variations of the muffin recipe.

Related Pages

Apple Sheet Cake Recipe

Applesauce Cake Recipe

Fresh Apple Pound Cake Recipe

Return to Old Fashioned Cake Recipes


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