Best Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Applesauce

Make these easy pumpkin muffins with applesauce, autumn spices and golden raisins that will make your kitchen smell fabulous. They're moist with a tender crumb, and I include my tips for the best muffins you've ever made.

You can make these pumpkin muffins without any topping, or make the optional streusel made with pumpkin seeds. The post includes adjustments to make for baking these muffins at high altitude. See the section "Make These Muffins at High Altitude".

Jump to Recipe

Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
• 🔪 Recommended Equipment
• 📝 Instructions Overview
• 👩‍🍳 Can you use oil instead of butter?
• 🍎 How to Make Small Batch Applesauce
• 🏔️ Make These Muffins at High Altitude
• 🎃 More Pumpkin Recipes
• Best Pumpkin Muffins with Applesauce

Autumn is pumpkin season, and often make these pumpkin ricotta pancakes, lightened with whipped egg whites. And we also crave everything apple this time of year. A warm, soft muffins with my morning coffee, IMO, is one of the best ways to combine these two flavors. Or pumpkin bread, like this boozy adult pumpkin bread made with applesauce and (optional) apple brandy.

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

• Pumpkin and apple is a fantastic combination, especially with warm spices.
• Make them ahead, and freeze half of them in an airtight container for you next muffin emergency.
• These muffins are so tender, they practically melt in your mouth.
• Not over-the-top sweet!

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📝 Instructions Overview

Detailed instructions for making this pumpkin applesauce muffin recipe are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!

Step 1

Make the streusel. The streusel topping is totally optional. But make it first and set it aside if you go in that direction.

Step 2

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, leaveners, and all the spices in a medium mixing bowl, and set aside.

Step 3

Mix the wet ingredients. Cream together the butter and sugar, and add the eggs one at a time, making sure to incorporate each egg before adding the next. Add the remaining wet ingredients.

Step 4

Fold. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet using a rubber spatula. Add the raisins.

Step 5

Bake. Spoon into a muffin tin lined with paper liners, and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

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👩‍🍳 Can you use oil instead of butter?

Yes! It's easy to swap out the butter for oil. You can use a neutral flavored oil such as safflower oil or canola oil, but also olive oil or coconut oil.

Here's the ratio to use making this substitution:

When swapping butter for oil, use a 3:4 ratio. So if a recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ¾ cup olive oil. 

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🍎 How to Make Small Batch Applesauce

I don't always have applesauce on hand, but almost always have apples. So if you need to make a quick batch of applesauce for this recipe, here's all you need do.

• Peel and core 2 large apples, and thinly slice. You should have 3 cups of sliced apples when done.
• Pile them into a medium size pan with ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
• Simmer over medium-low heat until very soft.
• Either add to the pumpkin batter as is, or use an immersible blender in the pot to make a coarse apple sauce.

You should end up with 1 cup fresh applesauce.

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🏔️ Make These Muffins at High Altitude

The recipe card provides directions for making these at sea level. If you're at high altitude like I am, here are the adjustments to make. (I bake at 7100 feet.) The most important adjustments are the leaveners. Otherwise the muffins could either (1) rise too quickly and collapse in on themselves, or (2) puff up over the muffin tin and crack their top surface as they bake.

• Use 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda instead of 2 teaspoons.
• Adjust the baking powder down slightly from ½ teaspoon to ⅜ teaspoon.
• Add 2 tablespoons of additional apple sauce or 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt for a little more liquid.
• The baking time will be closer to 30 - 32 minutes.

🎃 More Pumpkin Recipes

I absolutely adore pumpkin muffins, and really any kind of pumpkin breads. If you feel the same way, go check these out!

Boozy Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Spice Banana Muffins

Pumpkin Pie Spoon Bread

Cranberry Pumpkin Loaf with Chocolate Chips

Inspired by Karen Kitchen Stories Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins.