Applesauce is one of the best healthy baking ingredients—it adds natural sweetness, moisture, and a soft texture to your cakes, muffins, and cookies.

Whether you want low-fat desserts, kid-friendly treats, or cozy fall bakes, these 13 applesauce baking recipes are wholesome, easy, and incredibly flavorful.

1. Applesauce Banana Bread

A moist and naturally sweet banana bread made healthier with unsweetened applesauce. It requires no oil and stays incredibly soft for days.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour

• ½ cup brown sugar or honey

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Whisk bananas, applesauce, egg, vanilla, and sugar.

3. Add flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix gently.

4. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake 45–55 minutes.

5. Cool before slicing.

2. Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

Soft, healthy oatmeal muffins sweetened only with applesauce. Perfect for breakfast meal prep.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 1 cup applesauce

• 1 cup milk

• 1 ¾ cups flour

• ½ cup sugar or maple syrup

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Combine oats and milk; let soak for 10 minutes.

2. Add applesauce, egg, sugar, and cinnamon.

3. Stir in flour and baking powder.

4. Fill muffin cups and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes.

3. Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy, soft chocolate chip cookies made with applesauce instead of butter for a lighter treat.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup applesauce

• ¼ cup oil

• ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Mix applesauce, oil, sugars, and egg.

2. Add flour and baking soda.

3. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.

4. Applesauce Spice Cake

A warmly spiced cake made with applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for a cozy fall dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups flour

• 1 cup applesauce

• ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• ½ tsp cloves

• 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Whisk applesauce, egg, and sugars.

2. Add flour, spices, and baking soda.

3. Bake in a greased 8×8 pan at 350°F for 25–30 minutes.

5. Healthy Applesauce Brownies

Fudgy chocolate brownies with applesauce replacing most of the butter—rich but lower in fat.

Ingredients

• ½ cup applesauce

• ¼ cup butter, melted

• ½ cup cocoa powder

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• ¾ cup flour

Instructions

1. Mix sugar, eggs, applesauce, and butter.

2. Add cocoa powder and flour.

3. Spread into a pan and bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes.

6. Applesauce Pumpkin Muffins

Perfect fall muffins combining pumpkin puree and applesauce for the ultimate moistness.

Ingredients

• 1 cup applesauce

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 2 cups flour

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp pumpkin spice

• 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Mix applesauce, pumpkin, sugar, and egg.

2. Add flour, spices, and baking powder.

3. Spoon into muffin tins and bake at 350°F for 20–23 minutes.

7. Applesauce Pancakes

Fluffy pancakes made extra soft with applesauce—naturally sweet and kid-friendly.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup milk

• ½ cup applesauce

• 1 egg

• 1 Tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Whisk everything together.

2. Cook on a hot greased pan until bubbles form.

3. Flip and cook the other side.

8. Applesauce Granola Bars

Soft, chewy granola bars perfect for snacks or lunchboxes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups oats

• ½ cup applesauce

• ¼ cup honey

• ¼ cup peanut butter

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients.

2. Press into a baking pan.

3. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes.

4. Cool and cut into bars.

9. Applesauce Carrot Cake

A moist, wholesome carrot cake with applesauce replacing oil for a lighter texture.

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• ½ cup applesauce

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 ½ cups flour

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Mix carrots, applesauce, eggs, and sugar.

2. Stir in flour, cinnamon, and baking soda.

3. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes.

10. Applesauce Cornbread

A healthier, softer cornbread made moist with applesauce—great for dinner or chili night.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup applesauce

• ½ cup milk

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.

2. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 375°F for 20–22 minutes.

11. Applesauce Donuts (Baked)

Soft baked donuts flavored with cinnamon and sweetened by applesauce—no frying required.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour

• ½ cup applesauce

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup sugar

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients.

2. Pipe into a donut pan.

3. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.

12. Applesauce Cinnamon Rolls

A softer, lighter cinnamon roll dough made with applesauce for a tender texture.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour

• 1 cup applesauce

• 1 egg

• 2 Tbsp sugar

• 2 tsp yeast

• Filling: cinnamon + brown sugar

Instructions

1. Mix dough ingredients, knead until smooth.

2. Let rise 1 hour.

3. Roll out, add cinnamon sugar, and slice into rolls.

4. Bake at 350°F for 18–20 minutes.

13. Applesauce Coffee Cake

A crumb-topped breakfast cake with a cinnamon swirl and moist applesauce base.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups flour

• 1 cup applesauce

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking powder

• Topping: butter, brown sugar, flour

Instructions

1. Mix batter ingredients.

2. Pour into a pan.

3. Add crumb topping.

4. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes.