Chocolate Applesauce Muffins – Moist, rich, and packed with chocolate flavor, these muffins use applesauce for natural sweetness and tender texture. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.

Chocolate muffins always feel like a treat, but these come together so easily that they’re just as welcome on a weekday morning as they are at the weekend table. The applesauce keeps them extra moist without making them heavy, and you don’t need a mixer or any complicated steps to pull them off.

 

They’ve got that rich cocoa flavor balanced with just enough sweetness, plus pockets of melted chocolate chips in every bite. I like to top them with a sprinkle of mini chips before baking, because it makes them look (and taste) a little extra special.

If muffins are your thing, you’ll want to check out my Triple Chocolate Muffins and Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins, too—but these applesauce ones are the kind you’ll find yourself baking on repeat.

Ingredients Needed

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• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Granulated Sugar
• Butter
• Plain Greek Yogurt – You can substitute sour cream, regular yogurt, or even an extra ¼ cup of applesauce if you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand.
• Eggs
• All-Purpose Flour
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Chocolate Chips
• Mini Chocolate Chips

How To Make Chocolate Applesauce Muffins

1. Prep the oven and pan – Heat the oven to 350°F and get your muffin tins ready with liners or nonstick spray.
2. Mix the wet ingredients – Stir together applesauce, sugar, melted butter, yogurt, and eggs until smooth and well combined.
3. Combine the dry ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
4. Bring it all together – Gently add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, stirring just until incorporated without overmixing.
5. Add chocolate to the batter – Fold in the chocolate chips, saving a little for topping.
6. Fill the muffin cups – Spoon the batter into the prepared tins, filling each about three-quarters full.
7. Top with extra chocolate – Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over each muffin before baking.
8. Bake and cool – Bake until set and a tester comes out clean, then cool briefly in the pan before transferring to a rack.

Recipe Tips & Suggestions

• Use unsweetened applesauce – Sweetened applesauce can make the muffins overly sugary, so stick with unsweetened for balance.
• Don’t overmix the batter – Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear; overmixing will make the muffins dense instead of soft.
• Boost with espresso powder – Adding a teaspoon of instant espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee.
• Make them dairy-free – Replace the butter with coconut oil and use a dairy-free yogurt for a plant-based version.
• Add mix-ins – Stir in chopped nuts, dried fruit, or white chocolate chips to switch up the texture and flavor.

Storage

These muffins keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

More Muffin Recipes

• Easy Blueberry Muffins
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Monkey Bread Muffins
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Cranberry Orange Muffins