Are you looking for a quick & healthy grab-n-go breakfast or snack idea? Then this recipe is for you! These Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins with Blueberries are easy to make, healthy, and tastes amazing!

I was trying to find the perfect muffin recipe for a group of middle school students, who attended my 10-hour nutrition education program during the month of June. This program was available thanks to the 4H Food Smart Families grant from National 4-H Council and the ConAgra Foods Foundation. I wanted to find a recipe with mostly whole grains that the students would love!

I found a recipe for “Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins” on UNL Extension’s Food Website, but I decided to modify the recipe by adding more whole wheat flour and using blueberries instead of raisins. I decided to name them “Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins with Blueberries.” So original, right?

The youth prepared 2 dozen muffins some with blueberries and some without for the food prep lesson. They were anxiously waiting for them to get out of the oven while they were doing other homework. After serving them with a cup of 1% milk, they asked for them to be part of a snack again. The muffins turned out to be a HIT with the youth!

I ended up making 4 dozen muffins for this program. It was about 50/50 if they liked the muffins better with or without blueberries. I would say they were a success!

One student even claimed, “These are the best muffins ever!”

I enjoyed witnessing youth make healthier choices as a result of this program! Learn more about my experience from the Beatrice Daily Sun newspaper article, “Students receive lesson in nutrition.”

Here is the recipe….

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins with Blueberries

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup frozen blueberries, optional
• 1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine oil, brown sugar, applesauce, and egg in one bowl, mixing well.
3. Combine dry ingredients (flours, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in another bowl, mixing well. If you didn’t mix them before combining with the liquid ingredients, when baked, the muffins will likely get tunnels inside.
4. Combine dry and wet ingredients, by hand with a wooden spoon, just enough to blend. Batter should still be lumpy, don’t try and smooth it. DO NOT OVERMIX. Only 10-15 strokes are needed to moisten the ingredients. This process is called the “muffin mixing method,” which is when you mix liquid and dry ingredients separately then combine them with as few stirs as possible to prevent gluten formation.
5. Blend in frozen blueberries. You can use fresh blueberries if you like. I usually have frozen blueberries in my freezer, and I think they taste great in baked goods or smoothies.
6. Spoon into 12 muffin cups. I like to measure a 1/4 cup of batter for each muffin cup. I take a spoon if I need to take some batter out of a cup if it is too full. Try to fill cups evenly for best baking results.
7. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
8. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and cool.
10. Store muffins in a covered container or plastic storage bag to prevent them from drying out. Pair it with a glass of 1% or skim milk for a healthy grab-n-go breakfast.

Variations to the Recipe that I have tried and loved!

• Plain… without blueberries
• Add dark chocolate chips instead of blueberries

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins with Blueberries

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup frozen blueberries, optional
• 1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix together oil, brown sugar, applesauce, and egg.
3. Combine dry ingredients (flours, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in another bowl, mixing well.
4. Combine dry and wet ingredients, by hand with a wooden spoon, just enough to blend. Batter should still be lumpy.
5. Blend in frozen blueberries.
6. Spoon into 12 muffin cups.
7. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and cool.
9. Store muffins in a covered container or plastic storage bag to prevent them from drying out.

Nutrition Information for 1 muffin: 159 Calories, 7g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 18mg Cholesterol, 152mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbs, 9g Sugars, 3g Protein

Food Groups for 1 muffin: Grains 1 oz., Fruits 1/4 cup, and Oils 1 tsp.

*I used SuperTracker’s My Recipe to analyze this recipe for nutrient information and food groups.