Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins with Crumbles

Applesauce oatmeal muffins built around rolled oats and unsweetened applesauce, with brown sugar adding the only real sweetness. The applesauce stands in for most of the fat, which is why a single tablespoon of margarine in the topping carries the rich flavor across the whole batch.

The oat-and-flour combination produces a hearty, slightly chewy crumb instead of the cake-like texture you get from all-flour muffins. Skim milk plus a single egg white keeps the recipe lean without sacrificing structure. The crumble topping (a few oats, a little brown sugar, melted margarine) adds the necessary textural contrast: crisp on top, tender below.

Fill cups almost completely full. Unlike richer batters, this one rises modestly because of the heavy oat content, so a generous portion is needed for a proper domed muffin top. Mixing only until the dry ingredients are moistened is critical for tender results.

Pro Tips

• Use unsweetened applesauce. The brown sugar in the batter and topping handles all the sweetness; sweetened applesauce makes these cloying.
• Let the batter sit 5 minutes before scooping. The oats hydrate and the muffins bake up less gritty.
• Sprinkle the crumble topping immediately after filling cups; it sticks better to wet batter than to one that has begun to set.
• These keep moist for 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container, longer than most muffins thanks to the applesauce.

Variations

• Add ½ cup raisins or chopped dried apples to the batter for extra fruit.
• Swap ¼ cup of the flour for whole wheat flour to push the fiber higher without affecting texture much.
• Stir 2 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts into the topping for a nuttier crunch.