Make the most of your applesauce supply with these delicious kid-friendly recipes that use applesauce. You can use leftover applesauce, a new jar, or just find recipes that rely on this natural sweetener for little kids.
Recipes That Use Applesauce
If you find yourself with a little leftover applesauce to use up or wanting to bake with it, the recipes included here are some of our very favorites. We love cooking and baking with applesauce since it adds such lovely flavor and natural sweetness to foods—and it can even help bind recipes in place of egg when needed.
Below you’ll find recipe ideas using applesauce, including muffins, cookies, pancakes, oatmeal, and more, so you can choose the options that appeal most to your family’s preferences.
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Applesauce Recipes
You can use any store-bought applesauce in these recipes below, but if you’re wanting to start with a homemade one, here are some easy options: Crock-Pot Applesauce, Instant Pot Applesauce, Strawberry Applesauce, and Easy Homemade Applesauce.
Recipes to Use Up Applesauce
Click the teal “get the recipe” button to see the full recipe for each idea.
Applesauce Muffins
These happy little Applesauce Muffins are packed apple-cinnamon flavor, whole grains, and vitamins and all without excess added sugar! They’re a perfect healthy snack or breakfast for kids to make ahead and serve throughout the week.
We like these on their own, topped with nut or seed butter, or even with a smear of cream cheese. See what your littles like!
Applesauce Cookies
With whole grains and lower sugar, these Applesauce Cookies are bursting with fresh apple flavor…all with a one-bowl method!
These cookies are a little crispy around the edges right out of the oven, but soften as they are stored.
Applesauce Pancakes
These Fluffy Applesauce Pancakes are easy to mix up, taste sweet and comforting, and the leftovers store nicely in the fridge or freezer. They are really yummy topped with maple syrup—or served plain!
We like these pancakes topped with a little maple syrup, peanut butter, or additional applesauce. Leftovers make really yummy sandwiches with nut butter or cream cheese in between!
Overnight Oats
Overnight Oats are a perfect breakfast recipe to make ahead. They pack protein, probiotics, vitamin C, fiber, and healthy fats—and all you need to do to make them is to stir the ingredients together and let it hang out in the fridge while you sleep!
You can easily double (or triple!) the recipe to make more servings. It uses a 1 to 1 ratio of yogurt to applesauce so you can easily scale it up. Mix these up the night before you plan to serve them.
Applesauce Pouches
You can make your own applesauce pouches to save money and keep a stash of snacks on hand with this simple method.
Learn the easiest way to make a batch of Applesauce Pouches, with six flavor options, in less than 30 minutes. This is easy, delicious, and versatile—and a perfect way to batch-prep a snack or meal component.
Mini Cinnamon Muffins
With simple ingredients, natural sweetness, and a super easy stir-together method, these Cinnamon Muffins are a great breakfast for kids. You can make them ahead and serve them throughout the week or even stash half of the batch in the freezer for later!
Made with a base of applesauce and whole grain flour, these easy mini muffins are sweet enough to taste like a treat!
Birthday Cake Muffins
Applesauce lends a subtle sweetness and flavor to these extra-fun mini muffins.
Overnight Oatmeal with Apple
Stir together a few healthy ingredients in the slow cooker, set it to cook overnight, and wake up to this nutritious Apple Steel-Cut Oatmeal recipe to share with the whole family—babies and toddlers included. (There’s an easy stove-top option, too.)
You can make this overnight the and enjoy it for breakfast the following day, or make a whole batch ahead and eat it throughout the week.
*To do this overnight, choose the LOW heat option and cook time.
Carrot Pancakes
Applesauce and yogurt add flavor and moisture to these veggie-loaded pancakes.
These hearty Carrot Pancakes pack nice natural sweetness from the carrots and applesauce. This can be a thicker pancake batter, so know that you can thin it slightly, if desired, by adding a few tablespoons of milk.
Easy Homemade Granola Bars
Use applesauce as your flavor option for a subtle, delicious addition in these soft granola bars.
We like to have these granola bars as a snack or toddler breakfast with milk or a smoothie—and they’re an excellent lunch box component too. You can make them plain or choose a flavor to add!
Baby Cookies
Use applesauce as your flavor option for delicious, moist cookies even baby can enjoy.
You can use any puree that you like the flavor of in this recipe—it works best with purees that are the consistency of mashed banana or mashed sweet potato.
Best Tips for Success
- Use a smooth applesauce in baking or recipes when you want a smooth finished product.
- If using homemade applesauce, make sure it’s cooled before using it in a recipe.
- Follow the storage tips in each recipe to store in the fridge or freezer.
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