Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

Source: Mel again

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled/old-fashioned oats
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted (I used butter)
1/3 cup sugar (I used brown sugar instead, as suggested by some of the commenters)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional (I happened to have some dried cranberries so I threw them in and - whoa!  so tasty!)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease the muffin cups. Set aside..

In a medium bowl, stir together the oatmeal, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt (and cranberries or raisins if using). Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until just combined (don't overmix or the muffins will be dense and dry). The muffin batter texture might be a bit different (wetter?) than other muffin batters but no fear, carry on!

Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake or the muffins will be dry.

Remove the muffins to a rack to cool completely.  Apparently they freeze beautifully (I ate them too quickly to need to freeze them) so you might want to make a double batch.

Notes:
I was a lot quicker for my Muffin of the Month in May, making these before even the halfway point in the month!  These were so, so, so yummy.  Cal inhaled hers whenever I shared with her, begging for "more" as only a cute 11-month old can via baby sign language.  I'll be making them again.  And again and again.