Spiced Apple Muffins with Apple Cinnamon Glaze

I'm pretty sure I've been living in denial, because it's October and I'm just barely starting to acknowledge that fall is HERE. I literally haven't opened up a single can of pumpkin yet, which is so not normal, and my cravings for warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are just barely starting to kick in. Like I've said before, it's still weirdly warm here - like the sun still makes you melt warm - and that's probably why my mind is still on cocktails and iced coffee, and why the pumpkin spice lattes overtaking Starbucks still seem so completely out of place to me.

As you can see, I took a big step here in making these muffins because I actually took the leap into cozy fall spices and even took the time to cook apples in some buttery-cinnamony goodness. I'm pretending to embrace fall despite the fact that in reality, it feels like mid-August.

They're really light, tender muffins with just the right amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice to give them a cozy kick, and so many little bits of cooked apple studded throughout for cinnamony fruitiness. The bestest best part is that apple cinnamon glaze on top because:

a) I love glaze and love drizzling it onto baked goods even more

and

2) It tastes like a sweet, cinnamony apple cider that I can/did eat by the spoonful. So. crazy. good.

As it turns out, these make a good jump into fall baking because they bring those warm, spiced flavors without being totally in-your-face spicy. Plus, they're just the right size for muffin cravings AND the glaze is a light drizzle that adds some sweet flavor without taking over. TBH, I don't really have a problem with cinnamon glaze taking over anything, but there are times when self-control is a necessary thing and this is one of them. This glaze ↓ with no self control is a majorly dangerous thing.

Spiced Apple Muffins with Apple Cinnamon Glaze

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Light and tender apple muffins filled with warm fall spices and topped with an incredible apple cinnamon glaze.

• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Spiced Apple Muffins

• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) salted butter
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
• 8 ounces (3 cups) peeled and chopped apple*
• 6 ⅜ ounces (1 ½ cups, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
• 4 ¼ ounces (1 cup, spoon and level) whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon all spice
• 2 ⅝ ounces (⅓ cup) coconut oil, melted
• 5 ounces (⅔ cup, packed) brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 ounces (½ cup) greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Apple Cinnamon Glaze

• apple cinnamon sauce, from cooking apples
• 2 ounces (½ cup) confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Spiced Apple Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF and grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
2. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Whisk in 2 teaspoons cinnamon and granulated sugar and add apples, stirring to coat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and all spice.
4. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and brown sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until smooth. Beat in the yogurt and vanilla.
5. Strain the sauce from the cooked apples and reserve for glaze. Toss the apples into the flour mixture to coat. Add mixture to the wet ingredients and fold in just until evenly incorporated.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, using your fingertips to lightly smooth out the tops of the muffins as needed. Bake at 375ºF for 5 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350º and bake about another 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Apple Cinnamon Glaze

1. Combine the reserved sauce from cooking the apples with the confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth. The glaze should be fairly thin, but you can add more confectioner's sugar if needed to thicken. Spoon glaze over each muffin, allowing to drizzle down sides and set.
2. Muffins are best kept in an airtight container at room temperature, but can be kept in the refrigerator for longer storage.

Notes

*I'd suggest a crispy, fairly sweet apple for this recipe.

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