Looking for the perfect fall dessert recipe? Look no further than this lovely apple spice muffin which showcases all the best flavors of fall- cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of cardamom that lends a distinct spicy flavor.

The fall season is quickly approaching and our thoughts are shifting to our favorite seasonal produce; especially apples. And, of course, thoughts of fall baking are already swirling in our minds. In New England, some typical fall foods include apples, pumpkins, maple flavors, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The thought for this recipe came from the overwhelming number of uneaten apples in our fridge that were just calling to be made into some type of delicious fall dessert. And so, these muffins were created.

The muffin itself is super moist and bakes in just 18 minutes. It has a great combination of complementing spices and a crunchy top of streusel. The streusel is a lovely mixture of sweet brown sugar, crunchy oats, and slivered almonds. We decided to try  something new with the apples. Rather than peel and cut into small pieces and add into the batter raw, we decided to peel and boil them first before mashing and adding to the batter. We were looking for a smoother muffin texture rather than chunks of apple. We really like how the texture turned out. You just get the intense apple flavor without chunky pieces of apples in the muffin.

The longest part of this recipe is waiting for the apples to boil. However, you can use that time to get all of your other ingredients into the bowl. By the time the apples are done boiling and have cooled, you will be ready to just add them to the bowl, mix, and scoop into your muffin tins to bake. Serve them as a sweet after school snack or pop them into your freezer for a special late fall treat with a nice cup of tea or coffee. They also make a great addition to a weekend brunch menu. They will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months in a sealed bag.

Recipe below…

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 3 apples, peeled, boiled, mashed
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Streusel topping

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons oats
• 2 tablespoons almonds
• 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Method of Preparation 

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Peel and core apples. Place cored apples into a large pot filled with water. Boil for 20 minutes or until apples are soft enough to be pierced with a fork.
3. Streusel topping: cut butter into small pieces and place butter along with all other streusel ingredients into a bowl and mix together with a fork. (You may have to use your hands to combine ingredients well.) Set aside.
4. Measure out the dry ingredients (flour to cardamom) in a separate bowl and mix well. Set aside.
5. Measure out the wet ingredients (egg – white sugar) in a separate bowl and whisk.
6. Add the mashed and cooled apples to the wet ingredients bowl and add in the dry ingredients. Mix well to combine but do not over mix.
7. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners or spray with a non-stick spray. Equally spoon out the batter into each one.
8. Top with the streusel topping before putting into the oven. Bake for 18 minutes.
9. Remove and let cool.

Enjoy!