Apple Cinnamon Pecan Muffins

I would like you to read the title one more time. Apple Cinnamon Pecan Muffins. Read it slowly and really ponder those words.

Now allow yourself to imagine the flavors, all combined into a delicious muffin drizzled with a sweet glaze. Visualize yourself eating these on a chilly Saturday morning, at 10:00, in your pajamas with a glass of milk, or coffee, if you're into that sort of thing.

Are you hooked yet? Because these are amazing!

I think that muffins are becoming one of my favorite things to make for breakfast. They are easy, versatile, and delicious, what more could a girl want? Check out my Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins if you missed those last month, and make sure to give this recipe a try!

Apple Cinnamon Pecan Muffins
adapted from Taste of Home online
Prep: 20 minutes / Bake: 12-15 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

For the muffins:
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 medium tart apple
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened or light apple juice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast pecans: place pecans in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occassionally. Between stirring, peel apple (I used a honeycrisp), and cut into small pieces.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in milk. Tip: save the butter wrapper to grease your muffin tin in step 5.

The sight of butter and sugar in my mixing bowl makes me giddy

4. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Pour into butter mixture, stirring just until moistened. Fold in the apples and pecans.

5. Grease a 12-muffin tin or line with paper cups. Fill muffin cups about three-fourths full. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

6. While muffins are baking, combine the powdered sugar and apple juice in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Cool muffins for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Place muffins on a plate or serving platter and drizzle evenly with the glaze. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts: 235 calories, 10 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 32 mg cholesterol, 240 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein

Click below for my review, freezer tips, additional mix-ins, and a link to my beloved muffin tin! P.S. I am working on getting a link to a printable version of my recipes to make cooking easier for you!

My Review

• Preparation: 5
• These muffins are simple to put together. You'll have a delicious, fragrant breakfast in no time!
• Taste: 5
• Super scrumptious! I even froze a half dozen for later. To freeze, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and place muffins in a large resealable plastic bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
• Cost: 4
• I never realized pecans were so expensive! About $7 a pound, ouch. But I managed to find a 1/2 cup bag of pecan pieces in the baking aisle for about $1.70, much better! And that left me enough for my herb and pecan crusted pork chops that I will be making later this week! (Recipe to come in the future)!
• Clean-up: 4
• 2 bowls and a muffin tin, not bad. By the way, I love my muffin tin, they didn't stick one bit! Check it out: Pampered Chef Muffin Tin.
• Changes
• The original recipe included 1/4 cup coconut. I don't like coconut so I omitted this (much to the disappointment of my husband). If you would like to use coconut, add it to the batter at the same time you add the apples and pecans.
• I could not find unsweetened apple juice, so I bought light apple juice. Motts was the only brand of light apple juice that did not say it used splenda as a sweetener. I was looking for the least amount of sugar possible, not fake sugar.