Cinnamon Apple Muffins + Giveaway

 Cinnamon Apple Muffin Recipe by Crunchies Natural Food Company

The holidays are among us which means there will be a lot of friends and family coming to visit.  I love having treats that are made ahead of time this way I'm not confined to the kitchen.  I love to sit down, have a cup of coffee and enjoy spending time together.  These Cinnamon Apple Muffins are perfect to make ahead of time, freeze and then thaw when you're ready to serve.  I used Crunchies freeze-dried snacks for a twist and it worked out perfectly.

Low-Sugar Apple Pie

 The holidays are among us and that means it's time for baking!  I make a large variety of goodies throughout the season, however I do like to take into consideration our family and friends who can't have a lot of sugar.  This Low-Sugar Apple Pie looks and tastes every bit as good as an original apple pie, but with less sugar and calories.  Make sure this is on your baking list for everyone to enjoy!

Crisp Apple Donuts

Crisp Apple Donuts to celebrate Fall!

Fall is here and the weather has actually been chilly the past few days.  So to warm me up I made some Crisp Apple Donuts!  A little crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside, and dipped in a cinnamon sugar mix.  These are made with a unique ingredient and they're the perfect way to treat yourself to a delicious dessert, breakfast or brunch...enjoy!

Apple & Flax Seed Muffins

Mornings can be hectic in our house so I like to prep ahead of time.  If the kids can't sit down for breakfast, I like them to have something they can grab on their way out the door, and these Apple & Flax Seed Muffins are perfect.  They are packed full of apples, pecans, and flax seed which starts their day the right way!

Apple Crisp with a twist!

Everyone loves a good Apple Crisp, but what if I told you this Apple Crisp had a twist!  Sparkling Ice is added to the recipe to ensure the apples are moist and delicious.  Now the topping is one of my favorite parts; a mixture of flour, brown sugar and butter all combined to make the perfect crumble.  You can serve this by itself, but our favorite way is to take them out of the oven, let them cool down a bit and then top it off with a dollop of English Toffee ice cream.  It's the perfect summer treat!

Baked Brown Sugar & Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

My oldest son loves this Baked Brown Sugar and Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal!  He was home on Spring break and I must have made it four times that week.  The flavor combination is so good, and it's so easy to make too.  You toss everything into one baking dish, mix it up, bake for awhile and then drizzle on some cream.  Believe me, the cream is the finishing touch to this recipe! 

Sugar-Free Apple Walnut Coffee Cake

I make a lot of desserts doing this blog and I'm always interested in trying different ingredients; when SweetLeaf asked if I'd like to try their new SugarLeaf^® I was happy to say yes!  SugarLeaf^® is a sugar substitute made from stevia and cane sugar that is three times as sweet as sugar, however it has 2/3 fewer calories than sugar.   I like to bake with sugar substitutes, but it has to be a good one, and SugarLeaf^® is just that!  It doesn't leave a bitter taste, it bakes up beautifully, and there is no aftertaste at all.

Apple Cream Pie with Walnuts Recipe

Thick cream mixed with seasoned apples that are baked into a delicious pie!

The other day I was at the store and they had canned apple pie filling on sale for .75 cents and it doesn't even expire soon!  So of course I bought quite a few and I also picked up the new Extra Thick Double Cream from BK Creamery.  A few weeks ago I introduced you to this new cream and so far I've been enjoying it quite often.

Apple Chips with Caramel Dip Recipe

Bake apple slices until nice and crispy 

then dip them in a delicious and decadent caramel sauce. 

Dessert doesn't always have to be a cake or ice cream, it can be a delicious apple chip! The kids love apples, but sometimes they start to eat one, get distracted and when they get back to it, it's brown.  I'm not one to waste food so I decided to slice it up, toss it in vanilla, cinnamon and sugar then bake until crispy.  I thought they reminded me of chips so I made a caramel dip to go with them.  It was a different type of dessert that we'll be having quite often.  

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars start with a shortbread nut crust, then creamy cheesecake 

is swirled with seasoned apples and drizzled with a delicious caramel sauce!

If you like cheesecake and apple pie then you're going to love these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars!  This recipe is a combination of the love my son has for cheesecake and the love my husband has for apple pie.  I decided to put the two together and make one scrumptious dessert.  For the crust I made a shortbread and added in some walnuts to add a little more depth to it.  Then you have your traditional cheesecake layer which is topped with apples and a little bit of reserved crust.  I made my favorite easy caramel sauce and drizzled it on top to make the perfect dessert!

Apple Pie Bread

I love quick breads because I love the simplicity of them.  When I saw this recipe on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms I couldn't  wait to try it.  My husband loves apple pie so this was sure to be a hit.  Well let me tell you, it smelled divine and tasted just as good.  The bread is moist and dense while the streusel topping is sweet and crumbly...the perfect combination!  This would make a great addition to any breakfast or brunch.

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Caramel, apples, cinnamon & sugar all blended into a cake that's turned upside down!

There's something about caramel and apples...the sweetness of the caramel and the tartness of the apples; it's the perfect combination!  I also love upside down desserts so I decided to make this Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake.  It uses everyday ingredients that are found in your pantry and it's easy to prepare.  The caramel seeps into the cake, it's all sticky and gooey and is down right delicious!  If you're a caramel apple lover then make sure you try this Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake...it's love at first bite!

The Best of 2014!

It's time to count down the most popular recipes of 2014!

It has been another amazing year and I want to thank all of you for it!  All of your support, comments, questions, likes and following along is what makes me love what I do.  I greatly appreciate you stopping over, seeing what I've created, joining in on the giveaways, and supporting this site.  It means the world to me!  I've compiled a list of the most popular recipes this past year so I hope you enjoy. 

 To "pin" any of the recipes; hover over the picture and the button will appear in the top left corner.

Apple Cake Roll

 

It's Fall and that means apple season.  I can't wait for you to try this Apple Cake Roll!

I'm always looking for easy recipes and when I was looking through an old cookbook the other day a very unique recipe jumped out at me.  It starts out by shredding apples and applying them directly to a lined cookie sheet.  Then a light and fluffy batter is made and poured over the apples. Once you bake it the apples remain on the bottom and you roll the cake up with the apples inside.  I made this twice, once with regular sugar and once with a sugar substitute; they both tasted the same.  I love how this comes together quickly, it's not that sweet and it doesn't require any frosting!

Caramel Apple Dumpling Dessert

 

My family loves apple dumplings, but sometimes it gets to be a pain making all of them.  I came up with a way to enjoy all the flavors without all the work.  I also wanted the recipe to be quick and easy so I decided to use canned crescent rolls.  This dessert tastes exactly like individual apple dumplings, but you'll be able to enjoy them in no time at all!

Summer Squash Cobbler

Summer squash made into a delicious cobbler! 

I still had a chunk of squash to use up from my 13.6 pounder that my dad gave me and I wanted to make another dessert...I must say this is delicious!  If you don't have squash or you don't care to use it, you can swap it out for apples or peaches and it would be just as divine.  I love a good crumb topping so I not only put it on the top, but I also put some on the bottom to form a crust.  I love how this turned out and you can't even tell it's squash; my family thought it was peaches.  Some of us had it plain, some added a drizzle of cream on top while others had it in a bowl with milk...anyway you try it, it's scrumptious!

Featuring You!

 

Spotlight of the Week! 

Welcome to featuring you!  Our Spotlight of the Week goes to Creating Silver Linings for sharing this Coconut Sugar Simple Syrup.  I love this idea!  I follow a low carb diet throughout the week and I'm always looking for new sweeteners to try so I can't wait to make this.  Once again there were so many wonderful things shared at the party this week.  I hope you enjoy the features! 

Upside Down Apple Raisin Cornbread Cake

 

 
I absolutely love cornbread, however I'll be honest...I've tried making it from scratch and for some reason it never tastes that good.  Thankfully there are mixes that help me out and I actually like the convenience of a mix.  Recently I tried the new Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Cornbread Mix (which is made with more corn then the leading brand) and I must say...it is divine!  It's moist, delicious and has a touch of sweetness that goes perfectly with that delicious corn flavor.  This is made-from-scratch quality without all the work.  It was so easy to make and in half an hour it was sitting on the dinner table.

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Quick Bread

  

I love being able to whip up a quick bread for breakfast or dessert.  They're always a snap to make, they taste delicious and they're done in no time at all.  I had some apples that were in the fridge and also an opened box of raisins so I decided to combine the two and make it into a moist and delicious apple cinnamon raisin quick bread.  If you'd like, you could also toss in some walnuts or pecans, but my kids don't like nuts in their bread so I decided against it, but I'm sure it would be a nice addition!  This bread can be mixed together by hand and in one bowl...simple and delicious! 

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

  

You all know Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, and if you don't...you need to stop over and take a look!  The recipes are perfect for any occasion, there are reviews and lots of giveaways!  One cookie that is quite scrumptious are these Apple Oatmeal Cookies...they are very moist and have just the right amount of sweetness.  You can add chocolate chips or raisins, but I think they’re flavorful enough without them!  With 1 cup of shredded apple and 2 cups of oatmeal, you almost don’t feel guilty eating them!  I hope you enjoy!