Go Back
alt=""

Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins with Maple Cream Glaze

Yield: 24 muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes

Ingredients

Muffins:

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 (15-ounce) can (425 g) pumpkin puree/canned pumpkin
  • ½ cup neutral flavored oil, like canola, vegetable, avocado
  • ½ cup (113 g) no-sugar added applesauce
  • 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Glaze:

  • 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
  • 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon maple extract (see note)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners and set aside (24 muffins total).
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, oil, applesauce and sugar.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined (don't overmix or the muffins may be dense and kind of heavy).
  • Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tins, filling the cups about 2/3 of the way full (or slightly more than that). I use my #20 cookie scoop to portion the batter into the muffin tin.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top of the muffins spring back to the touch and/or a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
  • Remove from the muffin tin to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • For the glaze, whisk together the glaze ingredients, starting with the lesser amount of cream and adding more as needed to make a pourable, but still thick, glaze.
  • Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins with a spoon or fork and serve.

Notes

Whole Wheat Flour: this recipe works really well with whole wheat flour (preferably the white wheat variety as it is less heavy and dense than red whole wheat); I often sub in at least half whole wheat flour. Don't overmeasure the flour, especially the whole wheat flour, or the muffins might be dry and dense. 
For a Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice: use the following (for the 2 teaspoons needed in this recipe): 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves.
Maple Extract: if you don't have maple extract (I use this maple extract from King Arthur Flour when possible, but Mapleine, commonly found in grocery stores will work, too), try thinning the powdered sugar with half cream/half pure maple syrup. 
Maple Glaze: the maple glaze is optional but delicious, however, the muffins themselves might be the tastiest, lightest, fluffiest pumpkin muffin I've ever had. So yummy!