Leaves have fallen, the air is starting to get REALLY crisp and all I can think about is apple spice, cinnamon and cozy nights by the fire! Apples and all things cinnamon make my heart sing, truly apple season is the most wonderful time of the year!
I live in a neighborhood here in Utah that is known for the abundance of fruit trees! When the weather started getting cool enough, apple blossoms started to bloom and form buds. Soon, the trees were heavy with apples and ready to pick! I have been knees deep in our neighborhood harvest and loving every moment of it!
From baked apples and cinnamon, to apple fritters and now my kombucha apple spice cupcakes, I have been embracing the harvest! Last year was my first year hosting Thanksgiving dinner. We were living in Florida and it was just my husband, me, and our friend. It was our first holiday as a married couple, and our friends first holiday away from his family. I wanted to make it the best holiday ever. I cooked for 2 days to prep dinner and it was a real success! This year, we are going to my parents house with 20 other people and I am in charge of curating the menu! SCORE! Since my sister and I both have celiac, we are having a 100% gluten free dinner with some vegan options as well! For inspiration, follow along our Thanksgiving menu below!
We’re starting the meal off with tons of fresh roasted vegetables with herbs and hearty mashed potatoes! A side of cornbread, a big green salad with roasted squash and pomegranates, sweet and tangy cranberry sauce, and the main event being a roasted turkey! At the moment I am keeping my kombucha apple spice cupcakes at the forefront, and will add a few pies to the menu probably the day of!
These cupcakes are super easy to make, and clean-up is a breeze! The full pieces of apple baked into the middle add a great deal of texture and flavor. A subtle pink lady apple icing tops off the palate and brings the meal full circle!
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gluten-free apple spice cupcakes
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
full of apples, flavor and fall deliciousness!
Ingredients
Cake:
– 3 peeled and cubed green apples
– 1 cup of pink lady apple Health-Ade Kombucha
– 1/2 cup of vegan butter
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 2 cups of sugar
– 1 tsp of vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp ground ginger
– 3 cups of gluten-free flour blend
Streusel:
– 1 tbsp of vegan butter
– 2 tbsp of gluten free oats
– pinch of ground cinnamon
Icing:
– 2 tbsp of pink lady apple kombucha
– 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
Instructions
- preheat your oven to 350°F and grease or line your cupcake tin
- in a small saucepan on medium low heat, reduce your kombucha and sugar together until fragrant and brown in color, once brown add your butter and let it reduce further about 5 minutes
- peel and cube your apples in preparation for your cupcakes
- in a bowl add your flour, spices, remaining cup of sugar and baking powder, stir until combined
- pour your reduced liquid into the bowl of the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no clumps
- fold your cubed apples into the batter until evenly combined
- in a smaller separate bowl combine your streusel ingredients and set aside
- scoop about 1 cup of batter into each cupcake mold, top with crumb topping and bake for 15-22 minutes until golden brown
- remove from the oven and let cool completely
- mix together your kombucha and powdered sugar to form an icing, drizzle over cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Double the recipe, drop them off at a local retirement home or homeless shelter and share the joy of home cooking with your local community! That’s what Thanksgiving is all about, being thankful for the moments you have and the ability to share those joys with your friends, family and community. Give the gift of joy, cheerfulness and love this Thanksgiving. A smile, and a fresh baked cupcake can go a long way! Cheers to a healthy and happy holiday season.
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