girl. Inspired.

travel, food, design

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

by 5 Comments

Smeared with cream cheese frosting, these pumpkin cinnamon rolls are next level. The soft sweet pumpkin dough, rolled with butter, sugar, and not just cinnamon, but pumpkin spice, too, is absolutely sinful. Just wait until you take a bite of these ooey gooey, pumpkin treats.

cooked and frosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls in baking dish with cinnamon sticks and linen

This pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe is going to blow your mind. We start with my granny’s famous sweet dinner roll recipe. We’ve transformed this staple recipe into lemon sweet rolls and a braided apricot sweet bread, and NOW, PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS. I know. So good, right?

cinnamon roll on white plate in front of baking dish

I love making roll dough in my breadmaker, it’s easy and quick, and only one pan to clean, woohoo! So this recipe is made in the bread machine, but you can also mix it up by hand. Simply follow the instructions for mixing, kneading, and allowing the first rise of the dough that is in our dinner roll recipe.

We add real pumpkin puree to the dough itself, along with traditional pumpkin spices. And then we also add some extra spice into the traditional cinnamon roll filling. Delicious!

Once the dough was ready, I rolled it out, added a cinnamon/sugar/butter layer, rolled it up, sliced it and filled my pan with the rolls.  

overhead photo of pumpkin cinnamon rolls placed in orange baking dish, before rising, with orange and white linen

It’s important not to overcrowd the cinnamon rolls. We want to give the rolls time to rise, which helps them bake evenly throughout once they go into the oven. Notice the difference in the pictures above and below? The dough gets nice and puffy and fills in most of those gaps in your baking dish.

overhead photo of puffy and risen pumpkin cinnamon rolls in orange baking dish with orange and white linen

Pop that baking dish into the oven and bake until the rolls are deep golden brown. Since the dough is already orange (from the pumpkin), the rolls will be a deeper brown than traditional cinnamon rolls. Don’t burn them, but DO be sure you’ve baked them enough so that they don’t fall in the middle when they come out of the oven.

overhead photo of cooked pumpkin cinnamon rolls in orange baking dish with orange and white linen

After baking, I topped the pumpkin cinnamon rolls with my favorite cream cheese icing.  They are looking so darn delicious.  It’s hard to wait, but you do want to spread a nice thick layer of frosting on these babies so it melts down into any gaps.  

overhead photo of spatula spreading frosting on cooked pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Yummmmmm. Now, dig in! These are so good warm and gooey, and really, they are just as good and soft and gooey after they’ve cooled down.

side view of orange baking dish with baked and frosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe:

Let’s get to the recipe, in case you need these.  And you do need these.

cooked and frosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls in baking dish with cinnamon sticks and linen

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Smeared with cream cheese frosting, these pumpkin cinnamon rolls are next level. The soft sweet pumpkin dough, rolled with butter, sugar, and not just cinnamon, but pumpkin spice, too, is absolutely sinful.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Keyword: pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe
Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 343kcal
Author: Stef at Girl. Inspired.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3/4 Cup milk whole milk
  • 4 Tablespoons salted butter, softened let it sit out for 20 minutes or so, do not microwave to soften
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 Tablespoon Rapid Rise active dry yeast

Filling

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions

  • Add dough ingredients to the breadmaker in the order listed.
  • Set the breadmaker to the dough setting and begin cycle.
  • When the dough is ready, flour your surface well and roll dough into a 1/2" thick rectangle. If dough is too sticky, work in some additional flour until you can roll it out easily.
  • Mix ingredients for filling and spread over dough using a spatula.
  • Roll the rectangle up into a roll.
  • Slice cinnamon rolls into 1.5" sections – this should make 12 rolls after discarding the two ends (which are typically a bit misshapen.)
  • Place cinnamon rolls into a well-buttered 9×13 baking dish.
  • Cover with a light towel; allow to rise in a draft free, warm location for about 1 hour.
  • Bake in a 375 degree oven until browned – approximately 20-25 minutes.
  • Make cream cheese icing (recipe can be found here: https://thegirlinspired.com/2013/10/pumpkin-pie-cupcakes/) and spread over warm cinnamon rolls.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 2771IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

If You're All about the Pumpkin Spice:

1

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts

2

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

3

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

4

Pumpkin Spice Latte

5

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

6

Gingerbread Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches

dinner rolls stacked in a bread basket with white and blue floral linen, baking dish with rolls and butter on a dish

And definitely mark your recipe book with the original Homemade Dinner Rolls

Have a great rest of the week!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Leave a Comment

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are so soft and delicious. The pudding in the cookies gives them their soft chewiness, and it also provides that yummy pumpkin flavor.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies stacked on white plates with a bite taken out of the top cookie

These pudding cookies are simple to make. The pumpkin pudding mix does all the work to take these from traditional cookies to a gooey soft, pumpkin treat. Pudding mixed into dry ingredients adds a distinct level of moisture, like in our favorite Kahlua Cake and Pecan Rum Cake. This time, we’re using pudding magic in cookies!

stack of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on white plates with linen and glass of milk in background
  • 1 cup salted butter, softened – softening the butter allows you to properly cream it with the sugars, adding air pockets into the batter that makes a light and fluffy cookie
  • 1 cup of sugar (light brown sugar and granulated sugar)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pumpkin spice instant pudding mix – this is a seasonal flavor, so stock up in the Fall when it hits the shelves! We do add spices, but the pudding mix is our only ingredient with pumpkin flavor
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda – our standard cookie leavening agent
  • salt – if you use unsalted butter, add a bit more salt
  • cinnamon, ginger, and cloves – adjust these seasonings to your preference. You can add in some nutmeg also, if you’d like or swap out the spices for an all in one pumpkin spice seasoning.
ingredients with labels for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Alright! Let’s get these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies into the oven! Our steps are pretty standard cookie steps. We will mix the pudding in with the other dry ingredients.

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars.

Step 2: Add vanilla and eggs and beat well.

Step 3: Sift together dry ingredients, including pudding mix and spices and mix into the creamed ingredients.

Step 4: Fold in chocolate chips.

step by step 4 photo collage showing butter and sugar in bowl, eggs being added, dry ingredients added, and the chocolate chips added in

Step 5: Scoop dough into balls. Roll dough in your hands to form a smooth ball and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of space between.

Step 6: Bake in 350°F oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

balls of cookie dough on one half of baking sheet and cooked cookies on the opposite side of the baking sheet

Now grab a glass of milk and enjoy! Try not to eat these heavenly pudding cookies all in one go!

cookie dunked into glass of milk with stack of cookies in the background

And if you love pumpkin treats, you will want to try these other Fall favorites of ours:

You can customize these cookies in several ways to perfectly satisfy your taste buds! Here are some ideas:

  • substitute white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips
  • Dip half of the cookie in melted white or semi-sweet chocolate and place on parchment paper until melted chocolate has cooled and hardened.
  • Omit the chips altogether for a soft, purely pumpkin cookie.
  • Skip the individual spices and simply use pumpkin spice seasoning to add flavor with less fuss.
  • Sandwich some pumpkin ice cream between two of these cookies for a huge hit of delicious pumpkin!

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies stacked on white plates with a bite taken out of the top cookie

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

So soft, so chewy, the pudding in the dough gives the cookies their delicious flavor and amazing texture.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Keyword: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 24
Calories: 166kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3.4 ounce pumpkin spice instant pudding mix
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Cream together butter and sugars until creamy and combined.
  • Beat in eggs and vanilla extract.
  • Sift together pudding mix, flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice seasoning, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
  • Mix dry ingredients into creamed butter/sugar mixture until combined.
  • Mix in chocolate chips.
  • Scoop about 1-2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into a ball. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
  • Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for several minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Candy Apple Recipe

by Leave a Comment

Oh, sweet crisp Autumn apples dipped in a thin and crunchy, perfectly sweet candy coating. These are unbelievably easy to make with our fool-proof candy apple recipe. They’ll be a quintessential addition to your Halloween treat table! Keep it bright and beautiful with red or take the creep level up a tad by turning this treat into a “poisonous” black candy apple.

black candy apples on plate with black background and misty bowl and pitcher in background

Believe it or not, I have never tried a candy apple until this year! What??! I’ve always opted for the sophisticated sister – the caramel apple over its seemingly stickier counterpart, but I was pleasantly surprised to sink my teeth into one of these treats and find a new love. Not TOO sweet and not TOO sticky – not sticky at all, in fact, and I didn’t lose a single tooth!

Yes, that first bite takes a little muscle to crack into the shell, but after that, yumm! Because we cook the candy coating to the precise temperature of 305°, achieving the hard crack stage, this candy coating is crisp and dissolves almost immediately. No sticking in your teeth, no tugging at your molars.

close up of red candy apples on a plate on black backdrop

Once I tried my hand at making candy apples and saw how easy it was, I had some fun mixing up a batch of black apples. Wouldn’t these be so fun to serve at your next murder mystery party or set out on your kitchen counter to complete your Halloween decor?

Ingredients:

  • Light corn syrup – corn syrup is an invert sugar which means that it prevents sugar crystals from forming and produces a glossy, smooth surface to the hard candy – perfect for this candy apple recipe!
  • Granulated sugar – we use a standard, widely available sugar to make our sweet candy coating – since we are dissolving and boiling the sugar, we don’t need a specialty texture or grain size.
  • Water – tap water will do just fine
  • Food coloring – use about 1/2 teaspoon of liquid food coloring or a few drops of a gel/paste food coloring. I used red liquid food coloring and it worked great! I used black gel food coloring – a few drops was adequate to make a dark coating for my dark Red Delicious apples, but you could add more for an even deeper, more opaque candy coating.
  • Candy Thermometer – while not an ingredient, a candy thermometer is an absolute necessity when making homemade candy apples. It is imperative to heat the candy syrup to the correct temperature so that the finished candy is the right consistency.
  • Candy Apple Sticks – you can use bamboo sticks, these cute plastic “sticks”, or even cookie/lollipop sticks. (referral links here)
red apples, sugar, corn syrup, and water in black bowls, candy thermometer and black food coloring on white plate - ingredients spread out on black background with text overlay

How to Make Candy Apples:

Alright! Let’s get to it. Making candy apples is so much fun and quite easy, actually. The first step is to combine the three ingredients (everything but the food coloring) in a small, but deep saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil. Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pan now (or from the start.) Be sure that the tip of the thermometer is emerged in the mixture, but not touching the bottom of the pan.

While the mixture is cooking, prepare the apples. You want to make sure the apples do not have a waxy coating – for smooth application of candy on the apple, they need to be clean and dry. Wipe any waxy residue from the apples with a hot water/white vinegar solution and pat dry. Place a large lollipop or cookie stick, or a popsicle stick into the top center of the apple and place the apples on a sheet of parchment paper.

Continue cooking the candy mixture, stirring occasionally, until the temperature on the candy thermometer reaches precisely 305°F, the hard crack stage. Remove from the heat and mix in food coloring. Do not stir too vigorously which could introduce additional bubbles to the mixture.

four photo collage showing the steps of candy apple recipe - ingredients in baking pan, bubbling sugar syrup, black bubbling syrup, and apple being dipped into candy coating

Dip the apples into the candy coating, rotating gently to coat them completely. Let the excess candy drip off the bottom of the apple for a few moments and then place on the parchment paper and allow them to cool. The apples will cool quickly and the coating will be smooth, hard, and dry. They will lift easily off of the parchment paper once cooled.

black candy apples on parchment paper on baking sheet
Why do my candy apples have bubbles in the coating?

Candy apples might develop bubbles in the coating as they cool. This could be from too much movement while dipping the apples, so dip gently. Water or waxy residue left on the apples can also cause bubbles to form. If your apples have some bubbly, don’t worry! They still taste just as delicious.

What if my candy apples are sticky or chewy?

The hard crack of the candy coating comes from cooking the candy until it reaches the precise hard crack stage in the candy apple recipe- 305 degrees. The temperature might quickly reach 305° and continue climbing, even up to 310° Do not pull the candy off of the heat early – even at 295°, your coating may not have the desired finish. A sticky or chewy texture comes from candy that is not heated to a high enough temperature to remove all of the water from the candy.

What kind of apples are best for making candy apples?

The thin layer of candy coating is a great compliment to the sweetness of apples. You don’t necessarily need a strongly flavored apple to compete with the candy like you might when making caramel apples. I like to use red delicious, gala, or rockit apples.

How do I store candy apples?

Keep the candy apples at room temperature and they will keep on the kitchen counter for several days. If you’d like to wrap them loosely in parchment paper or a cello wrap, the hard coating will not stick. After a few days, the candy will pick up moisture from the apple itself and from the environment and will start to get sticky. They’re best eaten in the first couple days after making.

How do I eat a candy apple?

Ha! This is funny after you’ve tried to bite into one of these beauties. That first bite can be a challenge, but the candy coating is thin. Bite in with your teeth and you’ll find it’s much easier than you’d think. Alternately, slicing the apples off the stick makes eating them a cinch.

What do I do if the candy gets too thick to continue dipping apples?

As the candy cools, it thickens and hardens. Place the saucepan back on the stovetop and heat it until it thins enough to continue dipping the apples.

How do I clean up the leftover candy that hardens in the pan?

Soaking the pan in hot water will eventually dissolve the hardened candy. For quicker cleanup, fill the pan with water and bring to a simmer on the stovetop until candy dissolves into the water. Then rinse and wash the pan as usual.

red candy apples on plate with stack of books in background and bite taken from one of the apples
black candy apples on plate with black background and misty bowl and pitcher in background

I hope you love making this candy apple recipe as much as I did! Yummy with some fun thrown in! For more Halloween fun, you might like:

More Fun for Halloween

Skeleton Face Makeup

Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner Party

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts

DIY Slightly Spooky Halloween Pumpkins

close up of red candy apples on a plate on black backdrop

Candy Apples

Delicious, crisp Autumn apples dipped in a thin and crunchy, perfectly sweet candy coating – easy to make and a quintessential addition to your Halloween treat table!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Keyword: black candy apples, candy apple recipe, candy apples, red candy apples
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 9
Calories: 363kcal

Equipment

  • candy thermometer

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon food coloring gel or liquid food coloring is fine
  • 9 apples cleaned with a 50/50 vinegar/hot water mixture

Instructions

  • Combine corn syrup, sugar, and water in a small, but deep saucepan. Heat until mixture begins to boil.
  • Place candy thermometer in saucepan so that the tip is submerged, but not resting against the bottom of the pan.
  • Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 305°F.
  • Remove from heat and add food coloring. Adjust the amount of food coloring to achieve desired color.
  • While mixture is cooking, prepare apples by wiping with a vinegar/hot water mixture (50/50) and pat dry. Place a stick in the top center of each apple and set on a sheet of parchment paper.
  • Dip apple into hot candy coating and rotate gently to coat apple.
  • Place on parchment paper to cool completely. Candy will harden and apple will lift easily from parchment when cooled.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 89g | Vitamin A: 98IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Skeleton Face Makeup

by Leave a Comment

Fellow Halloween enthusiasts!!! I just had to show you my favorite favorite look of all time – my skeleton couple costume with the most amazing skeleton face makeup!! This look is all about the makeup and can be paired with just about any clothes you might have in the closet, making it an easy and IMPACTFUL costume!

head shot of couple with skeleton face makeup

Graham and I hosted a Halloween party the last few years, and even though we’ll obviously be taking this year off, I still like to reminisce. No murder mystery parties this year, but I DID spend last weekend making candy apples and putting up most of my Halloween decor. My mummy heads are in place, my “slightly spooky” pumpkins are set out, and I’m building the witch’s lair and the chemist’s laboratory.

close up photo of woman with skeleton face makeup

Products for this look:

How to do Skeleton Makeup:

For my skeleton face makeup, I didn’t want a completely white base – I wanted just a little color. My friend Ari did our makeup for the party – this girl is out of control amazing!! She started with a nice matte white foundation. Graham got a more solid application, but she blended mine in more. I wanted to be “pretty” along with my skeleton face. hahaha. She gave me the most fab eyebrows ever and then brushed in around my eyes with expert shadowing. Graham got a skeleton makeup black eye surround which was just perfect for his manly look. As you can see, there is a good eyeliner surrounding my eyelids and then dark browns both on my lid and under my eyes.

Next, Ari did some major contouring with black shadows on my neck and under my chin – that’ll take care of a double chin in no time!! Black paint also fills in under my newly pronounced cheek bones. She did our noses next. As you can see, the key to a fantastic skeleton nose is a hint of contouring and creepy little split lines heading up toward the eyeline.

man and woman dressed in black suit and black lace dress with skeleton face makeup

Black ears and black all the way up around the hairline are important. And then there’s the neck and teeth. White makeup covers the mouth area and then it’s time to fill in the lines for the teeth. A nice black line right across the center of the lips also helps to define the separation between upper and lower jaw. lol. Line and shade until you’ve got that perfect skeleton mouth – this is the best part about the skeleton costume look – you don’t have to smile for a single photo – just flare your eyes a bit wider and stare into the lens. Perfection!

close up photo of woman with skeleton face makeup

If you’d like to add some creepy light colored contact lenses, you can. Magically, Graham and I both have light eyes that became just that much lighter and creepier when our makeup was applied. So we didn’t do contact lenses, but of course that would add to the skeleton makeup look! Don’t forget to fill in the neck vertebrates. Cover the neck with white and then make the cross shadows with black. Check out how she covered the sides and back of Graham’s neck with black makeup, too. Mine stops at the side of my neck since my hair is covering.

Now go get dressed and you’re all ready to spook out your friends! I picked up this cheap black satin and lace dress from Amazon (affil) and Graham just threw on one his black work suits. Presto!

More Halloween Awesomeness

1

Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner Party

2

Halloween Dinner Party and House Decor

3

5 DIY Halloween Cupcakes

4

55 Amazing Halloween Ideas

5

DIY Slightly Spooky Halloween Pumpkins

6

20 Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to try

Brandy Pecan Baked Brie

by Leave a Comment

This Brandy Pecan Baked Brie is to die for – brandy and brown sugar soaked into pecans and toasted over this ooey gooey buttery brie. Served with apples or crackers, and just 5 minutes to prep, this dish is the best appetizer for any get together. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.browned pecans and brown sugar over brie in a baking dish on a wooden serving board

This baked brie can be served as a standalone appetizer, but it also makes a lovely accompaniment to a charcuterie board. It takes just 5 minutes to prep the day before and bakes up within just a few minutes when guests are arriving. I serve this several times throughout the year, but always always when my girlfriends come for my annual Halloween party and murder mystery night.close up of melted brie slice with brandy soaked pecans baked on top

Brandy Pecan Brie Ingredients:

  • Brandy – You can use your favorite brand of Brandy. The alcohol content will burn off during cooking, and the flavor is perfect with the brown sugar and the brie. I have tried the recipe with rum as well, but the flavor really is a bit too strong. Stick to the brandy.
  • Pecans – oh my, I feel like pecans and brown sugar were made for each other. They are just so good together – add in the punch from the brandy and the buttery balance of the cheese, and this is a combo not to be altered.
  • Brown Sugar – The light brown sugar is a must in this recipe – the sweetness makes the pecans delicious crunchy bits of candy to contrast with the cheese.
  • Brie – You can use a regular wedge of brie for this recipe, but I’ve adjusted the recipe I used to use so that I have enough pecans to cover a big ‘ol Costco size round of brie. It ALWAYS gets eaten. Choose a brie that is not coated with any other herbs, nuts, or spices. You also do not want a mold infused brie (one that is a hybrid of bleu cheese and brie). Use a plain brie or even a double cream brie. Yummmmm.

How to Make Brandy Pecan Baked Brie:

The key to making this a successful dish is allowing enough time for the pecans to soak up all the brandy and brown sugar flavor before baking. This really needs at the very least 4 hours, but if you can pop the mixture into the refrigerator the day before you intend to serve, it is best. There are just a few ingredients, making this a breeze to put together. I like to use a Tupperware container that has a lid to mix up the pecans, brandy, and brown sugar. Dump everything in together, put the lid back on, and stash in the refrigerator until it’s cooking time! I like to stir the mixture a couple times, but it’s probably not necessary, it’s just fun to smell the yumminess and know how delicious it’s going to be when it’s all baked up.

Okay, so after a good soak, the pecan mixture is ready to meet its buttery match – the brie. Place the brie in a smallish oven safe dish – a pie plate will work. Give the pecan mixture a final stir and dump it all over the top of the brie. Use a spatula to make sure you get all the sugary liquid out of the tupperware. 4 step photo collage showing ingredients being mixed into a bowl, pouring the pecan mixture over brie, and the brandy pecan baked brie ready to go in the oven

Bake at 500 degrees for just 5-6 minutes. Watch it very carefully so the pecans don’t burn. By the time the pecans and sugar are browned, the liquor will be burned off and the cheese will be melted and gooey!

What to Serve with this Baked Brie:

You will want to prep your accompaniments ahead of time since the brie takes just minutes to bake up. It’s delicious with any of your traditional cheese and cracker type crackers. Again, go for a plain variety so that you don’t have competing flavors. I’ve also found crackers with dried fruit and nuts/seeds sometimes work well with the brown sugar, brandy, and brie. Olives in your crackers are too strong and not a good combination. Apples, of course, are also AMAZING with this appetizer. Slice some french bread to go with the brie. It’s good whether the french bread is toasted or soft and fresh.browned pecans and brown sugar over brie in a baking dish on a wooden serving board

Oh so good!! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. And if you’re looking for some other yummies to serve at your next dinner party (or distanced driveway meet up), you might like these:

Great Appetizers and Party Bites

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts

Bruschetta

Skinny Deviled Eggs

browned pecans and brown sugar over brie in a baking dish on a wooden serving board

Brandy Pecan Baked Brie

This Brandy Pecan Baked Brie is to die for – brandy and brown sugar soaked into pecans and toasted over this ooey gooey buttery brie.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brandy pecan baked brie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Marinate Time: 12 hours
Servings: 12
Calories: 252kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pecans whole
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 13 oz. French brie

Instructions

  • Combine brandy, brown sugar, and pecans in a bowl.
  • Cover and soak in refrigerator overnight (or a minimum of 4 hours).
  • Place brie in an oven safe container such as a small pie plate or baking dishing.
  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Pour pecan mixture over the brie and place in oven. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until pecans are toasted brown and brie is warm and soft in the center. (Cover the pecan top with aluminum foil to prevent the nuts from burning if you are using a larger piece of brie that needs longer to warm through.)
  • Remove from oven and serve immediately with crackers, apple slices, and/or bread.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 186IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

by Leave a Comment

Today’s Pumpkin Apple Muffins are moist and dense, with all of the wonderful flavors of the season – pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and apple!  Muffins are one of my favorite fall treats – so good for a quick breakfast or alongside a salad or bowl of soup for lunch or dinner.

overhead of pumpkin apple muffins in muffin tin with red apples, pumpkins, and cinnamon sticks aroundIt’s time to bring on the pumpkin!!  First thing on the menu is pumpkin apple muffins!  I discovered the ease and satisfaction of two-ingredient pumpkin donuts a couple years ago, but this year I was eager to make a batter from scratch.  The pumpkin patch that we used to go to every year sold the most delicious muffins and I worked hard to create a similar recipe to satisfy our cravings.  

pumpkin apple muffin split open on plate in front of muffin tin with red apples, pumpkins, and cinnamon sticks

If you don’t care for pieces of fruit in your baked goods, simply omit the apples.  I will say, though, that whether I made the batch with or without apples, there was not a single muffin left on the counter by bedtime.  My kids, husband, neighbors, and I scarfed them down!

Muffin Ingredients:

  • Butter 
  • Brown Sugar
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Eggs
  • Greek Yogurt – yogurt adds moisture and density to the muffin batter, you can also use sour cream.
  • Pumpkin Puree
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Baking Soda
  • Cinnamon – you can’t really have pumpkin and apples without cinnamon, but you can also substitute some pumpkin spice seasoning for the cinnamon and the cloves
  • Ground Cloves
  • Golden delicious apple – use any good baking apple – Rome, Gala, or Golden Delicious will all work

How to Make Pumpkin Apple Muffins:

  1. We’ll start by creaming together the butter and sugar.  Be sure the butter is room temperature so that it blends together with the sugar.
  2. Beat in vanilla extract, yogurt, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
  4. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until combined.  It’s okay if there are some flour streaks in the batter. Do not overmix.
  5. Fold in apple pieces.
  6. Fill muffin cups, leaving room for the muffins to rise.
  7. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

overhead of pumpkin apple muffins in muffin tin with red apples, pumpkins, and cinnamon sticks around

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: pumpkin apple muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 24
Calories: 261kcal
Author: Stef at Girl. Inspired.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 C. butter softened
  • 2 C. brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 C. plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 can 15 oz. pumpkin puree
  • 3 C. flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 small Golden Delicious Apple chopped into 1/4" pieces
  • cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer.
  • Add in pumpkin, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
  • Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, just until combined.
  • Fold in apple pieces, if desired.
  • Place 1/4 cup of batter into cups of a paper-lined muffin tin.
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the center of each muffin is set.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

pumpkin apple muffins stacked on a white and blue striped linen, with pumpkins in the background.
I hope you love these muffins as much as we do! Are you a pumpkin fan? If so, you might love some of my previous pumpkin recipes and roundups:

three different sized glasses with pumpkin spice lattes; hot, on ice, and blended, with whipped cream

Pumpkin Spice Latte

20 Pumpkin Desserts - so many of the best recipes to try! Yum!!20 Pumpkin Desserts!!!  

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts

You can’t beat the ease of these snacks!! 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls - these are worth the effort - so gooey and delicious!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – yes please!!

Sharing Policy

It is my hope that you will find inspiration on the Girl. Inspired. blog. All photos are copyright protected by Girl. Inspired. If you wish to share something that you have seen here, I am absolutely thrilled! Please use only one picture with a direct link back to the project you are referencing. Thank you so much for your understanding!

Privacy Policy

Search by Category