Fall is full of fun activities ranging from carving pumpkins, watching cozy movies, drinking apple cider and so on. There’s numerous ways to put yourself in the fall spirit! One of which I am very fond of–baking.! I think you can never go wrong with a simple recipe that you can make at home to put yourself in the holiday spirit. Here I will share 3 simple baking recipes including; pumpkin loaf, apple doodle cookies, and pumpkin banana muffins. All are easy recipes any level of baking experience can make, from beginners to experts in the kitchen.
First up, I have the “iconically fall” pumpkin loaf recipe. This is a super simple recipe that is very sweet and can be eaten chilled or warmed up. I prefer to warm up a slice so it’s nice and warm when cutting it!
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease your pan of choice (usually a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pan is common). In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In another medium bowl whisk the wet ingredients. Add the egg mixture into the flour mixture and fold, using a spatula, just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let the bread cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack, then turn it out from the pan and allow it to cool completely. And then it’s ready to be sliced and enjoyed!
Next up I have the apple doodle cookies! These are super quick to bake as it only takes 10 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to bake. This recipe has been a family favorite of mine and I will definitely be baking these soon.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2-1/4 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped peeled tart apple
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy for about 5-7 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine all dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt) gradually beat into a creamed mixture. Then stir in the apple. Drop small balls of dough onto lightly greased baking sheets. Make sure they have some space between each cookie. Bake until golden brown which is about 3-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool and enjoy!
Finally, I have the pumpkin banana muffins. Savory, moist and full with flavor, these muffins are both sweet from the bananas and warm from the spices included such as nutmeg and cinnamon. These muffins are great for fall, but they’d be delicious at any season during the year.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 small)
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions: In a large bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients otherwise known as the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, bananas, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Slowly stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Coat muffin cups with cooking spray, or use muffin tins, fill (with some space to spare) full with batter. Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean. Let them sit for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Most importantly, serve them warm!
