Persimmon Applesauce Spice Muffins: Autumn’s Best-Kept Secret (Only Here for October, November & December!)

 

There are many reasons that I like fall, one of which is that it is persimmon season. I’m talking about Melissa’s gorgeous, speckled, cinnamon-kissed Cinnamon Persimmons that taste like autumn baked a pie and forgot to tell anyone. They are sweet, fragrant, and, cruelly, only available October through December. Blink and they’re gone until next year. 

So when my box arrived, I did what any sane person would do: I turned them into the most tender, fragrant, nutty, spice-flecked muffins imaginable. These Persimmon Applesauce Spice Muffins are moist beyond belief (thank you, applesauce + persimmon pulp tag team), warmly spiced, and crowned with a crunchy, sparkly topping that makes every bite feel like a spicy hug. 

They’re also secretly nutritious, bursting with vitamins A and C, fiber, and antioxidants, so you can feel quite virtuous if you want to enjoy two for breakfast and trust me, you will! Or serve them beside soup or a salad at dinner. You can sneak one at midnight, I’ll never tell. They are welcome anywhere, anytime, by anyone with taste buds.  What a lovely addition they would make at a holiday brunch.

Persimmon Applesauce Spice Muffins

(Makes 12 standard or 10 jumbo muffins)

For the muffins

1½ c. flour

1½ t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. allspice

¼ t. freshly grated nutmeg

¼ t. salt

2 extra-large eggs

1 c. packed dark brown sugar

½ c. + 3 T. butter, melted

½ c. unsweetened applesauce

½ c. persimmon pulp (from 2 ripe Melissa’s Cinnamon Persimmons — see note)

¾ c. coarsely chopped pecans

For the sparkle topping

2 T. sugar

¼ t. cinnamon

¼ t. allspice

¼ t. freshly grated nutmeg

To make persimmon pulp: Cut persimmons in half, scoop out the flesh (discard any seeds/skin), and blend until creamy. It will look like sunset in a jar.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease your muffin tin generously (or use tulip liners for that bakery look).

 Whisk together all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

 In a large bowl, whisk eggs and brown sugar until thick and creamy, then stream in the melted butter. Stir in applesauce and that glorious persimmon pulp.

 Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just barely combined — lumps are fine, overmixing is not. Fold in pecans.

Using an ice-cream scoop, fill muffin cups two-thirds full (or three-quarters if you’re making jumbos like I did).

Mix the topping ingredients and sprinkle generously over each muffin. 

Bake 20 minutes for standard size, 25 minutes for jumbo, or until puffed, golden, and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

 Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then loosen with a knife and transfer to a rack. Try to wait until they’re merely warm before devouring.

These muffins keep beautifully for 3 days at room temperature (as if they’ll last that long) or freeze for up to 2 months. They toast up like a dream.

 If you can get your hands on Cinnamon Persimmons this season, promise me you’ll make these. Your kitchen will smell like pure magic, and everyone who tastes them will think you’re a baking genius.

Happy (very short) persimmon season. Let’s make every bite count. 

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