Spiced Plum Muffins

Bridge the gap between summer and fall with these spiced plum muffins. The summery flavor of fresh, ripe plums shines in these simple, moist, and delicious muffins, while cinnamon and nutmeg add a touch of fall. They come together easily and are perfect for a snack, dessert, or even part of breakfast.

I make a lot of different types of muffins in this kitchen, and this recipe is a combination of a few of them. I like to use yogurt in muffins because it adds richness without being greasy, and the plums keep the muffins moist. Plus they turn such a pretty color when baked! There is not a lot of sugar in this recipe, and because the plums bring their own sweetness, you don’t need a lot of it.

Plums are such a beautiful fruit, and they are plentiful at the grocery store right now. I bought handful of them recently and with the hot weather we had this week, they ripened very quickly and needed to be used! I feel like these muffins are a last farewell to summer, as time marches on and it is almost officially fall. Fall is actually my favorite season, so I really don’t mind it being almost fall, except that I love summer too. Such a conundrum!

Anyway, this time of year is definitely one that tugs at my emotions, with all the change that is in the air. Change is literally in the air today, with the wind blowing the hot, humid air away and bringing in cooler air. So many beautiful and delicious fruits and vegetables are in abundance right now, with the peaches and plums and tomatoes gradually making way for apples and squashes and hearty greens, just to name a few. I look forward to all the fall cooking and baking!

But for now, it is still summer, at least for a day or two, and I am savoring it. My neighbor/friend brought over a couple of her last tomatoes to share, and they taste like late summer sun. It is a special time of year, when the sun is still warm, yet it cools down so nicely at night, and the lake water is still warm enough for swimming. There is a golden glow to the light and the trees are just on the verge of turning. I hope you all have a great weekend! I will share a plate of these lovely spiced plum muffins over at Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Jen @ Apply To Face Blog.

Spiced Plum Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins
Time: about 20 minutes of prep time and about 18 minutes of baking time
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Ingredients:

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of plain yogurt (2% or whole milk yogurt are best )
1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 cups of diced plums (I used red plums, though any type will work)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a muffin tin with butter.

Wash and pit your plums, and then dice them. (I do not peel them, though you can if you really want to). Melt your 6 tablespoons of butter over very low heat. Remove from the heat when it is just melted and allow it to cool. While your butter is melting/cooling, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the white and brown sugars and stir well. Add the melted butter and stir again. Then add the yogurt and stir well so that everything is combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir to mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-stir at this point. It’s ok if the batter is a little lumpy. Gently fold in the diced plums. Spoon the batter into the lightly greased muffin tin, distributing it evenly into all 12 cups. Bake in your 375 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or when lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 2 minutes, and then gently remove them from the pan to the wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!