Apple Pie Cakes

Happy Fall!! It officially feels like fall in North Carolina, so get ready for more fall recipes than you can handle. If Justin can find butternut squash in bulk (and I have no doubt he can), we will be buying it.

I was craving something sweet the other night, but I didn't want to go overboard. My birthday is this weekend, and I know cake will be happening, so I didn't want to make anything super sugary/bad for me. So, these happened.

I know, they are adorable (I find it weird when people describe food like this, but really, look at those hearts). I bought those ramekins online a few weeks ago and finally found a reason for them. If you don't have ramekins, just use a small baking dish.

This recipe is small - it does not yield a lot of cake, which is exactly what I wanted. I just wanted one small serving. BUT if you want a big cake, double or even triple it and put it in a bigger baking dish.

Here's what you need (from How Sweet Eats):

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/3 cup of plain greek yogurt (I used fat free Fage)
1/3 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of ginger and nutmeg
1 apple, peeled and cut into small pieces

For the brown sugar topping:

1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp melted butter
pinch of salt

Combine and sprinkle over batter just before baking.

Here's what you do...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and greek yogurt in a bowl and stir to combine. You don't even need a hand mixer - just a spatula!

3. In another bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and mix to combine.

4. Add your dry ingredients to your batter and stir again to combine. Then, fold in your apple pieces. Sprinkle your brown sugar topping on top.

5. Pour into individual ramekins (it made 3 for me), or into a baking dish of choice. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

6. Allow to cool. If you wish, add a glaze on top. You just need 3 tbsp of powdered sugar combine with a little splash (emphasis on little) of milk. Pour on top of your cake. Enjoy!!

These satisfied my craving for something sweet without being overly sweet. And I didn't feel guilty afterward because it was a small portion! Win win.

*I should note - I made a comment in my last post about being healthy not being fun. I simply meant that it is sometimes a struggle to be healthy. When you crave a bacon cheeseburger, but know you should eat a salad instead, it's not always as satisfying. BUT, I am always satisfied by the way I feel when I eat healthy.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! Now that I'm looking at that picture I'm thinking some vanilla ice cream would have been a perfect addition...