Caramel Apple Muffins

Caramel Apple Muffins for the win! Juicy, tart apples add so much flavor to these tender muffins. Top them with a sweet streusel and a drizzle of caramel. 

This has been the October for apples. A friend brought me a big box of apples. We bought another big box of apples at the farmers market. Then we picked even more apples! And the funny thing is, I'm not even tired of apples yet.

Most of the apples have been turned into applesauce and canned for the winter. Everyone at my house loves warm applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon all winter long. We eat it on waffles, stirred into our oatmeal, and all by itself.

But I've also been doing a lot of baking and cooking with apples too. How can I not when I have so many boxes of them sitting around?

And so, next up on our apple menu, I present you with these crazy delicious Caramel Apple Muffins.

I can make muffins with my eyes closed and one arm tied behind my back. No, really.

I make muffins weekly, and this time of year, sometimes daily. So, these started out as just an ordinary batch of muffins with the standard muffin base recipe that I have memorized.

And then I started feeling inspired.

Instead of just apples and cinnamon, what about a sweet oatmeal streusel topping? You know, just for fun.

And if we're going to put a streusel topping on what was almost destined to be an ordinary apple muffin, why not up the ante with a caramel sauce drizzle too.

Forget ordinary apple muffins now! These Caramel Apple Muffins are hall of fame delicious.

The secret to a really great apple muffin is to use really good apples. A good apple for baking will be crisp, juicy, and full of flavor. I especially like a tart green apple in a recipe like this because it adds to much flavor.

These Caramel Apple Muffins really are all about the apples. The crumbly streusel and caramel topping are definitely delicious and totally fun, but you can easily make these muffins without either and as long as you have a great apple, you'll still have a great muffin.

Now is the best time of year to find fresh, crisp apples bursting with flavor. It's also the best of time year for baking. See how nicely that worked out for these Apple Muffins?

Yield: 12 muffins

Caramel Apple Muffins

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil)
• ½ cup milk (or more if necessary)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 heaping cup of peeled, diced apple, approximately 1 large apple (see note)

For the Topping

• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• ⅓ cup rolled oats
• ⅓ cup flour
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup caramel sauce (homemade or store bought, see note)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until just combined, being careful to not over mix. Fold in the apples. The batter will be thick (see picture above) but moist. If your batter feels too thick (because it can vary in different climates) add a little more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time).
5. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, about ⅓ cup batter per cup.
6. To make the streusel, combine the butter, oats, flour, and sugar until it forms a crumble. I like to do this with my hands.
7. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the batter in each muffin tin, lightly pressing it into the top of each muffin.
8. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until muffins are golden and spring back when touched.
9. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Use a great tasting apple for a great tasting muffin – crisp, juicy, and flavorful. I like a tart green apple in this apple muffin recipe.

I used this Salted Caramel Recipe and just made a half batch.

If you enjoyed this recipe for Caramel Apple Muffins, you may also enjoy these Apple Recipes: 

• Apple Cheddar Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze
• Cinnamon Apple Galette with Maple Glaze
• Fresh Cranberry Apple Farro Salad