Caramel Apple Muffin Recipe
Fresh apple chunks & sweet caramel
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Ingredients
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Muffin Batter
Caramel & Topping
Method
Muffin Batter
- 1
Prepare apples
Peel, core and dice the apples into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Toss immediately with the lemon juice to prevent browning and reserve.
- 2
Preheat and prep pan
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well. If liners are used, spray them lightly with nonstick spray.
- 3
Combine dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
- 4
Mix wet ingredients
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Add the milk, yogurt (or sour cream), melted and cooled butter, and vanilla extract; whisk until smooth.
- 5
Combine wet and dry
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir gently with a spatula just until most of the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix; batter should be slightly lumpy.
- 6
Fold in apples
Fold the diced apples into the batter until evenly dispersed. Reserve about 12–15 apple pieces to press on top of muffins if desired.
- 7
Portion batter
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
Caramel & Topping
- 8
Make quick caramel drizzle
Place the soft caramels and heavy cream in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until smooth and pourable (about 40–60 seconds total). Alternatively, melt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. If the caramel seems too thick, stir in another teaspoon of cream.
- 9
Add caramel centers (optional)
For a gooey caramel center: after filling each muffin cup 3/4 full with batter, press a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of the warm caramel into the center of half of the muffins, then cover with a little more batter to seal. For a caramel-topped muffin, do not add caramel inside—reserve for drizzling after baking.
- 10
- 11
Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 18–22 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion (avoiding caramel pockets) comes out with a few moist crumbs. If you added caramel centers, allow an extra 1–2 minutes and test between muffins to avoid a wet toothpick from caramel.
- 12
Cool and drizzle
Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5–7 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. If you reserved caramel for drizzling, rewarm slightly so it's pourable, then drizzle about 1 teaspoon of caramel over each muffin. Allow the caramel to set for a few minutes before serving.