Description
Warm Rustic Caramel Apple Muffins, bursting with tender apples and a sweet crumbly top. My easy recipe for a comforting treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- Muffin Base:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Apple Filling & Caramel Swirl:
- 1 1/2 cups diced fresh apples (about 2 medium Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) caramel sauce, plus more for serving
- Crumb Topping:
- 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons (15g) rolled oats (optional)
Instructions
- Prep Your Pan & Dry Mix:: First things first, get your oven preheating to 400°F (200°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Honestly, I always forget to preheat, then I’m just standing around waiting! In a big bowl, whisk together your flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Give it a good whisk, make sure there are no lumps. This is where the magic starts for these Rustic Caramel Apple Muffins, getting all those dry ingredients ready to party.
- Wet Ingredients & Combine:: In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk your melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until they’re nicely combined. Now, pour this wet mixture into your dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spoon or spatula until *just* combined. And I mean just! Lumps are your friend here. Overmixing? That’s how you get tough, sad muffins, and we don’t want that for our Rustic Caramel Apple Muffins, do we?
- Fold in the Apples:: Gently fold in your diced apples. You want them distributed throughout the batter, but again, don’t overmix! You’re aiming for a rustic look, so a little unevenness is perfectly fine. The smell of the apples mixing into the batter? Oh my goodness, it’s already heavenly. This is the heart of our Rustic Caramel Apple Muffins, those tender fruit pieces.
- Fill & Swirl:: Divide the muffin batter evenly among your 12 prepared muffin cups. Now for the fun part: spoon about a teaspoon of caramel sauce over the top of each muffin. Take a skewer or a toothpick and gently swirl the caramel into the batter. Don’t go too crazy, just a nice little ribbon. This step makes each bite of these Rustic Caramel Apple Muffins a delightful surprise.
- Make the Crumb Topping:: In a small bowl, combine your brown sugar, flour, rolled oats (if using), and a pinch more cinnamon. Pour in some melted butter and mix with a fork until you have a crumbly mixture. I like to use my fingers to really get those good, big clumps. This is where I used to mess up, making it too wet! Sprinkle a generous amount of this crumb mixture over each muffin. Don’t be shy!
- Bake & Enjoy:: Pop your muffin tin into the preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C), then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for another 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The tops should be golden brown and the kitchen will smell incredible. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Those Rustic Caramel Apple Muffins are ready!