These easy apple muffins are packed with chunks of juicy apples and topped with a rich homemade caramel sauce! They're super quick to make and perfect for this time of year.
I've already confessed my love for caramel apples. Remember my caramel apple dip? I really don't mess around when it comes to homemade caramel apples, especially after my one funny experience with them. You'll have to read the caramel apple dip to hear more about that one. But what I'm trying to say is, you just know this one is going to be good.
These easy apple muffins are super soft and moist, with a hint of cinnamon, which as we all know works oh-so-well with apple. I went on and on about that when I made my apple cinnamon scones. So I won't really go into THAT, either.
Then, if that's not enough, we're drizzling a homemade caramel sauce right on top. It's such a simple sauce but I will warn you -- it gets messy. But when the mess is THIS good, it's no big deal. Right?
What's great about this gluten free apple muffin recipe is that we're using applesauce not just to enhance the overall apple flavor, but as our egg substitute. We're adding just enough to give us flavor, moisture, and bind everything together but not so much that you end up with a mushy muffin (no one likes those).
The hardest part about making these gluten free apple muffins is waiting before taste testing! You will want to wait for the cupcakes to cool completely before drizzling on the caramel sauce, and then you will want to wait just a bit longer for the sauce to set. But I promise you, it will be so worth it.
Why You'll Love These Easy Apple Muffins...
- That homemade caramel sauce on top is just incredible. Really. It comes together in a few minutes (no candy thermometer needed) and takes these muffins to the next level.
- The warm cinnamon and apple flavors in every bite truly taste like Fall.
- These gluten free apple muffins are made in a single bowl, without a mixer. If you have a mixing bowl, rubber spatula, and a whisk, you're all set! Oh, and a saucepan, for the sauce.
What You'll Need...
- The dry ingredients: flour + baking powder + baking soda + salt.
- The flavor: sugar + cinnamon + vanilla extract.
- The fat: unsalted butter.
- Instead of eggs: unsweetened applesauce.
- For moisture: whole milk.
- Add in: peeled and chopped apple (1 medium-large apple should do the trick).
- Top it off with: more butter + brown sugar + half and half + a pinch of salt.
How To Make Gluten Free Apple Muffins From Scratch...
To make these delicious gluten free apple muffins, start by whisking the first six ingredients (below) in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, milk, applesauce, and vanilla right in and stir it all up with a rubber spatula until you have a nice, thick batter. Stir in the chopped apples.
Fill your cupcake liners up almost all the way full -- about 2/3 of the way should do it. Bake on 425ºF for 5 minutes, then lower your oven down to 375ºF and keep baking for another 14 minutes. This might seem like a pain, but I love baking all of my muffins this way because I've found that it's a great way to get a nice crisp top, but you still end up with a moist and soft muffin overall by turning the heat down.
While your apple muffins cool on a wire rack, you can get started on the caramel sauce. It's really as simple as this: place your butter, brown sugar, half and half (you can make your own with heavy whipping cream + milk if you don't have any) and a pinch of salt into a saucepan and melt it all up over medium heat. Make sure to stir continuously, we don't want it to burn!
Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then continue to heat for a few more minutes until it thickens slightly. Overall, this sauce is on the thinner side so don't worry if it doesn't get too thick.
When your apple muffins are completely cooled, use a spoon or fork to drizzle the sauce right on top. It will get messy, so you may want to place a towel underneath the wire rack to catch any spilled sauce. Let the sauce set before serving.
PS - if you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like my jumbo blueberry muffins, zucchini muffins and easy banana muffins!
Did you make my easy apple muffins? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!
Easy Apple Muffins With Caramel Sauce - Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
- 2 cups (296g) gluten free flour blend
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (64g) unsweetened applesauce
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (75g) peeled & chopped apples
For the caramel sauce:
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Add the melted butter, milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract and mix using a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chopped apples.
- Fill liners almost all the way up (about 2/3 full). Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and continue baking another 14-15 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter, brown sugar, milk, and salt together in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, then continue cooking another 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens. Cool for a few minutes, then drizzle sauce over cooled muffins. Allow the caramel sauce to set before serving.
Notes
- Be sure the muffins have cooled completely before drizzling on the caramel sauce.
- If you don't have half and half, you can simply make your own by mixing equal parts whole milk and heavy cream. Otherwise, you can just substitute whole milk, your sauce will just be slightly thinner.
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