Caramel Apple Muffins

Who as a kid grew up loving caramel apples? We didn't mind the gooey mess at all when we were younger. Now as an adult, there are several ways to enjoy the sweet goodness of a caramel apple without the mess. You can slice the apple and dip it, you can slice up the caramel apple itself into individual slices, or you create those tasty flavors in a pie, cake or muffin.

Today I am going to share a recipe for caramel apple muffins. I am going to make them a bit on the healthier side by using whole wheat flour or oil! BONUS!

Whole Wheat Caramel Apple Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (you can also substitute with 1/8 cup
  Stevia or Splenda and 1/8 cup granulated sugar)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (Splenda makes a brown sugar blend you can substitute)
• 1/2 cup + 3 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 2/3 cup diced peeled apples
• 1/3 cup caramel bits

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 10 muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the whole wheat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set that aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and applesauce together until no brown sugar lumps remain.
Add the beaten egg white until fully incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry until just combined. Do not over mix since this would cause a tough muffin. Fold in the tasty apples and caramel bits.
Divide the batter evenly between 10 muffin tins. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes. Muffins will be lightly golden in color and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean with the exception of some gooey caramel.

If you find that the caramel hardens up a bit in the muffins, warm them up a bit in the microwave for a few seconds. To be honest, warm muffins are better than cold muffins anyway.

This recipe was adapted from another blogger's recipe:
www.sallysbakingaddiction.com

My little confession...the first time I made these muffins, I actually woke up in the middle of the night craving them!

Another idea you can do with this batter is bake it in a 8 x 8 pan then crumble it up and make a trifle or parfait with either your favorite ice cream or seasoned whip cream and MORE CARAMEL drizzled over the top!

Okay I am out of control aren't I!

Enjoy..Michelle