Apple Oatmeal Muffins with Brown Butter Caramel

baked muffins with apple and caramel drizzled on top with cinnamon sticks nearby

5 from 4 votes

Apple Oatmeal Muffins with Brown Butter Caramel

These apple oatmeal muffins are the perfect fall snack. They're quick and easy to make and go perfectly with a brown butter caramel.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Brown butter caramel5

Total Time40

Course: Cake, Dessert, Snack, Sweets

Cuisine: American

Servings: Muffins

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Sasha Hooper

Equipment

Ingredients

For the muffins

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup soft brown sugar packed
2 medium eggs
¾ cup milk
½ cup applesauce
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium apple peeled and diced into ½ cm/¼ inch pieces (1 cup)

Toppings (optional)

2 tablespoons old fashioned rolled oats
sliced apple

Brown Butter Caramel

¼ cup salted butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the muffins

Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
To brown the butter; heat the butter in a saucepan or small frying pan over medium heat and whisk continuously until the butter begins to foam and darkens and smells nutty. Be very careful not to burn it! It changes very quickly - so it is worth only focusing on this one thing whilst doing it. Set aside and allow cool for a few minutes in a bowl.
½ cup butter
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder spices and sea salt.
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ cup soft brown sugar, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and apple sauce until smooth and well combined. Mix in the brown butter from step 2 and vanilla extract.
2 medium eggs, ¾ cup milk, ½ cup applesauce, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined - some streaks of flour are good. Add the chopped apple to the bowl - and gently stir in. Do not overwork.
1 medium apple
Divide the mixture between the liners in the muffin tin. Top the batter with the apple and old fashioned oats if using.
2 tablespoons old fashioned rolled oats, sliced apple
Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden and a cake tester comes out almost clean. Leave to cool in muffin tin for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle the muffins with brown butter caramel and enjoy!

Brown butter caramel

Brown the butter for the caramel; heat the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat and whisk continuously until the butter begins to foam and darkens and smells nutty. Be very careful not to burn it! It changes very quickly - so it is worth only focusing on this one thing whilst doing it.
¼ cup salted butter
Pour in the brown sugar and stir together, quickly. Immediately pour in the cream - it’ll bubble and come together and thicken. Add vanilla and pour into bowl to save for later.
4 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons double cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Notes

We will always recommend using digital scales for baking as you will get more consistent results due to better accuracy.
Keep an eye on the brown butter as you make it to ensure it doesn't burn.
Have all of the caramel ingredients measured out ready to cook as it comes together quickly.

Nutrition