Muffin Recipe For Caramel Muffins

Most people love chocolate chip muffins and I confess that I used to love them too.  Until I found out that I was allergic to chocolate (highly unfair) and had to stop eating them.

So what’s a reformed chocoholic to do?  I turned to my next favorite delight which is caramel and lucky for me, I can eat that! 

I’ve been thinking for quite some time about a recipe for caramel muffins and have tried a couple.  However, I was trying to perfect a recipe that would remain light and fluffy and give the maximum caramel indulgence to the muffins. 

I think I found the answer by substituting cake flour for regular flour.  I found a recipe on the Internet that was for a chocolate chip muffin, although it had a crumb topping on the muffins which I’m not partial to.  I like a muffin that is sweet but still leaves you with a bread-like flavor.

I’m still experimenting with different kinds of caramels to add to the batter because the little pint-sized ones that I used, while absolutely marvelous, seem to sink to the bottom of the muffin so there is more of a ‘stick factor’ when you take them out of the pan. 

I am going to cut them in half next time for even smaller bits and then add only half to the batter and carefully add the other half after they’re in the pan and see if that makes a difference. 

I’d also recommend using paper muffin cups to alleviate sticking but check the muffins to see if they’re done a few minutes before because muffin papers can dry out a muffin. 

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pictures from the kitchen of Audrey Kirchner
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Muffin Recipe for Caramel Muffins

Makes 12 delicious muffins

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup caramel bits, chopped
2 eggs or 1/2 cup of egg substitute
1 cup nonfat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter (or margarine) cooled slightly
1/4-1/2 cup chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line muffin tins (12 muffins) with paper muffin cups (or spray with cooking spray).
Sift through a wire strainer or sifter the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
Stir to combine. Dump in 1/2 or all of the nuts and 1/2 or all of the caramel pieces. Toss to coat.
Whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla until eggs are slightly beaten. Stir in the melted mostly cooled butter. Mix well.
Pour the milk mixture
into the dry ingredients and blend together with a few strokes. I
actually just did a ‘poke and move’ method so that I did not overbeat
the mixture. Muffins that are not light and fluffy have been beaten or
stirred too much. The mixture should JUST be moistened. (The batter
will be thinner than you’re used to)
Fill muffin cups about
2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Check with wooden
pick in center or cake tester. If it comes out clean, they’re done!
Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then remove and cool on a rack. Bet you can’t eat just one!

VARIATIONS ON CARAMEL MUFFINS

For those of you who can eat chocolate, just substitute mini-chocolate chips for the caramel.

The video below also shows pieces of regular caramels cut up. I’m going to try that next…..only very small pieces to keep them from all sinking and sticking.

My daughter wants me to try peanut butter chips and white chocolate chips so I have their orders in place for the next time they visit.

These muffins also freeze perfectly. I had to put them into the freezer before we gobbled up all 12 at once…or better yet if Griffin spied them on the counter and had a caramel fest.

Whatever way you make these muffins, the cake flour helps keep them really light. Also not overmixing them is the key to the best muffin. Next on my agenda is to try and add back in a bit of unbleached flour and use half cake and half all purpose. Hopefully they will stay light!

These make great snacks or an indulgent breakfast muffin with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.

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Healthy Recipes – Oatmeal Muffins

Many years ago, in fact in the late 1970s, we were living in Michigan and I was a very young miss. I was just starting out with our first son, Jonathan and I was also starting my illustrious cooking career!

One of the first things that I ‘perfected’ back then and found to be an all-time favorite was my recipe for Oatmeal Muffins. Over the years, I had forgotten how wonderful these can be until I connected with my husband’s niece, Nancy, on Facebook! She asked me for the recipe because she could still remember me baking them and how delicious they were.

The photo shows oatmeal muffins with blueberries added – a great touch and wish I’d thought of that back then!

The first recipe is from one of Betty Crocker’s old cookbooks (from the 1950’s edition) that was then revamped and submitted by Doris Barnaal using more ‘modern ingredients’.

The second recipe is from my oldest Betty Crocker cookbook though I have no idea what year it is from because I only have my favorite saved pages!

This one’s for you, Nancy – I hope your kids enjoy it as much as mine did, although I seem to have learned many years later that Jonathan was trading these for Twinkies at lunchtime.  I understand that they did bring a very good price on the ‘black market’ for snack trades!

(When you have ADD and your mom insists on cooking everything from scratch, you gotta have an out!)

Oatmeal Muffins Recipe #1

Makes 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quick oats or regular oats
1 cup buttermilk (low-fat or regular)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 egg beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (or as desired)
Vegetable spray

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METHOD

Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees. (I prefer 375 degrees because the muffins seem to be less hard)
Spray muffin cups with vegetable spray.
Mix together oats and buttermilk – let stand for 5-10 minutes.
In separate large bowl, combine oil, sugar and egg – whisk to mix well.
In a separate small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk or stir to combine.
Add dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients. Mix lightly – just until flour is absorbed. Do not over-beat.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
Bake
at 375-400 degrees for 18-20 minutes – or until golden. Remove from
tins and cool on wire rack after letting sit for a few minutes in the
muffin pan.

Tip: Do not use muffin papers as they tend to make muffins drier.

Store at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerate or freeze; reheat in the microwave.

ADDITIONS

Add 1/2-1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries to batter
Add chopped walnuts to batter
Add chopped dried cranberries to batter
Add chopped dried pineapple to batter
Add chopped almonds to batter

Oatmeal Muffins Recipe #2

Makes 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
3/4 cup milk (low-fat, non-fat or regular)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup flour
1 cup quick or regular oats
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt (or as desired)
1 cup raisins if desired
Vegetable spray

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees. (I prefer 375 degrees because the muffins seem to be less hard)
Spray muffin cups lightly with vegetable spray.
Beat egg.
Combine milk and oil in large bowl. Add raisins if using (or other substitution).
Combine flour, oats, spices and baking powder in another small bowl.
Stir all remaining ingredients into egg just until moistened.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake
at 375-400 degrees for 18-20 minutes – or until golden. Remove from
tins and cool on wire rack after letting sit for a few minutes in the
muffin pan.

Tip: Not using muffin papers will keep muffins from being too dry.

Again, store at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerate or freeze; reheat in the microwave.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

As above – use any of the additions such as dried fruits, nuts or blueberries
Add fresh raspberries or strawberries
For buttermilk muffins, substitute buttermilk for the milk. Reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Timetable for Reheating Muffins in Microwave

Number of Muffins
Room Temperature
Frozen
1 muffin
10-15 seconds
20-25 seconds
2 muffins
20-30 seconds
35-40 seconds
4 muffins
30-35 seconds
55-60 seconds

Final Word on Oatmeal Muffins

Oatmeal muffins are a delicious type of muffin and can be livened up with so many additional things such as blueberries, nuts, or raisins.

They can also of course be made as mini-muffins or giant muffins. Just adjust your baking time accordingly and check the middle with a toothpick or a cake tester to assure doneness – but don’t overbake as they will become dry.

You can also substitute brown sugar for the regular sugar in recipe #2 and add chopped apple.

Another variation is to fill the muffin cup half full and put a teaspoonful of jam in the center, then top off with more batter.

Dried apricots and nuts make a wonderful addition to oatmeal muffins as well.

In short, there are many variations you can come up with to enjoy oatmeal muffins many different ways – as a light breakfast treat or as a snack with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon.

No matter what way you come up with, enjoy one of my favorite healthy recipes!

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