These muffins are bursting with apple flavor and bits of gooey caramel. They are balanced out with oatmeal, sourdough discard, whole wheat flour and yogurt as well. These muffins are a fabulous way to start your day off deliciously!
Take your sourdough and turn it into delicious muffins. These babies are loaded with fresh apples and bits of caramel.
The best part is you can use sourdough starter from the fridge or discard. You’ll love the balance of flavors, textures and just the right amount of sweet!
I am really starting to get excited about fall baking. The days are still feeling like summer but there is definitely a hint of fall in the evening breeze.
Plus our favorite local apple orchard is picking the early varieties of apples. Fresh cider is a little ways off still but they have the best cider slushies from last year’s pressing and the frozen cider is perfect for the still warm days.
So making muffins with apples just makes sense this time of year. While I love grandpa Joe’s apple pumpkin muffins, I have been on a sourdough muffin kick and wanted to keep that going.
Besides, I now have a virtual muffin friend on my Facebook page! We bonded over the chocolate chip sourdough muffins I posted way back when and have been bouncing ideas off each other ever since.
She was the inspiration for adding cherries and almond extract for the cherry chip muffins. She made a version with fresh strawberries too that I can’t wait to try in the spring. They are her husband’s favorite.
She mentioned wanting to try subbing applesauce for the oil and I couldn’t wait to try that as well. Honestly I wasn’t quite sure how they’d turn out.
While I love the idea of saving a few calories, sometimes you run the risk of a heavy dense muffin. Since I already use some whole wheat flour and a bunch of oatmeal I wasn’t sure if this would be too much.
Throwing caution to the wind, I went ahead and made them anyway. To really drive the apple flavor home I not only added the applesauce, I added apple juice and a chopped up apple as well.
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To even out all the healthiness, I went ahead and stirred in some caramel bits… because, well, caramel! (And I’m sure we all know by now sometimes I just can’t help myself. I didn’t frost them and let’s be thankful for that bit of restraint.)
Of course you could leave the caramel out and have yourself a pretty virtuous apple muffin.
So what’s the verdict? They baked up beautifully just like the muffins with oil and they smelled so good.
I was so excited that I immediately messaged a picture to my muffin baking pal. They were still hot, hadn’t been tasted and it was a bit premature for celebration, but I couldn’t help myself.
You know what? The celebration was warranted! These muffins were so moist and full of apple flavor. They also were beautifully soft and not too dense.
I could have probably gobbled them all up in a sitting or two if I would have allowed myself. As it was I had to taste test one right away.
Then I took a couple in my lunch bag each day for the next few days. One for a mid-morning breakfast and one for lunch! I reluctantly shared a few as well.
If you are looking for a new fall treat, these should definitely be on the list! What are your favorite apple recipes?
Caramel Apple Sourdough Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup apple juice
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ½ cup sourdough starter*
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup applesauce I used unsweetened, but any should work
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium apple cored and diced
- ½ cup caramel bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease enough muffin tins for 12 muffins
- In a large bowl, mix together oatmeal, apple juice, yogurt and sourdough starter. You may continue immediately, but I prefer to let this step sit for about 10 minutes to let everything soften a bit if I have the time.1 cup rolled oats, ½ cup apple juice, ½ cup plain yogurt, ½ cup sourdough starter*
- Stir in the brown sugar, applesauce, egg and vanilla extract.⅓ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup applesauce, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a small bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into wet ingredients until just mixed.1 cup all purpose flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- Fold in the diced apple and caramel bits and then spoon into the prepared muffin tin. (A large cookie scoop makes this process quick and easy.)1 medium apple, ½ cup caramel bits
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and a toothpick tests done.
- Cool in muffin tin for about 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for a few days on the counter or freeze until ready to eat.
Notes
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These are delicious. I use muffin papers. They stuck . But they are great breakfast grab and go.
I have been looking to add more muffin recipes! So I can grab and go in the mornings!THis will be on my must make asap! THanks for sharing on our appleweek link party!
I love your sour dough recipes, they all sound so good. Now, why haven't I got some starter going yet???
I am new to a sourdough starter and have no recipe or guideline. I would appreciate if you would share. I am looking for recipes with lower sugar content and this sounds delicious, I am prediabetic. I have 3 apple trees that are loaded.
Retired 2 years ago and love to bake for others. Thank you..
Do you already have a starter? If not, I made my own using just flour and water.
It takes about 5 days but is really easy. Otherwise you can order some or a local baker may sell you some. Either way, I love making muffins like these with the discard when I feed my starter. While the muffins are sweet, they are only lightly so and there isn't a ton of added sugar. I also make a lot of sourdough pizza crust.
These muffins would be a great way to use some of your apples. My brother has some apple trees as well and we just got done making a TON of applesauce from his trees. I don't can, so I froze a bunch in jars and we should be set for the winter. I don't add sugar, so that may be a good choice as well.