Gluten and Starch Free Paleo Coconut Caramel Apple Muffins

The second batch with additional caramel apple sauce and no fresh chopped apple. Topped with a bit of caramel sauce and a slice of apple before baking.

The first batch, with chopped apples.

These muffins were made by request. A birthday gift. A chance for me to get in touch with my inner cavewoman- and though I did all my gathering at the supermarket I did stick with seasonal fruit. 

Coconut Caramel Sauce 

• 1 (14 oz/400 g) can full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup (50 g) coconut sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 T unsalted butter

Combine the coconut milk, maple syrup (or honey), and coconut palm sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil, then turn heat down so it doesn’t boil over, and boil until thickened, dark amber in color, and reduced to between 1 to 1 1/4 cups. (Faith at An Edible Mosaic says this took her about 15 minutes on a dry day, it took me more like 45 and my sauce ended up a little grainy. If I do this again I think I might just use the fat from the coconut milk like ohladycake’s delicious looking vegan caramel sauce suggests)

Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla, salt, and butter until smooth.

Cool completely, and then use or store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Caramel Apple Sauce

Combine 1/4 cup of caramel sauce and one apple finely cut (I leave the skins on) in a medium sauce pan, cook over a medium heat until apple is tender (about 15 minutes) allow to cool and then mash or puree the mixture to create a caramel apple sauce.

Coconut Caramel Apple Muffins

(I use weights for baking whenever possible, you can find conversions here but I encourage, nay, implore you to get a scale if you don’t have one already)

• 96 grams almond flour
  16 grams coconut flour
  1/8 tsp salt
  1/2 tsp garam masala (I love this Indian mix of spices for baking but cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice would also work well here)
  1 tsp baking powder (if you’re super hard-core about starch free you probably already know that most baking powders contain corn or potato starch, but you can make your own or buy Bakewell starch free baking powder off the internets)
  56 grams (1/4 cup) melted coconut oil or melted butter
  60 grams (3 T) honey
  1 tsp vanilla extract
  3 eggs
  1/2 cup caramel apple sauce
  1/2 cup finely diced fresh apples

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Oil muffin tins or line with papers
Sift together dry ingredients in medium bowl
Thoroughly combine wet ingredients in another medium bowl.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix quickly and gently until just combined.
Scoop batter into muffin tins and bake 15-18 minutes or until the centers of the muffins are firm to the touch.
Let cool 5 minutes in the pan and then onto the rack!
Ideally served just slightly warm and glazed with Coconut Caramel Sauce but will keep for several days in a covered container

Gluten and Starch Free Paleo Coconut Caramel Apple Muffins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 18 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Gluten free, Snack

Cuisine paleo

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 96 grams almond flour
• 16 grams coconut flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garam masala I love this Indian mix of spices for baking but cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice would also work well here
• 1 tsp baking powder if you're super hard-core about starch free you probably already know that most baking powders contain corn or potato starch, but you can make your own or buy Bakewell starch free baking powder off the internets
• 56 grams 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or melted butter
• 60 grams 3 T honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup caramel apple sauce
• 1/2 cup finely diced fresh apples

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Oil muffin tins or line with papers
• Sift together dry ingredients in medium bowl
• Thoroughly combine wet ingredients in another medium bowl.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix quickly and gently until just combined.
• Scoop batter into muffin tins and bake 15-18 minutes or until the centers of the muffins are firm to the touch.
• Let cool 5 minutes in the pan and then onto the rack!
• Ideally served just slightly warm and glazed with Coconut Caramel Sauce but will keep for several days in a covered container.

Notes

Alternate update: because I have a very hard time making the same recipe twice for my second batch I omitted the chopped apples and instead pureed the caramel apple sauce and upped it to one cup, this made for a thinner batter and a slightly lighter texture. Sorry, no pictures of the interior, they were a gift and I was already running late.

Tried this recipe?Mention @recipefiction or tag #recipefiction!