Low-Sugar Apple Muffins with Brown Sugar Oat Crumble and Keto Caramel Sauce

Low-Sugar Apple Muffins with Brown Sugar Oat Crumble and Keto Caramel Sauce

Back-to-school season is here, and we all know that means busy mornings and snack prep on repeat. That’s why we’re excited to share our Low-Sugar Apple Muffins with Brown Sugar Oat Crumble and Keto Caramel Sauce. These muffins are packed with cozy fall flavors and made with Pyure sweeteners for a sweet start without the sugar overload. Whether you’re slipping them into lunchboxes or grabbing one on the go, they’re the perfect snack for a busy day. Plus, the crumbly oat topping and drizzle of keto caramel sauce make these muffins feel like a treat, minus all the sugar!

 

Ingredients:

Apple Muffins

  • 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup Pyure granulated sweetener
  • ½ cup Pyure brown sweetener
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup vegan or regular butter, melted - can also swap for melted coconut oil
  • 2 eggs - can also swap for flax egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ⅓ cup dairy or non-dairy milk
  • 2 apples, peeled and chopped

  

Brown Sugar Oat Crumble

  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup Pyure brown sweetener
  • ¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup vegan or regular butter, melted - can also swap for melted coconut oil

 

Keto Caramel

  • ¼ cup vegan butter or regular butter
  • ¼ cup + 3 tbsp Pyure allulose sweetener
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream - can also swap for full-fat coconut cream
  • Pinch of salt (optional, but recommended)

 

Low-Sugar Apple Muffins with Brown Sugar Oat Crumble and Keto Caramel Sauce Recipe

 

Directions: 

To make the muffins:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and prep a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray.
  2. Into a big mixing bowl, add the melted butter (or coconut oil), sweeteners, applesauce, milk, cinnamon, eggs (or flax eggs), vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Mix with a whisk until the mixture is well combined.
  3. Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix until almost combined.
  4. Add the peeled, and chopped chunks of apples, and mix until just combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the muffin tins filling almost to the top (you can also make six jumbo pictured here instead of 12)
  6. Put aside and make the crumble topping.

To make the crumble: 

  1. Into a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, brown sweetener, cinnamon, and melted butter (or coconut oil). Mix with a spoon until the mixture is well combined.
  2. Top the muffins with about 1 tablespoon of the topping and press onto the muffin batter so it sticks and does not fall off while baking.

To bake: 

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake these muffins! Let the muffins cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. 

 

To make the caramel:

 

  1. To a saucepan over medium-low heat, add butter. The butter will melt and will start to bubble, resembling a low boil. At this point, start a timer to simmer mixture for 3 minutes, stirring a few times with a rubber spatula. You may need to reduce stovetop heat to low to avoid caramel burning. After 3 minutes has passed, pour in allulose and heavy cream (you may need to remove pan from heat to avoid it boiling over), then add optionally, salt.
  2. Whisk ingredients together and then reduce stovetop heat to lowest temperature. Cook mixture until it begins to thicken, which may take anywhere from 7-15 minutes, depending on the room temperature of your kitchen, stirring a few times. Watch mixture carefully to avoid burning.
  3. Meanwhile, while caramel is simmering, to a large mixing bowl, add ice cubes and water to create an ice bath. When caramel has finished simmering, transfer saucepan to sit inside bowl for about 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of your saucepan, to stop cooking process. (If you do this for too long, the caramel may split. If that happens, transfer pan back on stovetop over low heat to warm up again, stirring continuously. If you do this, don’t return pan back to ice bath.)
  4. Set saucepan aside and allow to sit at room temperature to thicken, which may take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. It should resemble the thick and sticky caramel.

 

To assemble:

Once muffins are cooled, top with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Enjoy!

 

NOTES

Storing

These muffins will last for up to 4 days stored at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.

 

Freezing

To freeze these muffins, start by letting them cool completely after baking. Once cool, wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This helps prevent freezer burn and keeps them fresh. Place the wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container, squeezing out as much air as possible. Label the container with the date and type of muffins.

When stored properly, muffins can last in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, simply remove the desired number of muffins from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours. You can also warm them in the microwave for a quick treat. Freezing muffins is a great way to save time and always have a tasty snack on hand.

This recipe was created for Pyure by Julia Alfano. For more great recipes by Julia, visit her blog at https://www.bakerbabe.ca/  

See all articles in Recipes - Sugar free and low sugar recipes from Pyure