Healthy-ish Caramel Apple Muffins

I'm still practicing all the food for O's birthday party, and these are too cute not to share.  They come from a big mix of ideas & then I winged it.  Putting caramels in the center came from a Gordan Ramsay recipe, the frosting came from a Disney Family Fun article, and the muffin itself is a basic apple muffin with some healthy substitutions.

This is all you need + plain yogurt. (I was not getting it all out again for a new pic.)

For the muffins, you will need

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking spice
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 large-ish or 3 small-ish apples, peeled and chopped
• 6-8 soft caramels, chopped

Preheat oven to 400.

Wisk together the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, wisk the eggs, applesauce, & yogurt.

Mix it all together with the apples until blended.

Fill muffin cups 1/2 way. Sprinkle caramel pieces, and then fill the cups the rest of the way.  (Makes 12)

Bake for 15 min (until a toothpick comes out clean).

While they are baking, prepare the frosting.

You will need

• 8 oz. of softened cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• food coloring
• chopped nuts
• craft sticks

Mix cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla extract with a mixer.  Add food coloring to achieve a caramel color.  

I played with yellow, red, and bit of blue.

Frost each muffin, coat the edge with chopped nuts, and push a craft stick into the center.

mmmmm