Chocolate Caramel Muffins

Sometimes we need a little something sweet to get us through the day. That's why caramel muffins are perfect! This recipe for chocolate caramel muffins is great for any sweet craving, as it has both caramel and chocolate. In addition, they are a delicious breakfast item that is easy to cook in just 30 minutes. 

Is It A Cupcake or A Chocolate Caramel Muffin?

Most people like to go with a general dividing line between telling if it is a cupcake or muffin. They want to know, can you eat it for breakfast? If you can eat it for breakfast, it's a muffin. Otherwise, it's a cupcake. Ok, how many of you have eaten a cupcake for breakfast? I know I have more than once in my life. So for me, there is a bit more to determine the difference between chocolate muffins and cupcakes than can you eat it for breakfast.

So what's the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? Many people think there isn't much, but in truth, they have very distinct differences. One key factor with these two pastries can be found during your mixing process. When mixing all the dry ingredients into wet ingredients at once and mixing them as one big batter you have muffins. They are thicker than most cake batters, and I probably wouldn't pour the batter into a cake pan and bake it. Most cupcake recipes use a sort of creaming method of mixing butter and sugars. Also, you will notice we are using oil and not butter, another differentiating factor.

But I will say, this muffin would be so fabulous with a bit of caramel buttercream frosting on top. It has a more delicate texture, almost crumbly like a cupcake because we have made caramel-filled muffins, giving it a less dense texture than traditional muffins. This is one of those recipes that are hard to differentiate between the two if you knew nothing about the mixing process, and I just handed you one.

So I'm calling this a muffin because I like eating it for breakfast with a cup of hot coffee. But I may whip up some salted caramel frosting and have one for dessert!

Ingredient Notes

• Yogurt and Sour Cream - I used full fat yogurt and sour cream.
• Chocolate - I used Valrhona Guanaja. This is a 70% dark chocolate. I used a bar because I grated the chocolate with a box grater. If you don't have one, you can use a food processor, or just cut the chocolate into extremely small pieces with your knife. The key here is to use the best chocolate you have access to. I also used a dark chocolate because the caramel candies are quite sweet. You could use milk chocolate, but be ready for a sweet muffin.
• Caramel Candies - I used Werther's Soft Caramel Chews. I used 12 pieces and cut each piece into six small pieces. Because you have to work quickly with these in placing them on top, keep each piece separate. They are so soft, they will stick together once you cut them and will be hard to quickly place them onto the muffin tops. Now if you want even easier, you can place the full caramel candy piece into the center of the muffin right before starting the bake. What will happen is the piece will sink to the bottom some and will make for an ooey gooey bottom of the muffin, which may require a fork to eat. But still delicious!

How To Make Chocolate Caramel Muffins

• Preheat the oven and line your muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
• Combine oil and egg in a large mixing bowl. Then add yogurt, sour cream, vanilla, and sugar.
• In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a whisk and don't overmix.
• Scoop into muffin pan.
• Bake for 5 minutes, remove pan and sprinkle caramel pieces onto the top of the muffin. Continue baking until done.

Pro Tips & FAQ

I hope that you enjoyed this recipe and learned how to make these chocolate caramel muffins. If you want more, we have many delicious recipes for breakfast and beyond! Here are a few recipes you may like. Please let us know what your favorite is. We're always happy to hear from our readers!

• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Homemade Chocolate Pop Tarts
• Caramel Apple Chocolate Mousse Cake

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