Caramel, apples, and almonds, oh my!!!! These have got to be one of my favorite new creations. They have a rich and buttery caramel flavor accented by the nuttiness of almonds and are loaded with chunks of juicy apples! Perfect in the morning with a cup of coffee or a quick grab and go breakfast when you're short on time. And you know what's even better? There are no refined sugars in these puppies!!!! They are made with coconut sugar (which is full of nutrients and is lower glycemic than regular sugar) and organic honey. I truly feel fulfilled by feeding people good food! Please enjoy these treats and taste the love! <3 xoxox - The Belly Dancing Baker
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| Tastes so good you won't be able to stop yourself from shimmying! |
1/2 cup organic unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 small or 2 large organic apples, skin on, washed thoroughly and chopped (approx 2-3 cups of apple bits!)
1 Tbl vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (My favorite is Trader Joe's brand)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup almond flour/meal
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
Over medium-low heat, in large saucepan melt the butter, coconut sugar, and honey; stirring with a wire whisk the entire time emulsifying the butter and sugar together into a smooth caramel. Please be careful while whisking, caramel mixture will be VERY HOT! Once mixture is bubbling and caramelized, add in the apples and let them cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove saucepan from heat and let sit for 15 -20 minutes or until cooled to room temperature. The apples will continue to cook and release their juices into the caramel mixture.
When you're ready to finish the batter, preheat the oven to 350*F
Once the caramel apple mixture is cooled, add in vanilla, eggs, and almond milk, and whisk until combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten free flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir together until incorporated. Pour the caramel apple mixture over the dry ingredients and gently stir until combined, being careful not to over-mix, but not leaving any lumps of flour either. Tricky, I know. ;) Batter will be thin and runny with lots of chunks of apples! Pour batter into prepared 13"x 9" baking pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until firm to the touch and knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove room oven and let cool 10 - 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. These are amazing warm from the oven, room temp, or cold straight out of the fridge.
Makes approximately 24 - 36 squares of appley delight. Enjoy <3
***For muffins, spoon batter into prepared muffin pans (or any specially shaped bake ware of your choice) about 3/4 full and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch and toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
***** Also, if you are allergic to nuts but still want to try these out, just substitute more GF flour for the almond flour, and replace the almond milk with milk of your choice. :)
