Paleo Caramel-Stuffed Banana Bread Muffins

In a small pot (see note), combine the all of the caramel ingredients and whisk together on medium heat. Whisk frequently so the butter melts quickly. Bring mixture to a rolling boil and boil until caramel turns very thick, darkens in color, and is reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Stir frequently so the caramel does not burn.

Transfer caramel into a small Tupperware dish with a lid and let stand for 30 minutes. Then cover and transfer to the fridge until the caramel is almost fully hardened but gives slightly when you poke it, about 1–2 hours.

Once caramel is hard, scoop it out of the container using a 1-teaspoon measure. Roll into balls and place on a small parchment-paper-lined plate. Repeat until you have 12 balls. Place in the freeze for at least 1 hour to firm them up. Note: You will have some caramel left over for drizzling on the finished muffins.

Once firm, preheat oven to 350ºF and generously rub a muffin tin with coconut oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt almond butter. Make sure you don’t burn it; this only takes 30–40 seconds! Add mashed banana into the almond butter and whisk until combined. Add eggs, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk. Finally, add flour mixture and whisk until well-combined. Let batter stand for 10 minutes so coconut flour can begin to absorb the mixture.

Fill each muffin cavity about halfway with batter. Then place 3 almonds in the center of each pile of batter, to form a sort of triangle-shape. Do not press the almonds down.

Place 1 frozen caramel ball on the center of each almond triangle. Divide the remaining batter on top of each muffin. Do not press the caramel ball down, it should be just covered by the batter (see note).

Sprinkle the tops with the slivered almonds and bake until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted just outside of the center (since the center is melty caramel goodness!) comes out clean, 18–20 minutes.
Let cool completely in the pan.

Once cool, microwave the remaining caramel for a few seconds, about 15–30 seconds, drizzle over the muffins and devour!

Notes:
1. I like to make, and freeze, the caramel balls the night before as I think this makes prep a whole lot easier.
2. Please weigh your flour. I’ve found different flours to measure differently, i.e. 44 grams is 1/2 cup of one brand, but slightly less than 1/2 cup of another. If you want muffin success, weigh your flour (which goes for all baking, especially gluten-free!)
3. Definitely use a small pot to make the caramel. I’ve tried this with various size pots, which throws off the cooking time for the caramel. If you don’t cook it enough, it won’t become solid enough to roll into balls.
4. I know the almond thing sounds weird, but do not skip it. It holds the caramel in place. I tried to make these without the almonds, and the caramel just sinks through the whole muffin onto the muffin pan. Sad.