Method (streusel)

1. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour and sugars.
2. Add in the room temp butter and use a fork to mix and claw the ingredients together until combined but still clumpy. Don’t over-mix or the streusel will become like a soft paste, simply toss together until mixture is clumpy, no longer dry, and the flour is completely combined. Set aside while you make the muffin mixture. Make the streusel the day before and store in the fridge in a sealed container.

Method (muffins)

1. Line 2 cupcake tins with cupcake / muffin liners. Mix together the ground flaxseed and water in a bowl, and set aside. This creates the ‘ flax egg’.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, arrowroot and Xanthan gum.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, dairy-free yogurt, room temp butter and milk along with the flax egg. Pour this in to the dry ingredients and fold everything together until just combined. Don’t over mix! Fold in the chopped apple.
4. Rest the muffin batter. Cover the bowl with grease proof paper or a tea towel and place into the fridge to rest for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. When ready to bake the muffins, preheat the oven to  180°C fan.
6. Fill each muffin / cupcake case to the very top of the liners with the muffin batter. It makes it easier if you use an ice-cream scoop to scoop the batter into the cases, alternatively use spoons. Top each muffin with a good portion of the streusel (make sure the streusel is overing the batter.)
7. Place into the middle of the oven and bake for 12 minutes at 180°C fan. After 12 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C fan and bake for a further 16-18 minutes, or until the skewer / toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins come out clean. 
8. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before frosting. If you add on the caramel or frosting while the muffins are hot / warm, everything will melt, wait until they are cool to the touch.

Method (frosting)

1. Add the dairy-free cream cheese and butter into a bowl and whip until smooth and creamy, either in a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment or using a hand held electric whisk.
2. Add in the icing sugar, whip until creamy. If it’s too thin or if it ever splits, add in some more chunks of butter. Add in a teaspoon or two of caramel and whip to combine. The frosting should be thick.
3. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.
4. Add some caramel sauce into a piping bag and snip off the tip. Pipe a zig-zag of caramel over each muffin, and pipe a small bulb of the frosting on the top of each muffin. Serve immediately or place into the fridge to chill.