Here’s a cozy, fall-inspired Caramel Apple Cupcakes recipe—soft, cinnamon-spiced apple cupcakes topped with creamy caramel frosting and a drizzle of gooey caramel. These taste like caramel apples in cupcake form!
🍎🧁 Caramel Apple Cupcakes
⭐ Ingredients (makes 12 cupcakes)
For the Cupcakes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup applesauce (unsweetened preferred)
- 1 cup finely diced apple (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are great)
For the Caramel Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 2–2½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt
For Topping
- More caramel sauce for drizzle
- Optional: chopped pecans, mini caramel candies, or dried apple slices
🔧 Instructions
1. Make the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In one bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In another bowl, cream butter with brown and white sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and applesauce.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix just until combined.
- Fold in the diced apples.
- Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full.
- Bake 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
2. Make the caramel frosting
- Beat softened butter until creamy.
- Add caramel sauce and mix until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar gradually until frosting is fluffy and pipeable.
- Mix in vanilla and a pinch of salt.
3. Assemble
- Pipe or spread caramel frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
- Drizzle with warm caramel sauce.
- Add toppings like pecans or mini caramel bits if you like.
💡 Tips
- For extra apple flavor, add ¼ tsp apple pie spice.
- If your apples are extra juicy, pat them dry to avoid soggy cupcakes.
- Use salted caramel for the frosting if you love sweet-salty flavor.
- These store well in the fridge for 3 days; bring to room temp before eating.
If you want, I can also give you:
🍏 Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cupcakes
🍂 Caramel Apple Crumble Cupcakes
🎃 Caramel Apple + Pumpkin Cupcakes
Just tell me your style!
