Caramel Apple Cupcakes

I love a good caramel apple, but sometimes that’s just a lot of apple–and not enough caramel. So I came up with these amazing Caramel Apple Cupcakes to hit my craving for that caramel with a little baked-yumminess to go with!

If we’re all being transparent with each other, which we are, I just love caramel.

Sure, you can put it on a pie, ice cream, whatever. I don’t care. I love it however it comes.

But when you pair it with the classic apple? Oh, you’ve made my caramel dreams come true.

So, when I came up with this idea to make a tiiiiny slice of caramel-flavored cupcake action with a slice of apple on top?

Well, there was no stopping me.

What You Need to Make this Caramel Apple Cupcake Recipe

I don’t like using store-bought caramel all the time (also, I forget to pick it up, so there’s that) so I like to make my own. It’s really easy.

So, for these awesome caramel flavored cupcakes, I use:

• Vanilla Cupcakes:
  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tspn baking soda
  • 1/2 tspn salt
  • 1 tspn vinegar
  • 2 tspn vanilla
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 cup water
• 1 can of your favorite vanilla frosting
• 1 large apple
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tspn vanilla
• 3/4 tspn salt
• 1/2 cup cream (or coconut cream which is what I used)
• 3-4 drops caramel food flavoring
• 1 drop brown GEL food coloring
• 5 drops yellow GEL food coloring
• Star decorating tip and piping bag

Basically, you’re making your own homemade caramel sauce, cupcakes and slicing an apple. Not too much stuff, but definitely you need to try it.

It’s so good.

And surprisingly easy.

How to Make these Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Step 1

Making the cupcakes is simple. Just preheat your oven to 350-degrees. Then, I combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and the wet ingredients (including butter) in a second medium sized bowl. When that’s done just add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients in ⅓ increments, mixing thoroughly between each increment. Spoon into lined cupcake pan (if you’re out of liners, you can use parchment paper cut into little circles–it’s cute). Then bake for 30-minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Now, I like to just throw this out there: Cool the cupcakes completely before decorating. Warm icing is sad icing. 

Step 2

To make the caramel sauce, place the sugar, salt and vanilla in a pot over high heat. Stir, stir, stir until the sugar mixture gets lumpy and brown-ish throughout. Pause the stirring and add your cream–and then keep stirring. Stir for a long, long time until all the lumps dissolve and the caramel is all soft and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Absolutely allow this to cool all the way before sneaking a taste–burned fingers suck.

Step 3

With your largest decorating tip, press it into the top of each cupcake, creating a well. 

Step 4

Fill each cupcake well with 1-2 teaspoons of caramel sauce. Replace “lids” of well holes.

Step 5

Mix caramel food flavoring and food coloring into the vanilla frosting until the color is consistent throughout.

Step 6

Place star tip and frosting into your piping bag. With a swirl and twisting motion, ice each cupcake.

Step 7

Cut apple into 6 slices, then cut each of those in half, leaving you with 12 ½ slices of apples.

Step 8

Dip cut end (and about half of the slice) of each apple half-slice into the caramel sauce and place on top of a cupcake.

Step 9

Drizzle caramel sauce over each cupcake.

Step 10

Enjoy!

Other Easy Cupcake Recipes You Might Like

• Fun Disney’s Moana Cupcakes
• Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
• Butter Pecan Sundae Cupcakes 

If you love this Caramel-Flavored Cupcake Recipe, but you’re not quite ready to grab the flour and your apron, just pin this to your favorite cupcake recipes board on Pinterest so you can find it quick later!