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    Home » Dessert » Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe

    Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe

    Published: Oct 23, 2020 · Modified: Jul 15, 2021 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Caramel Apples transformed into CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES, people! It’s a dream come true! Great for Fall or Halloween gatherings.

    spoon drizzling caramel over cupcakes.

    Original post: October 2010 | Updated: October 2020

    Why This Recipe Works

    You know me, guys. You know I love my apples, especially in the fall. It is fall, right? Because the snow has been flying outside like I’ve never seen in mid-October. Regardless, I am throwing these caramel apple cupcakes into my mouth every chance I get.

    This has been a favorite cupcake recipe of ours for ten years now. It is a solid, easy, no-fail recipe that comes together perfectly every single time. The caramel drizzled over the top creates total perfection.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Apples – Use medium baking apples such as honeycrisp, gala, golden delicious, jonagold or granny smith.

    Lemon – When chopping and peeling the apples, fill a large bowl about half with cool water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. The lemon juice will keep your apples from getting brown while you get them prepped for the recipe.

    Sugars – If you prefer, you can add more naturally sweet apples and reduce the amount of sugar/brown sugar you added. Other sugar substitutes that would be great are maple syrup, coconut sugar or stevia. For a sweeter sauce, throw in some added sugar (up to 1/2 cup total).

    How To Make Apple Cupcakes That Taste Like Caramel Apples

    Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

    In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Gradually add to the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the apples.

    mixing bowl filled with cupcake batter and shredded apples next to cupcake tin.

    Step 2

    Spoon batter into baking liners until almost full.

    Bake in preheated oven for 23-28 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool.

    Baked cupcakes in a tin next to a tray filled with caramel apple cupcakes.

    In a small microwavable bowl, combine caramels and milk. Microwave for one minute. Stir and repeat in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Spread caramel topping generously onto cooled cupcakes.

    pan of cupcakes sitting next to a bowl of melted caramel.

    Recipe Notes

    • Replace the caramel with Salted Caramel Sauce for extra salty flavor!
    • Be sure to pat the shredded apples dry before adding them to the batter in order to avoid cupcakes that are too moist.
    • Replace half of the vegetable oil with an equal amount of butter, if desired.
    caramel dripping down sides of a cupcake.

    What Types Of Apples Are Good For Baking?

    I recommend using a variety of apples and at the very least, use two kinds: one sweet and one tart. My favorite combo is Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples.

    Sweet/Softer Apple Brands

    • Fuji
    • Honeycrisp
    • Red Delicious
    • Golden Delicious
    • Cortland
    • Gala

    Tart (or a little Sour) Apple Brands

    • Granny Smith
    • McIntosh
    • Ida Red
    • Braeburn
    • Empire
    • Jonathan
    caramel apple cupcakes sitting on a rugged platter.

    FAQ About Cupcakes

    Will cupcakes go stale overnight?

    You can keep cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter and they will not go stale overnight. Enjoy your cupcakes for 3-5 days.

    Can you freeze cupcakes?

    Cupcakes freeze easily. Once they have cooled and you frost them, place the cupcakes in an air tight container and they will stay good for about 3 months.

    Are cupcakes and muffins the same?

    Cupcakes and muffins are not the same. There’s a higher amount of sugar and butter in cupcakes than muffins. You will cream the butter and sugar together to start cupcakes in order to get smooth, light cupcakes.

    What makes a cupcake light and fluffy?

    Make sure you leave the oven door shut while baking your cupcakes so you allow the gluten and fat in the batter to set.

    How do you make cupcakes moist?

    Cupcakes are moist if you exchange butter for oil. Another tip to increase a cupcakes moistness is to add a packet of pudding to the mixture.

    Other Amazing Apple Recipes

    • Easy Homemade Crockpot Applesauce is a kid-worthy snack that is fun to prepare because it’s so easy to make. Use an assortment of green and red apples.
    • this fall make this amazing Apple Pie Jam! This jam tastes just like Apple Pie because it’s similar to pie filling. Spread it over your next English muffin or pancakes!
    • Homemade Apple Cider made in your slow cooker will warm you from the inside out with amazing flavors. It is a must-have fall drink and tastes so much better when you make it yourself.
    • Caramel apples are the perfect fall or Halloween treat. They are SO easy to make using a few ingredients and done in minutes.
    • Instant Pot Pork and Apples is the perfect fall dinner. It requires only a few ingredients and it is finished in 30 minutes!
    • Make apple pie filling in your Instant Pot quickly and easily! Throw this delicious sweet pie filling into your next apple pie for a perfect holiday or any time dessert. Having a batch in your freezer makes pie-making SO EASY!

    Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
    If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

    Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe

    Caramel Apples transformed into CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES, people! It's a dream come true! Great for Fall or Halloween gatherings.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 332kcal
    Author: Megan Porta

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 apples peeled and shredded (use medium-sized apples)
    • 11 oz caramel bits
    • 1 tbsp milk

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
    • In a medium bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Gradually add to flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the shredded apples.
    • Spoon the batter into baking liners until three-quarters full. Bake in the preheated oven for 23-28 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers come out clean. Let cool completely.
    • In a small microwavable bowl, combine caramels and milk. Microwave for one minute. Stir and repeat in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Drizzle caramel topping over the cooled cupcakes.

    Notes

    • Replace the caramel with Salted Caramel Sauce for extra salty flavor!
    • Be sure to pat the shredded apples dry before adding them to the batter in order to avoid cupcakes that are too moist.
    • Replace half of the vegetable oil with an equal amount of butter, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Seima Baked

      January 26, 2012 at 6:39 pm

      That is truly divine!

      Reply
    2. Erin

      September 24, 2011 at 9:03 pm

      Oh this is such an awesome fall recipe!

      Reply

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