Caramel Apple Cupcakes {gluten-free}

If you’re a fan of caramel apples, you’ll love this festive fall cupcake recipe! Brown butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon add depth to these moist apple cupcakes, topped with a rich caramel buttercream frosting. For a little extra flair, finish them with a salted caramel drizzle and apple garnish.

When it comes to fall desserts - or really, fall recipes in general - apples don't seem to get all the attention they deserve. Pumpkin always steals the spotlight, and people seem to forget that this is also the season when allll the apples are ripe and ready for picking! These Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes are here to change that. They're moist, they're fluffy, they're topped with the most luxurious caramel cream cheese frosting, and they taste like fall. Top them with a thick drizzle of salted caramel sauce and an apple slice for garnish, and I guarantee you'll wonder why you don't bake with apples more often.

So let's talk details. Because I really wanted to amplify the rich, cozy flavors of fall in this caramel apple cupcake recipe, I used brown butter, brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon in the cake batter. Then, I made a basic (but ever-versatile) caramel sauce to whip into a tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting. With a sprinkle of fleur de sel on top, it makes the perfect salty-sweet pairing for these cupcakes. If you love caramel apples (or salted desserts!) this will be right up your alley.

this recipe

Do I have you convinced yet? Good! Here's everything you need to know to bake a perfect batch of these caramel apple cupcakes.

Jump to:

• Tips for making apple cupcakes
• What type of apples to use for this recipe
• Tips for making caramel sauce
• Tips & tricks for a perfect cream cheese frosting
• How to decorate these cupcakes
• More apple recipes
• Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments and Reviews

Tips for making apple cupcakes

There are a few basic guidelines that often come into play when baking cupcakes, and they stand true here:

Use room temperature ingredients: Most batters turn out best when all ingredients start at room temperature. This helps them emulsify properly, which it turn helps the batter bake properly. For this recipe, it's important that your brown butter, eggs, and buttermilk are all at room temperature. Tip: To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, put them in a bowl, cover with warm water, and let sit for about 10 minutes before using.

Follow proper mixing methods: With cupcake recipes, it's particularly important to follow the mixing method instructed. After beating together the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs one at a time. This will ensure that each one gets fully emulsified into the batter. Then, alternate adding the buttermilk and flour mixture in three parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. The flour coats the fat in the batter allowing for better incorporation of the buttermilk, while the buttermilk prevents the batter from getting too thick too quickly. This is the most effective way to combine the ingredients and wind up with a light, tender cupcake crumb.

It may be tempting to brush over mixing instructions when you're baking, but they're there for a reason! Since gluten-free baked goods have a tendency to be dry or dense, we pull out all the stops to avoid that in these apple cupcakes.

Toss the fruit in flour before adding to the batter. The flour will absorb some of the liquid content of the apples, and prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes. I've found that it's best to use finely minced apples for this recipe. Shredding the apples makes them too wet, while chopping them yields more of a muffin-like texture in the final product.

What type of apples to use for this recipe

The apples you see here are Lucyglos, and I highly recommend them. They're a cross between a Honeycrisp and an Arlie Red - crisp enough to hold up to baking, with a sweet-tart flavor that pairs perfectly with the salty-sweet flavor of these cupcakes. And my absolute FAVORITE part about them is their color. They're blushing gold on the outside, with a stunning pinkish-red marbled flesh. When they're sliced, they add such a unique twist to the garnish on these cupcakes!

If you can't get your hands on Lucyglo apples, you could also experiment with something like a Sugarbee or Granny Smith; the Kanzi variety I use in my apple muffins would also be a great choice. Just look for one that's crisp and has at least a bit of tartness.

Tips for making caramel sauce

Aside from the apples, the other starring component of these cupcakes is a homemade salted caramel sauce. I based it off my go-to caramel recipe, but swapped the milk for heavy cream to make an extra-thick caramel that's perfect for frosting and piping. While this caramel isn't very difficult to make, it does take some attention to detail. If this is your first time making caramel, I highly recommend that you read through my post on caramel sauce (linked above). These 10 tips for making caramel would also be helpful.

Once you've made the caramel sauce, make sure it cools to room temperature before using. If needed, you can place it in the fridge, but be sure to stir it often, and take it out if it starts to get too thick. At the perfect consistency, you should be able to drizzle it out of a piping bag.

Tips & tricks for a perfect cream cheese frosting

The salted caramel buttercream used for these cupcakes is based on a basic cream cheese frosting, much like the one I use for my pumpkin cupcakes. It's easy to make, but (like always!) there's a few tips you can follow to make sure it turns out perfectly smooth, thick, and ready for piping:

Use a 1:1:2 ratio of butter to caramel to powdered sugar (by weight). Remember this, and you'll never need to look up a frosting recipe again! I find that this ratio works really well to make a frosting with a good consistency for decorating, and a noticeable cream cheese tang.

Use room temperature butter and cold, brick-style cream cheese. You should be able to press a fingertip into your butter and make a light indent, but it shouldn't be much softer than that. Cut it into chunks before using so that it's easier to beat.

The cream cheese, on the other hand, should be in a block or brick form, and used straight from the refrigerator. Together, these two ingredients will make a thick frosting that can easily hold up to piping.

Start with the paddle attachment, and end with the wire whip. Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat together the butter and cream cheese, just until they're smoothly combined. Once you add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and (in this case) caramel sauce, switch to the wire whip. This will help create a thick, fluffy frosting. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to over-beat the mixture! Otherwise, it can split or turn runny.

If your frosting still looks too runny, chill it briefly before using. Sometimes, on a warm day, you can follow all of the best advice and still end up with a cream cheese frosting that's too soft. If this happens, transfer it to the refrigerator and let it chill for 20-30 minutes before you start decorating.

How to decorate these cupcakes

To decorate these caramel apple cupcakes just like you see in the photos, here's what you'll need:

Piping bag fitted with a large, open star tip - Use this to pipe the salted caramel buttercream onto these cupcakes.

Second piping bag, with a small round tip - This is for piping extra salted caramel sauce over the frosting on each cupcake. Alternatively, you can make your own parchment piping bag and just use that.

Thinly sliced apples - The Lucyglo apples I used were so pretty that I just had to add them as a cupcake-topper. It's not mandatory, but highly recommended! If you decide to do this, cut the apples into thin slices, and then cut each slice in half. Gently press a piece into the top of each cupcake.

More apple recipes

If you're stocking up on apples for this recipe, you might as well make a few other goodies at the same time, right?! Here are some other recipes to try:

Spiced Apple Muffins with Apple Cinnamon Glaze - These light, tender apple muffins are filled with cozy fall spices and topped with the most amazing glaze. It tastes just like apple cider!

Ginger Turmeric Juice Shots - Green apples add just enough sweetness to balance out the lemons in this antioxidant-packed juicer recipe. It's a great one if you're trying to incorporate more immune-boosting ingredients into your diet for the winter months.

Apple Cinnamon Energy Bars - If healthy snacks are your bread and butter (or if you just need something to balance out these cupcakes!) these easy-to-make energy bars are just the thing. They're loaded with apples and toasted pecans, and naturally sweetened with dates.

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