Easy Salted Caramel Cupcakes From Scratch

These easy salted caramel cupcakes are so rich and decadent, they will be your new favorite! This recipe uses a homemade caramel sauce that is used in the cupcake batter as well as the buttercream. These cupcakes turn out light and fluffy with the perfect hint of salted caramel.

The caramel buttercream is rich and creamy, and so easy to whip up! Finish you cupcakes off with am extra drizzle of caramel sauce and you have the perfect bite. If you like these salted caramel cupcakes, try these Coffee Cupcakes with Espresso Frosting or my Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream!

Find all of my Cake and Cupcake Recipes here for even more recipe inspiration. I have several easy recipes great for a weekend baking session or a birthday party at home!

Highlights of The Caramel Cupcakes

• Homemade from scratch: these cupcakes are made completely from scratch, even the caramel sauce. Homemade caramel sauce is very easy to make yourself and you do not need any special equipment!
• Light and airy cupcake: this cupcakes comes out so light and fluffy with the perfect hint of caramel. These do not get dense or heavy, they are a perfect base for the silky buttercream.
• Great for parties: you will be the star of the show if you bring these to a gathering or birthday party! Who doesn’t love the sweet and salty combo of salted caramel. Plus these can be made ahead of time for ease.
• Simple ingredients: these cupcakes are made with mostly pantry ingredients you already have on hand like all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Butter, eggs, and vanilla are also common ingredients. Make sure you have heavy whipping cream and sour cream on hand for this recipe!

Let me tell you, these cupcakes are so addicting and they were a huge hit with everyone! The caramel buttercream just melts in your mouth and paired with the extra drizzle of homemade caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. It’s an amazing combo!

The cupcake batter is made with sour cream and heavy cream, making them extra moist with just the right amount of richness. Find my other Dessert Recipes here for more decadent ideas!

Ingredient List & Substitutions

This recipe is made of simple ingredients, many you probably have on hand or in your pantry. Many of these ingredients are reused in different steps, there are not many substitutions, but if there is a substitute – you will find it below:

• Granulated white sugar: I do not recommend swapping any other type of sugar for this recipe. Other sugars can impact the dough differently and change how the cookie bakes and rises.
• Unsalted Butter: if using salted butter, omit adding more salt later in the recipe. Do not substitute margarine.
• Heavy cream: I like the creaminess of heavy cream, this is used in the caramel, cupcakes, and frosting. Milk or non-dairy milk can be used as well. This helps thin out the frosting just a bit and gives it a creamy texture.
• Pure vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract, almond extract can be added for additional flavor is desired.
• All-purpose flour: no substitution here, other types of flour will change the texture and affect baking differently.
• Baking soda: make sure your baking soda is fresh and not expired!
• Baking powder: make sure your baking powder is fresh and not expired!
• Sour cream: this adds moisture to the cake without changing the flavor.
• Brown sugar: make sure to pack your brown sugar. Light or dark brown sugar will work.
• Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this cookie. Let your eggs come to room temperature for this recipe.
• Powdered sugar: this adds the sweetness needed without giving the frosting a grainy texture. If you don’t have powdered sugar on hand, simply blend granulated sugar until light in texture.

How To Make These Caramel Cupcakes

Let’s talk a little about how to make these Easy Salted Caramel Cupcakes From Scratch (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Quick overview:

• Prepare caramel sauce, let cool.
• Prepare cupcake batter and transfer to a lined cupcake tin.
• Bake cupcakes and cool completely.
• Whip up buttercream.
• Frost cupcakes and drizzle with extra caramel.

For the Caramel Sauce

1. In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar over high heat. Stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar starts to bubble, stop stirring. Allow to cook over medium-high heat until you get a dark amber color. 8-10 minutes.
2. Once amber, turn off the heat. Carefully add in the butter and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and pour in the heavy whipping cream, stirring frequently as the caramel will bubble. Mix in the salt and vanilla extract. Pour into a glass jar to cool. 

For the Cupcakes

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line a 12-cup cupcake pan. Set aside. In a small bowl combine the sour cream and heavy whipping cream. Whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.  

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add in the sugars and cream again for 1-2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, as well as the vanilla extract. Carefully mix in the sour cream mixture, water, and the cooled salted caramel sauce. 

5. Add in the dry ingredients, mix well until completely combined. Use a portion scoop to scoop into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. 

For the Buttercream

6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light and fluffy. 3-4 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Mix thoroughly each time.  

7. Slowly mix in the heavy cream, cooled caramel sauce, salt, and vanilla. If frosting is too thick add in a little more heavy cream, if it is too thin add in more powdered sugar. 

8. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with a drizzle of the homemade salted caramel sauce! 

Tips for Making The Best Cupcakes

• Mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. Not over mixing will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
• Ingredients at room temperature mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time, specifically your eggs- room temperature eggs combine easier than cold eggs.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients more accurately – the recipe card below has a metric conversion.
• Use a small cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. I fill each cup about 1/2 full, this way makes much less of a mess. See the tools used section below for a link to my favorite portion scoops!

More Drool-Worthy Dessert Recipes

Craving more? If you have a sweet tooth, these other baked good will be right up your alley!

• Coffee Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
• One Bowl Fluffy Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Oil
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream 
• Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
• Chocolate Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Tools I Use for The Salted Caramel Cupcakes

• Rubber Spatula – a must have! Easily combine the cupcake batter with a rubber spatula. I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.
• Non-stick Muffin Pan – just one of those pans you need, this is my favorite pan for muffins or cupcakes – it cleans up super easy and is nonstick!
• White Paper Liners – a good basic muffin or cupcake liner to have on hand for cupcakes. I like the white because they go well with any occasion and can be used whenever!
• Portion Scoops – my go to for scooping batter cleanly into muffin tins, I have had this set for years and they still work perfectly. I like having different sizes of scoops on hand for different recipes.

Recipe FAQs

How full should you fill the liners?

I fill my liners 1/2 of the way full – you want to fill them enough so they look full but not too full so they overflow.

Making the right amount of frosting?

The recipe for caramel buttercream below makes the perfect amount for this batch of regular cupcakes. If you do have extra buttercream, it can be stored in the freezer for another time!

How to make these cupcakes in advanced and how to store them?

These cupcakes can be made a day or two in advanced! If you want to make these cupcakes ahead of time, make a batch according to recipe instructions. Allow to cool completely (if they are still warm they will produce steam when in a container and they can get soggy) and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the fridge. These will stay fresh for a day or two, simply decorate and serve when ready. I prefer to store these in a container vs a bag.

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