Salted Caramel Cupcakes

These ultimate salted caramel cupcakes feature fluffy vanilla cupcakes stuffed with rich, gooey salted caramel sauce and topped with fluffy caramel frosting.

Jump to Recipe

These homemade salted caramel cupcakes combine two classic flavors – creamy, buttery sweetness and savory saltiness – in one irresistible treat. The cupcakes offer deliciousness in every bite thanks to their ultra-moist vanilla cake, rich salted-caramel frosting, and a sprinkling of crunchy sea salt on top. 

Salted Caramel Cupcakes Ingredients

Don't want to lose this recipe? Get it emailed to you directly! Enter your email below. Plus you'll get a free e-cookbook and amazing recipes sent to you daily.

Email *

Save This Recipe

These delicious treats are the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The moist cupcake base is infused with a warm, buttery caramel flavor that’s perfectly balanced with a touch of sea salt.

And the rich, creamy frosting on top is made from a silky caramel sauce that’s been whipped to perfection.

You’ll need:

For The Cupcakes:

• 1 (15.25-ounce) box of white cake mix
• 3.4 ounces of instant vanilla pudding
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup of sour cream
• ¾ cup of vegetable oil
• ½ cup of milk
• Salted caramel to fill cupcakes

For The Salted Caramel Frosting:

• 1½ cups of salted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 6 cups of powdered sugar
• ⅔ cup of salted caramel
• 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
• flakey sea salt (such as Maldon’s)

PRO TIP:

To make salted caramel sauce, stir ½ teaspoon of sea salt flakes into 1 recipe of homemade caramel sauce or 1 jar of store-bought caramel sauce. Taste and add more salt if you wish. I like to stir the salt into warm caramel so that it dissolves and spreads throughout.

Substitutions And Additions

CAKE MIX: Instead of a white cake mix, you can replace it with a vanilla cake mix or yellow cake mix. Or, if you prefer and have a favorite cupcake recipe to make these from scratch, you are welcome to do that instead.

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE: While the salted caramel sauce is a key component of these cupcakes, you can switch things up by using a different flavored sauce. Try using chocolate sauce, butterscotch sauce, or even raspberry sauce to create an exciting variation of these cupcakes.

How to Make This Salted Caramel Cupcakes Recipe

Start with making the batter for these delightful cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes and let them cool. Once cooled, you will fill them with a gooey caramel center and top them with the creamy frosting.

For The Cupcakes

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, sour cream, oil, and milk.

STEP THREE: Scoop the cupcake batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each cup no more than ⅔ of the way full. 

STEP FOUR: Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out with just a few crumbs. Remove the cupcake pan from the oven and cool completely.

STEP FIVE: When the cupcakes are cool, use a serrated spoon or cupcake corer to carve out a small hole in the top center of each cupcake. Fill with salted caramel sauce.

For The Frosting 

STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, beat butter and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy.

STEP TWO: Add powdered sugar, half at a time, and beat until fully mixed. The mixture will be thick.

STEP THREE: Add salted caramel while the beater is running and whip until smooth.

STEP FOUR: Add whipping cream and continue beating until the frosting is fluffy.

STEP FIVE: Fill a piping bag with the frosting. Pipe swirls of frosting on top of each cupcake.

STEP SIX: Drizzle with additional caramel and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

How To Serve

These scrumptious cupcakes would be a great idea for a birthday party or other special occasion. Serve them with a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream .

Add a refreshing cold glass of iced tea or mug of homemade hot chocolate on the side.

This salted caramel no-bake pie is the ultimate in easy and creamy treats, while these salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars would make a great afternoon snack.

MORE CARAMEL DESSERTS RECIPES

Cupcake Recipes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Cheesecakes

Caramel Cheesecake Bites

Storage

We’ve got you covered with some handy tips on how to store these irresistible treats to ensure they stay fresh and delicious.

MAKE AHEAD: If you’re short on time and want to get a head start on your baking, these salted caramel cupcakes can be made ahead. Simply bake the cupcakes as directed and allow them to cool completely. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

When you’re ready to serve, whip up a fresh batch of caramel frosting and generously frost the cupcakes. Voilà! You have a delightful treat ready to enjoy.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store these delicious cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

IN THE FREEZER: These sea salt caramel cupcakes can also be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Each bite is a heavenly combination of soft vanilla cupcakes, smooth, creamy frosting, and the mouth-watering surprise of salted caramel flavor inside. These warm and gooey salted caramel cupcakes are the perfect combination of sinfully rich caramel and sprinkled with just the right amount of salt.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Vanilla Brownies
• Banana Pudding Cake
• Blueberry Muffins with Sour Cream
• Cool Whip Frosting
• Cranberry Sauce Recipe
• Chocolate Orange Cupcakes
• Dinner Rolls Recipe
• Funnel Cake Bites
• Vanilla Cupcakes
• Easy Vanilla Cake Recipe
• Boston Cream Cupcakes
• Hostess Cupcakes
• Mug Cake with Cake Mix
• Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes
• Banana Bread Pudding
• Turtle Cupcakes
• Butterscotch Haystacks
• Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
• Butterscotch Cookies
• S’mores Cupcakes
• Blueberry Cupcakes
• Fireball Cupcakes
• Caramels
• Cherry Cupcakes
• Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes
• Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes
• Butterscotch Cool Whip Pie
• Funfetti Cupcakes
• Banana Roll Cake
• Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Get Recipes on Pinterest

Follow Us

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

No ratings yet

These ultimate salted caramel cupcakes feature fluffy vanilla cupcakes stuffed with rich, gooey salted caramel sauce and topped with fluffy caramel frosting.

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Print RecipePin RecipeReview Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cupcakes

• 15.25 ounces white cake mix
• 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup milk
• Salted caramel, to fill cupcakes

Frosting

• 1½ cups salted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• ⅔ cup salted caramel
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• flaked sea salt, such as Maldon’s

Instructions

 

Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, sour cream, oil, and milk.
• Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each cup no more than ⅔ of the way full.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out with just a few crumbs. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
• When the cupcakes are cool, use a serrated spoon to carve out a small hole in the top center of each cupcake. Fill with salted caramel.

Frosting

• Beat together the butter and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
• Add powdered sugar, half at a time, and beat until fully mixed. The mixture will be thick.
• Add the salted caramel while the beater is running and whip until smooth.
• Add whipping cream and continue beating until the frosting is fluffy.
• Pipe swirls of frosting over the filled cupcakes.
• Drizzle with additional caramel and sprinkle with flaked sea salt.

Notes

• To make salted caramel sauce, stir ½ teaspoon of sea salt flakes into 1 recipe of homemade caramel sauce or 1 jar of store-bought caramel sauce. Taste and add more salt if you wish. I like to stir the salt into warm caramel so that it dissolves and spreads throughout.
• Parchment paper liners can help prevent the cupcakes from sticking to the liners.
• Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cupcakes as the suggested baking time approaches.
• This recipe makes an ultra-big batch of salted caramel buttercream frosting so that you can pipe big tops on the cupcakes. Halve the recipe if you want a shorter layer of frosting.
• This makes an ultra-moist vanilla cupcake that pairs well with the caramel filling and the ultra-fluffy frosting. Do not skip the sea salt flakes because they’re the perfect balance for the sweet caramel frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 492IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg

Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb

Get Recipes on Facebook

Follow Us