Caramel Apple Cupcakes With Fresh Apples

These Caramel Apple Cupcakes showcase fresh Granny Smith apples from top to bottom. There’s some in the cupcakes, whipped butterscotch frosting, and on top! Finished with a homemade caramel sauce drizzle, these cupcakes are the ultimate fall sweet treat!

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• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Variations
• Storing & Freezing
• Recipe FAQ's
• More Cake Mix Recipes You'll Love
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Check out my Instant Pot Applesauce with Skins and my Chicken Salad with Grapes and Apples for more amazing apples recipes!

Something about “caramel apples” screams fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, but these caramel apple cupcakes are an easy semi-homemade dessert guaranteed to please any time of the year.

The cupcake is a moist and flavorful cinnamon apple cupcake made with yellow cake mix, Greek yogurt, and delicate bits of fresh Granny Smith apples baked right into the mix.

Meanwhile, the frosting is made with whipped topping (Cool Whip), butterscotch instant pudding mix, and more apples! Needless to say, there’s no shortage of apples!

We’re not done yet! Once the apple cupcakes are frosted with whipped butterscotch frosting, they’re finished with a drizzle of decadent dairy-free caramel sauce, and you guessed it -more fresh apples! Let’s bake!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• This recipe uses a boxed cake mix, making the cupcakes fuss-free and quick to prepare. The frosting and caramel topping are also a cinch and require only a few ingredients.
• It’s made with lightened-up ingredients. It calls for Greek yogurt and skim milk in the cupcakes, sugar-free pudding mix in the frosting, and non-dairy ingredients in the caramel sauce.
• These cupcakes are perfect for fall parties, potlucks, or any occasion when you need something lighter that doesn’t compromise flavor. 
• It is made using fresh apples. Apples are extremely rich in essential antioxidants, flavonoids, and dietary fiber. So there's truth to the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away!

Ingredients You'll Need

Cupcakes:

• Yellow Cake Mix: We’re taking a store-bought shortcut here. Use a box that you’ve had success with in the past or reliable cake mixes like Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, Krusteaz, or Pillsbury.
• Plain Greek Yogurt: This secret healthy ingredient makes cupcakes from a box taste like you made them from scratch. You can also use sour cream here.
• Water: Helps loosen up the cake batter, so it’s the perfect consistency for cupcakes.
• Ground Cinnamon: This enhances the cake mix with a warming flavor.
• Vanilla Extract: To heighten the vanilla flavor of the cake mix.
• Granny Smith Apples: Granny Smith is usually considered the best for baking, but you could also use Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, or Gala apples. You’ll need them for the cupcakes, frosting, and topping.

Whipped Frosting:

• Whipped Topping: Instead of heavy cream, you’ll use lite or regular Cool Whip to create a light and fluffy whipped frosting.
• Skim Milk: This makes the frosting extra creamy yet light and fluffy.
• Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
• Butterscotch Pudding Mix: Adds flavor and volume to the frosting. You could also use caramel pudding mix here, of course.
• Granny Smith Apples: The frosting will be smooth with tiny pieces of apple throughout.

Caramel Sauce Topping:

• Coconut Milk: Use a can of coconut milk for the best consistency.
• Coconut Sugar: This is an excellent natural sweetening substitution for brown sugar.
• Coconut Oil: Enhances the smooth, glossy texture.
• Salt: Coconut sugar isn’t super sweet, so adding salt makes everything sweet taste sweeter!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

Step 2: Mix the batter. Combine the yellow cake mix, Greek yogurt, water, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Mix for 1 minute before folding in the diced apples.

Step 3: Pour batter and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, dividing it evenly between each cup, and bake for 25 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the cupcakes comes out clean).

Step 4: Cool completely. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling to room temperature before decorating.

Step 5: Make caramel sauce. Stir the coconut milk, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and salt together in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer, continuously stirring, until thickened (about 15 minutes). Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside to cool. 

Step 6: Make the frosting. Combine the thawed whipped topping, pudding mix, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer for about 1 minute or until everything is well blended, then fold in the diced apples.

Step 7: Frost the cupcakes. Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large tip and pipe it on top of each cupcake. Likewise, you can use a large zip-top bag and snip off one of the bottom corners to make a piping bag or simply spread the frosting on the cupcakes with an offset spatula.

Step 8: Finish decorating.Stick a slice of apple into the frosting of the cupcakes so that it stands upright. Finally, with a small spoon, drizzle the caramel over the frosting and apple slice. Enjoy!

NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!

Expert Tips

• Use room temperature ingredients. For the best results, make sure the ingredients for the cupcakes and the frosting are at room temperature before using them.
• Don't overmix the cake batter. When combining the cupcake batter ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to tough and dry cupcakes.
• Portion the batter with a cookie scoop. It’s the perfect portion of batter for cupcakes, and using it to scoop the batter helps achieve nice rounded tops. 
• Chill the frosting. After making the frosting, chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before piping. This will help stabilize the frosting, so it holds shape better. 
• Toss apple slices with lemon juice. If you aren’t planning to immediately serve your caramel apple cupcakes, lightly toss the sliced apple toppings in fresh lemon juice to keep them from browning.

Variations

• Cake mix flavor: Swap the yellow cake mix with another flavor like golden butter, vanilla, or spice cake.
• Frosting: You can easily add the butterscotch pudding mix and finely diced apples to a tub of store-bought frosting like classic buttercream, whipped cream frosting, or white frosting.
• Toppings: Switch things up by garnishing the cupcakes with chopped almonds, cinnamon sugar, or peanut butter chips.

Storing & Freezing

Storing: Keep frosted caramel apple cupcakes in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap over the top to keep moisture from escaping and the cupcakes from drying out. Store the sealed container in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can keep them unfrosted on the counter for up to 2 days.

Freezing: You can freeze these cupcakes for up to three months without the toppings. Thaw the cupcakes in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and topping them with caramel sauce.

Recipe FAQ's

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