Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cupcakes
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These brown butter salted caramel cupcakes are ridiculously moist cupcakes with a cream cheese brown butter salted caramel frosting that is out of this world delicious! These cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties, family gatherings, or the upcoming holiday season.
Do you know what makes every baked good *even better*?! Browned butter, of course! It adds about 10 more minutes to your prep time, but the extra love put into whatever you make with browned butter is so worth it!
Browned butter adds a natural caramel flavor to cookies, breads, and cupcakes, and it’s just such a lovely way to enhance what you’re baking!
And today we are baking brown butter salted caramel cupcakes. They are perfect for autumn and winter months and are SO perfectly moist! The frosting is a cream cheese salted caramel frosting that takes these cupcakes from “they are amazing” to “oh my gosh, I need this recipe!”.
Looking for other autumn-flavored desserts? Check these out:
- sourdough pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
- sourdough apple cider donuts
- brown butter apple streusel bread
- sourdough vanilla bean muffins
Ingredients
- browned butter – see instructions below on how to brown the butter
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- granulated sugar
- eggs – room temperature
- vanilla extract
- full-fat Greek yogurt – room temperature–you can also use full-fat sour cream
- whole milk – you guessed it–room temperature
For the brown butter caramel cream cheese frosting:
- cream cheese – softened
- browned butter – cooled
- vanilla extract
- salt
- salted caramel sauce – you can use my homemade caramel recipe and add 1/2 teaspoon extra salt, follow the recipe below if you do not have heavy cream (the one below in the recipe card uses milk), or buy pre-made salted caramel at the store.
- powdered sugar – sifted (no clumps)
Step-By-Step Instructions
Brown the Butter
Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir as it melts and foams, cooking until golden brown bits form on the bottom and it smells nutty.
Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking and cool to room temperature. Measure out half for the cupcakes and set aside the other half for the frosting.
Make the Cupcake Batter
Preheat oven to 350°F and line 18–20 muffin cups with paper liners.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, Greek yogurt, and cooled brown butter until smooth.
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix gently. Pour in half of the milk and mix again.
Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until *just* combined.
Bake the Cupcakes
Divide the batter evenly into the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make the Salted Caramel (Optional)
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and milk, bring to a gentle boil, and cook while stirring for a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Let cool before using.
Prepare the Frosting
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cooled brown butter, vanilla, and salted caramel. Beat until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until fluffy and spreadable.
Allow to cool completely.
Assemble
Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes. I used the 1M piping tip by Wilton to pipe the frosting on the cupcakes. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.
Tips for the BEST Brown Butter Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cool the brown butter completely before adding to batter or frosting—warm butter will melt the sugar or cream cheese.
- Use a light-colored pan when browning butter so you can clearly see the color changes.
- Use room-temperature ingredients — the eggs, milk, and Greek yogurt should all be at room temperature. Cold ingredients can produce lumps in the cupcake batter.
- Don’t overmix! Mix the ingredients until *just* combined. Overmixing can create a dense cupcake.
Equipment Needed
- Light-colored saucepan (for browning butter and making caramel)
- Heatproof bowl (for cooling brown butter)
- Medium mixing bowl (for dry ingredients)
- Large mixing bowl (for wet ingredients and batter)
- Electric mixer or stand mixer (for frosting)
- Whisk and rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Muffin/cupcake pan (18–20 wells)
- Paper cupcake liners
- Wire cooling rack
- Piping bag and tip (optional, for frosting) I use the 1M Wilton piping tip!
- Small spoon or squeeze bottle (for drizzling caramel)
Storage
At room temperature: Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Refrigerated: Frosted cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Freezing cupcakes: Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe bag or container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before frosting.
Freezing frosting: Brown butter caramel cream cheese frosting can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then re-whip before using.
Salted caramel sauce: Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop before drizzling.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you’ve got to check out my sourdough snickerdoodle cupcakes and sourdough pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!
Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Ingredients
Brown Butter (for cupcakes + frosting)
- 1 ½ cups 340 g unsalted butter – browned (you’ll use ¾ cup for the cupcakes and ¾ cup for the frosting)
Brown Butter Cupcakes
- 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups 300 g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup 120 g full-fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
- ¾ cup 180 ml whole milk, room temperature
Salted Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup 113 g salted butter, cubed
- 1 cup 200 g packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup 59 g whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Brown Butter Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz 226 g cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup cooled brown butter from above
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup salted caramel homemade or store-bought, cooled
- 4 cups 480 g powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- Melt the butter: Place 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook & stir: Once melted, the butter will foam. Stir frequently as the foam subsides and brown bits form on the bottom.
- Watch the color: Continue cooking 5–8 minutes until the butter turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty.
- Cool: Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking. Let cool to room temperature. Measure ¾ cup for the cupcake batter and reserve ¾ cup for the frosting.
Make the Cupcakes
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 18–20 muffin cups with paper liners.
- Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, and Greek yogurt until smooth.
- Combine: Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Pour in half the milk, mix gently, then add the remaining dry ingredients followed by the remaining milk. Mix only until the batter is smooth—do not overmix.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the Salted Caramel Sauce (if making)
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool to room temperature before using.
Make the Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
- Add ¾ cup cooled brown butter, vanilla extract, and salted caramel. Beat until creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until fluffy and spreadable. Chill briefly if the frosting is too soft.
Assemble
- Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
- Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired.
These were a hit at my sister’s baby shower, and my kiddos devoured them while I was recipe testing. If you make them, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!