Fluffy and moist brown sugar cupcakes are the perfect canvas for the real star – this salted caramel cream cheese buttercream (insert heart eyes). These are a fan favorite around here, and I think you’ll love them too!

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream

To me, anything with brown sugar in the title means it’s something I’m gonna want to try. Maybe it’s just me but in my recipes I’m always trying to find a way to add as much brown sugar as possible, and these brown sugar cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream do just that.

I made these brown sugar cupcakes the night before Thanksgiving, and while I wasn’t planning on bringing them to our family feast the next day (I was put in charge of the banana pudding – and you bet I brought my favorite batch – see more here), I figured someone would absolutely eat them up. That’s easy to say when there are around 25 of us!! Let’s just say they were a huge hit!! I know brown sugar cupcakes aren’t necessarily “Thanksgiving-y,” but they sure are delicious – and they’ll be a hit on your dinner table.

What are Brown Sugar Cupcakes?

We all know I love a good cupcake. I’m adding new recipes to the site all. the. time (you can check them out here). I honestly think I’ve gotten to the point where I prefer a good ole cupcake over a slice of cake. I think it’s got something to do with the fact that the perfect amount of frosting always rests on a cupcake. Regardless of what it may be, you guys know I have a thing for cupcakes.

So, all that being said I normally add granulated sugar to most of my cupcake recipes, but in this brown sugar cupcake recipe I wanted to highlight the other sugar queen: brown sugar. When the fall months roll around I feel like I’m constantly baking with brown sugar, and for good reason.. the molasses flavor it brings to whatever it’s used in is the perfect fall upgrade.

And there’s something about the brown sugar and the salted caramel buttercream that just works. I think I may just be hooked on using brown sugar in a cupcake recipe, especially when it’s got this salted caramel buttercream (with homemade caramel) on top.

Homemade Salted Caramel

Let’s get right down to business: the star of this cupcake is the homemade salted caramel. The cinnamon brown sugar cupcake itself and the salted caramel buttercream are truly just vehicles to highlight the perfection of this homemade confection. There’s something truly magical about a caramel that you’ve made at home, all by yourself. I’ve actually come to keep a jar in my refrigerator for when I need it, and I think you should too!

I know, I know, making your own caramel at home can me intimidating, but that’s why I wrote a blog post alllll about making your own homemade caramel. I’ve done everything I can in this blog post to make it as un-intimidating as possible!! I walk you through every step – from what kind of pan to use, to cooking the sugar, to stirring in your mix-ins. Head over to the post and get cooking!!

PS: I have an entire section on the blog where I go through baking basics. It’s one of my favorite categories, and if you’re looking for more step-by-step tutorials, this is the place for you!

I think Noah would tell you too that these cupcakes are wayyy better with homemade caramel. Let it be known that he’s even been caught sneaking a couple for a midnight snack on the occasion. That man looooves his cupcakes, especially when they’re filled with homemade caramel. Keep reading to see how I make them!!

Some equipment you may need…

Stand mixer: this is the one I have and I love it! I’ve had it for years now and I’ve never had any trouble with it. You definitely don’t “need” a stand mixer for this recipe, but it sure does make life a lot easier.
Muffin tin: this is a need, and probably one of the most-used items in my kitchen. I bake a lot of muffins & cupcakes (you can check them out here and here), so I put mine to good use. I love this one because the light color prevents things from burning.
Cupcake liners: always good to have on hand for any recipe for cupcakes!
Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Cupcakes

Cake flour – I almost always use King Arthur flours, because I think consistency is important when developing recipes. Protein content can vary between brands, so I’d recommend sticking with King Arthur as well!
Granulated sugar – for the sweetness factor!
Brown sugar – the star of the show, and what makes these simple brown sugar cupcakes irresistible. I love the color it makes the actual cakes themselves too!
Ground cinnamon – the perfect addition to brown sugar 🙂
Baking powder – this will be our chemical leavening agent in this brown sugar cupcake recipe
Kosher salt – Diamond crystal kosher salt is the brand I always use in my recipes!
Unsalted butter
Large eggs – just make sure these are at room temperature
Pure vanilla extract – I’m always using pure vanilla extract in my recipes (emphasis on the pure), and I suggest you do the same. It truly does matter – especially in this brown sugar cupcake recipe!
Whole milk – our liquid for these brown sugar cupcakes. Whole milk + sour cream is the best combo!
Sour cream – like I said above, this combo is perfect for this brown sugar cupcake recipe.
Powdered sugar – for the buttercream. Just make sure you sift it first!

Possible ingredient substitutions

Granulated sugar

If you’re intimidated by a cupcake recipe that uses brown sugar instead of granulated, don’t worry, you can easily swap the brown for granulated here. Though I do recommend at least trying it first with brown sugar, it will taste delicious with granulated as well. If you’re looking for a classic vanilla cupcake recipe, check out this one!

Light brown sugar vs dark brown sugar

Dark brown sugar can give almost a “molasses” flavor, and because this is the only sugar we’re using in the actual batter, it really stands out. I also went with light brown sugar because it’s what most people keep in their kitchen.

If dark brown sugar is all you have in your pantry though, feel free to swap it in here as well. I’d recommend sticking with light brown sugar, but dark will work just fine.

Whole milk & sour cream

If you don’t have any milk or sour cream, but you do have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute an equal amount for both (so 1 cup total). Buttermilk contains an acid, as does sour cream, so using it in place of both the milk and cream will work just fine here.

My Kitchen Tips

There’s nothing better than fluffy, moist cupcakes – and here are my tips to help yours turn out perfect!

Use room temperature ingredients – this is kind of a must for almost all baking projects. I like to assume everything should be at room temperature unless stated otherwise. But ESPECIALLY here, because we’re using melted butter in the batter, if the eggs or milk is really cold, it may cause the butter to curdle in the batter (lets just say this is not ideal lol). I know from experience!!
Use homemade salted caramel in the buttercream – now I know I’m calling for just “salted caramel” here, but I highly recommend using homemade salted caramel. Remember, I created this blog post so you can also make no-fail caramel in your own home kitchen. The best part? It only takes a few minutes! There’s just something about fresh caramel that takes the flavor of this buttercream to the next level. But if you’re short on time, I like to use this brand of sea salt caramel. It’s the closest I’ve found to the flavor of homemade!
Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt – obviously our buttercream is salted caramel buttercream – so why not sprinkle a little extra salt on top of the caramel sauce?! I promise it will taste amazing!

Recipe FAQs

Can I store these brown sugar cupcakes?

Yes, you can absolutely store these cupcakes! I have this airtight container that has a high ceiling on it so that it doesn’t mess up the frosting, but use whatever you have. Just make sure you’re keeping them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for 3 to 5 days that way.

Can I use brown sugar instead of granulated in cupcakes?

Yes! I wanted to develop this recipe to show you that you can use granulated sugar and brown sugar pretty interchangeably in most recipes. It works beautifully in this cupcake recipe, especially when it’s paired with ground cinnamon for the perfect fall twist.

Here’s some other recipes where I’ve swapped brown for granualted:

Can I make these in advance?

Yes! I actually make cupcakes a lot of the time in advance. I’ll just bake the entire batch, let them cool completely on a wire rack, and then transfer them to an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can see this in the first photo at the top of the page. Just make sure you eat them within 5 days!

Do I have to make Homemade Salted Caramel?

No, you don’t have to make this homemade caramel. If you do choose to, I promise it will be worth it, but it’s not a requirement. This brand of salted caramel is another great option to use instead!

Happy Baking!

Remember, if you need some help making your homemade salted caramel sauce, check out this blog post – I walk you through step-by-step – so much so that it’s pretty much fail proof! Just don’t forget to stir in the salt at the end to make “salted caramel.”

If you make these brown sugar cupcakes, be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff so I can see them!!! If you have any questions about this recipe or any others on my site, you can reach out to me at sarah@sarahsdayoff.com and I’d be happy to chat with you!

Happy Baking

Love,

Sarah

“We love each other because he first loved us.” -1 John 4:19-

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