When it comes to salted caramel, this recipe is as versatile as can be. I’ve used it to drip cakes, drizzle cupcakes, coat apples, top ice cream, and have even whipped it up into salted caramel buttercream! It’s one of my forever go-to’s that has never let me down. If you’ve ever struggled with salted caramel before, I hope this one becomes your fail-proof friend.

While I’ve tried my hand at some more intricate salted caramel recipes before, this one is my favorite for a few reasons: there are only four ingredients involved, it turns out the same every single time, and it’s the perfect amount of sweet and salty. I have been known to eat it by the spoonful!

One of the keys to success with this recipe is to have your ingredients already pre-measured, room temperature, and ready to go, because you’ll constantly be stirring and whisking. We all know that caramel likes to burn when you stop stirring even for a few seconds (it’s sneaky like that!), so it’s always good to keep those pre-measured ingredients and recipe instructions close by. That’ll keep you cool, calm, and collected throughout the entire process.

Another good tip is to have an oven mit or glove handy so you don’t burn your hand while whisking. When certain ingredients are added (butter and heavy whipping cream specifically), the salted caramel will bubble rapidly and send all the steam toward your whisking hand. Trust me on this one.

From start to finish, this salted caramel recipe only takes about fifteen minutes. After you make it, you can leave it out on the counter to cool before using it in a recipe (like this tasty salted caramel buttercream) or put it in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to two weeks. It reheats just fine in the microwave if you’re a make-ahead type of baker and makes a great gift if you’re looking for some yummy DIY’s for the holidays.

To add to it’s versatility, you can even use this salted caramel recipe to drip cakes! I’ve used it plenty of times to create a gooey caramel drip effect. Just make sure your buttercream cake is chilled and the salted caramel is room temperature before attempting this (aka follow these tips on creating drip cakes) and you’ll be good to go. Here’s how this salted caramel recipe looks as a drip:

Whether you gift it, whip it up into buttercream, drizzle your desserts, or dip your apples in it, this salted caramel is sure to please and easy as can be! Just the way I like it. Here’s a quick video of the process before you read all about it below:

PS: If you’re into recipe videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube Channel! You’ll find more of my favorite recipes, cake decorating tutorials, and so much more. Click the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new video!

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Salted Caramel

An easy and versatile salted caramel recipe that’s perfect for dripping cakes, drizzling over desserts, dipping apples, or eating by the spoonful. 

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 Cup (200g) white granulated sugar
• 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

• Have everything pre-measured and ready to go (you’ll be constantly stirring). Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until it melts into an amber-colored liquid and no sugar clumps remain, 5-6 minutes. 
• Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the butter (it will bubble up when you do) and use a whisk to combine it with the sugar mixture until the butter is fully melted and incorporated, 2-3 minutes. 
• Add the heavy whipping cream in a steady stream while whisking. As soon as the cream is incorporated, let the caramel boil for a full minute before removing it from the heat and stirring in the salt. 
• Let the caramel cool to room temperature* before using it in a buttercream recipe or as a cake topping. If you’re using it to drizzle over ice cream or warm baked goods, you only need to cool it slightly (20 minutes or so). It will thicken as it cools. 

Notes

Make Ahead Tip: You can make this salted caramel ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, reheat it in the microwave in 15 second intervals until it reaches room temperature. 

*The term “room temperature” will vary depending on your environment. This caramel should be soft and set at about 70ºF. If it’s too firm at room temperature, simply microwave it in 10 second increments until it’s runny enough for dripping/pouring but not hot enough to melt buttercream. 

 

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Hands down, my favorite Thanksgiving tradition is spending an entire day cooking all the food. There’s something so special about working side-by-side in the kitchen with someone you love, turning the music up loud enough to sing, and tackling a huge list of foods to make! It all started with my sweet mom and I, and although she passed away years ago, I’ve been able to keep the tradition alive with my mother-in-law. Of all the things we make together for Thanksgiving, there’s one thing I’m solely responsible for: the pies.

Although my pie game is usually a tiny bit better than average, this year it was almost as if I’d never baked a thing in my whole life! After laboring over the perfect butter crust and decadent chocolate caramel pecan filling, the pie wouldn’t set. It’s a recipe I’ve made successfully before (see the pic above), but this year.. oh man. Just imagine chocolate caramel soup with pecans floating around in it. It’s a good thing situations like these can be redeemed with these chocolate caramel pecan cupcakes!

Inspired by the pie recipe that went horribly wrong, these chocolate caramel pecan cupcakes are downright decadent: moist chocolate cupcakes topped with salted caramel buttercream, rolled in chopped pecans and drizzled with chocolate ganache and salted caramel. They’ll satisfy the chocolate caramel lover at any gathering! And best of all, they’re easier than pie.

You can decorate these cupcakes any way you’d like, but I love piping a swirl of buttercream with my Wilton tip 4B and rolling the edges in chopped pecans before all the drizzling. Since the chocolate ganache and salted caramel recipes do require some cooling time before decorating, I recommend making these two elements ahead of time (they’ll keep for up to two weeks in the fridge!) so you don’t have to wait around for them to cool down. And with everything prepped and ready to go, you can really whip them up in a jiffy!

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Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cupcakes

Moist chocolate cupcakes topped with a swirl of caramel buttercream, rolled in chopped pecans, and drizzled with chocolate ganache and caramel. 

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 1/3 cups (184g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (63g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup (200g) white granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240ml) boiling water

Salted Caramel Buttercream

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120ml) salted caramel, room temperature (recipe link below)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Garnishes

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• salted caramel (recipe link below)
• chocolate ganache (recipe link below)

Instructions

Make The Chocolate Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 325˚F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Place the sifted dry ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar to the mixture and mix at low speed until blended. Add the vegetable oil and continue to mix until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute.
• In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla extract until blended. With the mixer at low speed, add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix for two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as necessary.
• Slowly add the boiling water and mix until just blended and the batter is smooth, scraping down the bowl and paddle to ensure uniform consistency. Pour the batter evenly amongst cupcake liners, about ⅔ full each. Bake the cupcakes for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool thoroughly before frosting.

Make The Salted Caramel Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until it’s fluffy and light (almost white in color), 5-6 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times in between. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each interval. Add the vanilla. 
• With the mixer still on low, add the salted caramel. Add a pinch of salt, increase the speed to medium, and mix for 2 full minutes.

Assembly

• Once the chocolate cupcakes have cooled completely, top them with a swirl of Salted Caramel Buttercream (I used Wilton Tip 4B). Roll the edges in chopped pecans and drizzle the cupcakes with Salted Caramel and Chocolate Ganache. 

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: I recommend making at least the Salted Caramel and Chocolate Ganache recipes at least one day ahead. Each of those recipes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use them, bring them back to room temperature and then microwave in 10 second increments to bring them back to drizzling consistency. 

The Chocolate Cupcakes can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, they can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months. 

The buttercream recipe can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, re-whip with your stand mixer.

How are the Holidays treating you? I’m in full-on Christmas mode now that Thanksgiving has passed and really excited to share some festive cake tutorials and recipes with you! Let me know how you like these chocolate caramel pecan cupcakes in the comments below, or feel free to tag me on Instagram – I love to see what you’re making!

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