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This is not just your regular cupcake- these apple cider cupcakes are FULL of punchy fresh apple flavor with a beautifully moist, perfectly spiced, sweet tender crumb and stuffed with a salted vegan caramel and dairy free brown butter cream cheese frosting to top! These cupcakes are the epitome of autumn in a bite- all made entirely without eggs and dairy (so yeah, they’re VEGAN!)!

bitten apple cider cupcake

Tell me about these apple cider cupcakes:

If you’re looking for basically a trip to the apple orchard in cupcake form, then you’re in the right spot. These apple cider cupcakes are everything that encompasses autumn- beautifully spiced, warm and sweet, and with the most perfectly balanced fresh apple flavor throughout a soft tender cupcake.

It’s like the perfect blend of my apple cider donuts translated to cupcake form.

Then filled with a dairy free caramel sauce and topped with a dairy free brown butter cream cheese frosting?! I mean, it doesn’t get any better than this! These cupcakes hit all of the notes of fall, and yet they’re shockingly easy to make for how beautiful they turn out.

And the best part? You only need a bowl and whisk, and you can set those eggs and dairy products aside- these cupcakes are entirely vegan without you even knowing!

bitten apple cider cupcake

Key Ingredients & Why:

  • Apple cider: The star of the show, and the one ingredient that gave me the most strife (more on that in the next section ha!). But so so worth it. We’re using an apple cider reduction, which just means that you boil the apple cider down even more to create a super concentrated flavor. it will still be liquid like (because you can boil the apple cider down into almost a syrup/caramel consistency, which we DON’T want here!) and perfect in these cupcakes.
  • Apple butter: This is our vegan egg replacement. I do use dairy free yogurt sometimes here, as apple butter is not as common as applesauce and it’s a bit of a time consuming project to make (though super easy). But if using apple butter, your cupcakes will really shine through in apple flavor. It will be just beautiful with those cinnamon and nutmeg spices!
  • Neutral oil: NOT vegan butter. I know some people use butter (or for our purposes, vegan butter) in cupcake recipes, but I’ve always found the result to be too dry. Oil will really help lock in moisture so it’s just the most lovely, tender apple cider cupcake you’ll ever bite into! I like avocado oil for a neutral flavor, but you can also use olive oil, and the flavor will be just fine.
  • Vegan buttermilk: Many people get a little caught off guard when I mention this component, but it’s nothing store bought. Rather it’s homemade, and only takes 5 minutes just using dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. The result is a true buttermilk substitute that will kickstart those leavening agents to rise beautifully!
apple cider reduction

Recipe Testing Apple Cider Cupcakes: What Works & Why

These apple cider cupcakes were truly a labor of love. Cupcakes in general, I find to be a bit finicky to develop just right because they bake so quickly in the muffin tins, yet need to maintain that tender, soft, cake-like texture.

It’s easy to use too much sugar and not enough flour when developing, creating a soufflé mess, and it’s also easy to use too much flour in an effort to prevent the souffle cupcake, yielding more of a muffin.

apple cider cupcake test batches

So, like Goldilocks, we’re aiming for just right. Here’s what I learned in taking 6 batches to perfect these apple cider cupcakes (and why so few exist on the internet lol- they’re EASY to make once you have the recipe, but getting the perfect recipe is not straightforward!):

  • Apple is super acidic, which can be a disaster- or super advantageous: Apple in general reacts with baking soda to create CO2, which helps bake goods rise. That’s why people will use applesauce as an egg replacement, as it mimics eggs in creating lift. However, too much apple, and your bake good will rise too quickly and collapse. Not enough baking soda, and your cake will do nothing, even with baking powder.
  • It was easier to develop this recipe from my apple cider donuts rather than an existing cupcake recipe: I learned this after batch #4. I kept either creating a souffle of a cupcake or a rock hard muffin because I was too afraid to use any significant amount of leavening agents! Then I realized, I’ve already perfected a beautiful, moist rise in my apple cider donuts. Instead of trying to master a cupcake, why don’t I use my donut recipe instead? The result was only 2 batches from there. AMAZING. I adjusted the recipe to have more oil for moisture, a touch more sugar, and even a touch more baking soda, along with vegan buttermilk to really activate that rise.
  • The apple cider reduction is key: These are not just cupcakes made with apple cider. These are truly apple cider cupcakes with all of their BEAUTIFUL tart and sweet flavors! It literally tastes like a punch of apple cider in a soft, tender, moist cupcake. With just the right amount of spice too!
  • Apple butter is a fantastic egg replacement with a whole lot of flavor: At one point, I ran out of dairy free yogurt in my final test to ensure that Batch #6 truly was it. But I did have a jar of homemade apple butter still in my fridge, so I thought why not use it like applesauce? The result was amazing- the apple flavor really shined through, making this truly the cupcake recipe of fall!
apple cider cupcake test batches

‘Brown Butter’ Cream Cheese Frosting:

Arguably, my favorite part because it just shows how amazing vegan baking has evolved to be. You really get the flecks of browned vegan butter in the frosting, and it adds such a lovely nutty, rich flavor to the cream cheese icing.

The key is just making your vegan brown butter as soon as the cupcakes go into the oven so it has enough time to chill in the fridge and become thicker again for frosting. You want the butter to feel like room temperature butter– soft, but not too soft and able to be indented.

Then we mix that in a bowl with a hand mixer, along with our vegan cream cheese and powdered sugar!

frosted vegan apple cider cupcakes

Final Tips for Success:

  • Make sure the caramel is FULLY cool: Using super hot caramel or even warm caramel will a) make the frosting melt right off the cupcakes, and b) will actually soak into the cupcake, leaving you with less filling! The flavor will still be there, but obviously we want a rush of gooey caramel to pool out with every bite 😉
  • Use room temperature ingredients throughout the cupcake portion: We’re dealing with a few components that have extreme temperatures (the apple cider is super hot, the dairy free milk and dairy free yogurt or apple butter are super cold from the fridge), so you need to allow all components to come to room temperature before mixing. This will prevent any claggy textures.
  • Use a thick vegan cream cheese for the frosting: I really like Tofutti here or my homemade vegan cream cheese! Both are very thick when chilled, so they set beautifully.
bitten apple cider cupcake

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Salted Caramel Vegan Apple Cider Cupcakes with 'Brown Butter' Cream Cheese Frosting pinterest pin

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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bitten apple cider cupcake

Salted Caramel Vegan Apple Cider Cupcakes with ‘Brown Butter’ Cream Cheese Frosting

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  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 25
  • Cook Time: 22
  • Total Time: 47 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Cupcakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This is not just your regular cupcake- these apple cider cupcakes are FULL of punchy fresh apple flavor with a beautifully moist, perfectly spiced, sweet tender crumb and stuffed with a salted vegan caramel and dairy free brown butter cream cheese frosting to top! These cupcakes are the epitome of autumn in a bite- all made entirely without eggs and dairy (so yeah, they’re VEGAN!)!

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcakes:

  • 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) apple cider, reduced to 1/2 cup (120 mL)

  • 2/3 cup (150 mL) neutral oil

  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup (100’g) light brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup (83 g) dairy free yogurt or apple butter, room temperature

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • 2 1/4 cups (280 g) flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour blend

  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) vegan buttermilk, room temperature

Caramel filling:

Vegan ‘Brown Butter’ Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (113 g) salted vegan butter
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan cream cheese, cold
  • 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Please read through all instructions before beginning. You will need to reduce the apple cider first, and allow this to cool for 1 hour at least (or sped up in the fridge!). 
  2. Reduce the apple cider: Bring the apple cider to a boil in a medium saucepan on the stove top. Reduce the heat to medium, and reduce the apple cider to about 120 mL (1/2 cup), whisking every so often. This should take about 15 minutes. Allow the apple cider to fully cool to room temperature before making the cupcake batter. You can also do this the night before to save time if you’re making these in the morning (as from here, the cupcakes are so quick to make- only about 25 minutes including bake time!). 
  3. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.  Measure and weigh the remaining ingredients, making sure all other ingredients are room temperature.
  4. Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the room temperature apple cider reduction, apple butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, neural oil, and vanilla extract. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt, and whisk until combined. Then add in the flour, along with pouring in the vegan buttermilk. Whisk just until the flour is combined into the wet ingredients.
  5. Fill the cupcakes: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 of the way full.
  6. Bake the apple cider cupcakes: Place the cupcakes into the oven, and bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow the cupcakes to cool in their pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
  7. While the cupcakes are baking: Prepare the vegan caramel sauce according to instructions then the vegan brown butter. In a small saucepan, heat the vegan butter on medium heat, melting it down completely. Keep stirring, and reduce the heat to medium low so as not to accidentally burn the butter. Keep stirring until light brown flecks appear in the butter and it has a nutty aroma. Then remove from heat. You’ll yield about 1/3 cup. Place both the caramel and the vegan brown butter in the fridge to cool. You want the butter to reach a room temperature stage again where it’s soft and able to be indented. 
  8. Make the frosting: Once the cupcakes are FULLY cool, you can make the frosting. Add the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese to a bowl, and use a hand mixer to cream together, about 2 minutes. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt, and mix again until you achieve a smooth and silky frosting. Set aside in the fridge while you core the cupcakes.
  9. Core and fill the cupcakes: Use a cupcake corer or a butter knife to cut a small hole into the top of each cupcake. Fill with 2 teaspoons of salted caramel each.
  10. Frost the cupcakes: I used an ice cream scoop to scoop and smear the frosting on top but you can also use a piping bag with nozzle! Pipe the frosting onto each cupcake.
  11. Serve and enjoy! Top each cupcake with leftover caramel and decorations (I used maple candies!) and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container or bag, and in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

Notes

See blog post for all tips and tricks!