Desserts don't need to be complicated to be good, and this recipe for Caramel Cupcakes is a case in point. Simple ingredients yield a small batch of incredibly tasty cupcakes--so good that frosting isn't necessary. The cupcakes are soft, moist, and loaded with caramel flavor. Butterscotch morsels intensify the flavor, and chopped pecans provide sweet crunch. We like the cupcakes "as is," especially warm from the air fryer. They are a simple and incredibly good dessert. Nonetheless, if you want a spectacular dessert, you can dress them up easily. Serve them warm, a scoop of ice cream alongside, and drizzled with caramel sauce. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Caramel Cupcakes -- Makes 6-8
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of canola oil
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of caramel extract
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of chopped pecans, divided
1/2 cup of butterscotch morsels, divided
Spritz 6-8 small ramekins WELL with non-stick cooking spray and set them aside (the butterscotch chips have a tendency to stick to the bottom of the ramekins, so spray the bottoms well). In a medium bowl or measure, whisk together well the buttermilk, egg, butter, oil, sugars, and caramel extract. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in half the nuts and half the butterscotch morsels. Divide the batter among the ramekins and sprinkle on the remaining butterscotch morsels and nuts. Put 2-4 ramekins in the air fryer basket (depending on the size of your air fryer and the ramekins) and bake the cupcakes at 320 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden and a pick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with no wet batter clinging to it. Let the cupcakes cool a few minutes before trying to remove them from the ramekins. Repeat the process with the remaining cupcakes.
