Combining everyone’s love for apple pie and cupcakes. These Apple Pie Cupcakes are cinnamon cupcakes topped with a cinnamon and salted caramel buttercream, and filled with an apple pie filling. They remind me of fall, taste like fall, and are the perfect recipe to bake during fall!
Apple Pie Cupcakes
I think we can all agree that apple season is one of the highlights of fall. Now, obviously, it’s also pumpkin season, but let’s not let the baking fun stop there – apples are the perfect thing to bake with this season.
I have a spoiler alert for you guys… apple pie is not one of my favorite fall desserts. I’ve really never been a huge fruit pie girlie. That’s probably why you really don’t see a lot of them on the blog. I’d much rather indulge in a French Silk Pie than a pie filled with cooked fruit. I also think I’m not a huge fan of fruit pies because I’m such a crust girl. With any dessert, I always want the maximum amount of crust I can get. Whether it be Key Lime Pie Bars, Creamy Honey Lemon Bars, or a Banana Split Puff Pastry Tart, the more crust the better in my eyes.
But you guys know I love cupcakes, so I thought I’d satisfy my “apple pie” post with these apple pie cupcakes.
You know what they say… an apple a day keeps the doctors away.. so I’ll take mine in the form of apple pie cupcakes please 🙂
What are Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream?
These apple pie cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream are apple pie heaven. The actual cake on the bottom is a cinnamon-apple spiced cupcake. Aka I’m using lots of brown sugar, cinnamon, and some spices you’d typically find in apple pie. Then we’re topping the apple pie cupcakes with a cinnamon buttercream (plus salted caramel, because we can), and I’ve always been a fan of salted caramel + apples. Lastly, we’re making our very own homemade apple pie filling from scratch to go in the centers of our apple pie cupcakes.
I’m using Granny smith apples for my apple pie filling, but use whatever you have on hand. Also, extra points go to your apple pie cupcakes if you head to your local apple orchard and pick a few fresh apples yourself! My mom and I went apple picking in North Georgia a few years ago and I don’t think I’ll ever forget the taste of those Honeycrisp apples. They were stunning in every way. Maybe we’ll get a chance to get back this year, I know my neighbors would be thrilled 🙂
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.
A word on Homemade Salted Caramel…
The buttercream, as I stated above, is basically a salted caramel cream cheese buttercream. It is truly one of my all time favorite buttercreams, and I don’t use the term “favorite” lightly around here. When you add caramel to any buttercream, the texture is incredibly luscious and smooth, something you don’t achieve as easily in a regular buttercream.
For this apple pie cupcakes recipe, I made my own caramel sauce at home. If you’ve never made your own homemade caramel sauce or you just need a little refresher, check out this post on how to make homemade caramel. I walk you through step-by-step how I do it in my home kitchen. I also include lots of photos because I know I’m a visual learner!
But if you’re short on time and you just want to skip straight to enjoying your apple pie cupcakes, feel free to use a store-bought caramel. There are tons of great ones on the market!
Ingredients for Apple Pie Cupcakes
- Cake flour – I love using King Arthur flours, and you’ll notice I tend to stay on that brand across my recipes. I just think it’s good for consistency’s sake, but definitely use whichever brand you have.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar – most of our sweetness is going to come from brown sugar, because I wanted these to have a fall twist on them. Don’t forget to pack it down really well!
- Ground cinnamon – a must for these apple pie cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream. Among other spices, cinnamon is a huge flavor in these apple pie cupcakes
- Ground allspice – a very typical apple pie spice
- Ground nutmeg – another apple pie spice that I adore
- Baking powder – this is our leavening agent for these cupcakes
- Kosher salt – I always use Diamond crystal kosher salt, and I think you should too!
- Unsalted butter – used in almost all of my recipes
- Large eggs – just make sure these are room temperature and you’ll be good to go 🙂
- Pure vanilla extract – I always recommend using a high quality vanilla because it really does go a long way. It’s so important to use quality ingredients in something like apple pie cupcakes.
- Whole milk – milk and sour cream are our liquids for these cupcakes
- Sour cream
- Powdered sugar – critical for the buttercream!
- Apples
- Salted caramel sauce – For these super simple apple pie cupcakes, I made my own caramel sauce at home. If you’ve never made your own homemade caramel sauce or you just need a little refresher, check out this post on how to make homemade caramel.
My Kitchen Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients – this is a must for almost all baking projects. I like to assume everything should be at room temperature unless stated otherwise. But ESPECIALLY here in these apple pie cucpakes with cinnamon buttercream, 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 for these apple pie cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream. 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!
- Make sure the filling chills before you add it to your cupcakes. The last thing you want it for your apple pie cupcakes to have cinnamon buttercream sliding off the tops. It’s important that your filling is chilled before you spoon it into the tops of the apple pie cupcakes because if it’s fresh off the stovetop it will melt the butter in the buttercream, resulting in a slip n’ slide for your apple pie filling. Just make sure you chill it first!
Recipe FAQs
How can I store these?
Making these apple pie cupcakes from scratch means they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. I recommend looking for a high-walled container that you can put the lid on and not worry about it ruining the tops of your cupcakes. Or you can opt for a cupcake transporting container that is perfect for bringing your apple pie cupcakes along for the ride.
Can I make these Apple Pie Cupcakes ahead?
YES!
- The cakes: you can actually bake the cakes themselves for the apple pie cupcakes up to 3 days in advance. I just place the cooled cakes in an airtight container and refrigerate them until I’m ready to use them.
- The buttercream: you can also make your cinnamon-salted caramel buttercream for these apple pie cupcakes up to 3 months in advance. I actually like to keep some buttercreams in the freezer for when I need them. I just spoon it onto a piece of plastic wrap and completely wrap it up. Then I label the flavor and freeze it. It thaws beautifully on the counter and in the refrigerator.
- The apple pie filling: You can make this about 3 to 5 days in advance. Just make the entire batch, place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.
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.” I hope you all love this recipe as much as I do, and if you make these cupcakes be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff so I can see the beauties!!! 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
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.” -Ephesians 3:16-
Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Apple Pie Filling
- 2 apples (I used granny smith), peeled, cored, and chopped
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp water, divided
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
For the Cupcakes
- 1 2/3 cups (220g) cake flour
- 1/2 cup (124g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (127g) light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (114g) whole milk at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (112g) sour cream at room temperature
For the Salted Caramel Buttercream
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce (see note)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
For the Apple Pie Filling
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in apples, sugar, 1 Tbsp water, and cinnamon.
- Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes or until very slightly softened.
- In a small dish combine cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water. Add the mixture to the pan while stirring and continue to cook over medium heat until apples are tender and mixture has thickened.
- Remove from heat, pour into an airtight container, and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before adding to cupcakes.
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk together cake flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Beat in butter, whisking until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- Beat in the milk and sour cream, mixing just until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 10 seconds more on medium speed. Divide the batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3-full (you should get 14 to 15 cupcakes out of this batter).
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes in pans 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Cinnamon-Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Beat the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer in a large bowl 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the caramel sauce until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with your desired tip. Frost around the rim of each cupcake, leaving a small well in the center. Fill the well with the chilled apple pie filling.
Notes
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These are amazing! Love the salted caramel buttercream!
Thank you! The buttercream is also my favorite part 🙂