These apple pie cupcakes take everything you love about a classic apple pie warm spices, tender fruit, buttery crust and tuck it all into a single, perfectly portioned bite. A moist spice cake base is topped with fluffy vanilla buttercream, a spoonful of cinnamon apple filling, and an optional baked pie crust garnish for that final touch of charm.
Why I Love This Recipe
Apple pie is wonderful, but it’s not exactly quick or tidy to make. These cupcakes give you all the same cozy flavor in a fraction of the effort no rolling out dough for the base, no worrying about a soggy bottom crust, and everything comes together in about two hours from start to finish. They’re also just plain fun to assemble, with a little well of frosting cradling the apple filling like a mini pie in every cupcake.
The Components
- Spice cake — a moist, easy cupcake base built around warm cinnamon and nutmeg
- Whipped vanilla buttercream — a light, fluffy frosting that stands in for that buttery pie crust flavor
- Tender cinnamon apples — fresh apples cooked down with butter, brown sugar, and lemon juice into a soft, syrupy filling
- Pie crust garnish (optional) — small baked pieces of store-bought pie dough for a decorative, on-theme finish
Ingredients
Spice Cake Cupcakes
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- ¼ cup sour cream
Apple Pie Filling
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2½ cups finely diced Fuji or Honeycrisp apples (about 2 large apples)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
Pie Crust Garnish (optional)
- 1 sheet premade pie dough
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tbsp raw sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Whipped Vanilla Buttercream
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
How to Make Apple Pie Cupcakes
Bake the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with 12 liners.
- Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk just until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each about halfway.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick while the cupcakes are still in the oven rather than pulling the pan out first.
Make the apple filling 7. While the cupcakes bake, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. 8. Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice, and cook until the apples soften and release their juices. 9. Stir the cornstarch-water mixture into the apples and continue cooking for about 2 minutes, until thickened and syrupy. 10. Remove from heat and let cool.
Make the pie crust garnish (optional) 11. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. 12. Roll out the pie dough and cut into small shapes using pie crust punches, or simply cut into small squares or circles. 13. Brush each piece with heavy cream and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. 14. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until golden brown.
Make the buttercream 15. Beat the butter and vanilla bean paste together until smooth. 16. Sift in the powdered sugar, add the milk, and mix on low until incorporated, then increase to medium speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. 17. Add the heavy cream and whip on high speed for about a minute, until light and fluffy.
Assemble 18. Make sure the cupcakes have cooled completely before assembling. 19. Pipe a mound of buttercream onto the center of each cupcake using a large round tip. 20. Use a spoon or small offset spatula to press a well into the center of the frosting. 21. Fill each well with about ½ tablespoon of the cooled apple pie filling. 22. Top with a piece of the baked pie crust garnish, if using, and serve.
Baking Tips
- Measure the flour carefully. Weighing it is most accurate; otherwise, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly, which can pack in too much flour and dry out the cupcakes.
- Whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly to break up any brown sugar clumps and distribute the spices evenly.
- Don’t overmix once the wet ingredients go in — mix just until combined to avoid tough or sunken cupcakes.
- Check doneness without removing the pan from the oven. Test with a toothpick while the cupcakes are still on the rack, since pulling them out too early can cause the centers to sink.
- Watch the buttercream closely while whipping — it’s easy to overwhip. If that happens, warm about a cup of the frosting in the microwave for 15–30 seconds and mix it back in to smooth things out.
Storage
Store finished cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They’re best enjoyed the day they’re assembled, though they’ll also hold up fine at room temperature for a couple of hours if needed.
Make-Ahead Tips
Bake the cupcakes and make the apple filling and pie crust garnish a day in advance — store the filling in the fridge and the crust pieces in a container at room temperature. The whipped buttercream doesn’t hold up as well once made, so it’s best to prepare that the same day you plan to assemble and serve.
FAQs
Can these be made gluten-free? Yes — substitute a cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour and skip the pie crust garnish.
Can I substitute the sour cream? Full-fat Greek yogurt works well in its place, and the two can generally be swapped for one another in most recipes.
How do I store them? In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What’s the best way to serve these? They’re best fresh the day they’re made, though they can sit at room temperature for a couple of hours without any issue.
Can I prep these ahead of time? Yes — bake the cupcakes and make the filling and crust garnish a day ahead. Just make the buttercream fresh the day you plan to serve them.
Apple Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Divide the batter between the 12 liners, filling each about halfway.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- While the cupcakes bake, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Cook until apples become tender and release their juices.
- Mix together the cornstarch and water and pour into the apple mixture. Continue to stir and heat until thickened and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out pie dough and use pie crust punches to cut shapes, or cut small squares or circles.
- Transfer shapes to the baking sheet and lightly brush with heavy cream. Sprinkle each piece with cinnamon sugar and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
- Sift in all of the powdered sugar and then pour in the milk. Mix on low speed to incorporate the sugar. Increase to medium speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream and mix on high speed for about 1 minute, or until light and fluffy.
- Make sure the cupcakes have completely cooled before assembling. Fit a piping bag with a large round tip and fill with frosting.
- Holding the tip in the very center of each cupcake, pipe a mound of frosting. Using a spoon or small offset spatula, dip into the center of the frosting to create a well.
- Fill the center with about 1/2 tablespoon of cooled apple pie filling. Press in a cooled pie crust garnish and enjoy.