These soft and fluffy apple pie cupcakes are filled with apple compote that tastes like apple pie filling and decorated with a cinnamon cream cheese filling. They're the cutest cozy treat to make this season.
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Notes from the baker
These apple pie cupcakes might just be one of the cutest things I've made this year in addition to my Jellycat Birthday Cake. I'm in love with how the frosting design came out. They look like tiny apple pies!
The apple compote filling gives these cupcakes all their apple pie flavour and aura. It truly tastes like the inside of an apple pie.
This is a fun dessert to make if you're not a pie person but still want something festive for the Fall season. If you ARE a pie person then you need to make my Apple Hand Pies or Blueberry Apple Pie after this one!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Soft, spiced cupcakes. Fluffy cupcakes that are easy to make.
- Apple pie filling. The tender apple compote tastes like apple pie filling and is loaded into and on top of each cupcake.
- Cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It's rich, creamy, and perfectly spiced to complement the rest of the components.
- Cute piping design! I can't imagine a better design for these apple pie cupcakes than to look like actual mini apple pies.
Tools
- Electric hand mixer - A hand mixer or stand mixer is not completely necessary for this recipe but it's always helpful for mixing cake batter and frosting. I highly recommend using one or picking one up if you bake often.
- Muffin pan - Use a regular 12-hole muffin pan to make these cupcakes.
- Parchment cupcake liners - You can use plain parchment cupcake liners or some festive liners to match the season. Whatever you like!
- Piping bag - You'll need a piping bag to pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes. You can also use a ziploc bag with a corner cut off in a pinch.
- Piping tip coupler (optional) - A piping tip coupler is useful when you're using multiple piping tips with the same frosting so that you don't have to use two separate piping bags.
- Small ribbon piping tip (also called a basketweave tip) - The piping tips I used came from an off-brand piping tip set from Amazon so unfortunately I don't have the exact name or number for the tips I used. The ribbon tip I used is similar to the Wilton or Ateco #44 or #47 piping tips but I don't own them so I'm not sure if they're the same size.
- Small open star piping tip - This is a pretty standard tip that you can easily find. Any kind of open star tip will work.
Ingredient notes
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to the recipe.
- Apples - Use any tart apples that you would use for apple pie. I like honeycrisp, granny smith, or ambrosia apples for this. Peel, core, and finely dice the apples.
- Brown sugar
- Cornstarch - This helps soak up excess liquid that cooks out of the apples and turns it into a jammy texture.
- Ground cinnamon
- Water - Adjust the amount of water you add to the cooking apples as needed. You want the apples to cook down and become soft and tender but not mushy. If the mixture seems dry and starts to stick to the pot, add more water. If it's too liquidy, leave the lid off and let the water evaporate.
- Cake flour - Cake flour contains less gluten than all-purpose flour and creates cupcakes with a softer texture.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter - It's important to let the butter soften to room temperature before using it so that it can be whipped with the sugar and aerated properly for a fluffy cake texture.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs - These should be at room temperature so that they combine seamlessly into the cupcake batter. Cold butter and eggs can cause the batter to curdle when mixed together.
- Vanilla extract
- Milk - Use any dairy or non-dairy you prefer. I usually use oat milk or almond milk because it's what I have on hand.
- Cream cheese - Let this soften to room temperature otherwise it will be hard to mix into a smooth frosting. Cold cream cheese will make a lumpy frosting!
- Powdered sugar
How to make apple pie cupcakes
Make the apple filling
Cook: In a small pot, stir together diced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and water. Cover and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Uncover and cook until the apples are tender and the excess liquid has evaporated, stirring often. If it looks dry or starts burning at any point, add a bit more water and let it cook off. Transfer the apple compote to a small bowl to cool completely.
Make the cupcakes
Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-hole muffin/cupcake pan with parchment cupcake liners and set aside.
Dry mixture: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Wet mixture: In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the butter until it becomes very creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating thoroughly in between each addition. Finish with beating in the vanilla extract.
Combine wet and dry mixtures: Use a fine mesh sieve to sift in half of the dry mixture. Mix on low speed briefly, just until barely combined. Add half of the milk and mix until barely combined. Repeat adding the remaining flour, barely mixing, the remaining milk, and mixing until just combined and smooth.
Fill liners: Fill the cupcake liners with batter until about ⅔ full.
Bake: Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the frosting.
Make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting
Beat together: In a small mixing bowl, add softened butter. Use a hand mixer to beat the butter until it becomes very creamy. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until it becomes a smooth and thick frosting.
Fill piping bag: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip coupler (or use two piping bags) and a small ribbon piping tip. Set aside.
Assemble the cupcakes
Scoop: Use a small melon baller or a knife to scoop out the middle of each cupcake, about halfway deep.
Fill: Fill the hole in each cupcake with apple compote. Add another spoonful of apple compote on top of each cupcake, flatten it slightly, and leave the edge of the cupcake empty.
Pipe: Starting with a small ribbon piping tip, pipe two crisscrossing lines of frosting over the apple topping. Switch to an open star piping tip. Pipe a border around the whole cupcake, on top of the lines of frosting.
Storage
These apple pie cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let them come back to room temperature before eating for the best texture.
Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
More apple recipes to try
- Apple Hand Pies
- Cherry Apple Pie
- Caramel Apple Cake
- Apple Crumble Cheesecake
- Cranberry Apple Galette
Recipe
Apple Pie Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 piping tip coupler, optional
- 1 small ribbon piping tip
- 1 small open star piping tip
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 4 small tart apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
- 30 g brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 50 g water
Cupcakes
- 185 g cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g milk, dairy or non-dairy
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 125 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Apple Filling
- Cook: In a small pot, stir together diced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and water. Cover and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Uncover and cook until the apples are tender and the excess liquid has evaporated, stirring often. If it looks dry or starts burning at any point, add a bit more water and let it cook off. Transfer the apple compote to a small bowl to cool completely.
Cupcakes
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-hole muffin/cupcake pan with parchment cupcake liners and set aside.
- Dry mixture: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet mixture: In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the butter until it becomes very creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating thoroughly in between each addition. Finish with beating in the vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures: Use a fine mesh sieve to sift in half of the dry mixture. Mix on low speed briefly, just until barely combined. Add half of the milk and mix until barely combined. Repeat adding the remaining flour, barely mixing, the remaining milk, and mixing until just combined and smooth.
- Fill liners: Fill the cupcake liners with batter until about ⅔ full.
- Bake: Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat together: In a small mixing bowl, add softened butter. Use a hand mixer to beat the butter until it becomes very creamy. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until it becomes a smooth and thick frosting.
- Fill piping bag: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip coupler (or use two piping bags) and a small ribbon piping tip. Set aside.
Assemble the cupcakes
- Scoop: Use a small melon baller or a knife to scoop out the middle of each cupcake, about halfway deep.
- Fill: Fill the hole in each cupcake with apple compote. Add another spoonful of apple compote on top of each cupcake, flatten it slightly, and leave the edge of the cupcake empty.
- Pipe: Starting with a small ribbon piping tip, pipe two crisscrossing lines of frosting over the apple topping. Switch to an open star piping tip. Pipe a border around the whole cupcake, on top of the lines of frosting.
Notes
- Yield: I used a regular muffin pan with jumbo-sized parchment liners and I had enough batter for 12 cupcakes exactly. If you're using smaller cupcake liners, you might end up with more. Always fill liners ⅔ full regardless of size for cupcakes that rise to the edge of the liner but aren't too domed.
- Piping tips: The two piping tips I used came from a set with various other small piping tips from an off-brand on Amazon so I'm unable to provide the exact name/piping tip number. I'm hesitant to link similar ones that I don't own because the size might be completely wrong. I'd recommend getting a piping tip set or hunting them down in person.
Chloe
These were so good!! Really easy to make and assemble, will definitely be making again. Also tempted to make a massive one now like a proper big apple pie!! 10/10