My apple pie cupcakes have all the flavors of apple pie in a moist cupcake and topped with whipped vanilla, cinnamon frosting!
I love everything about fall and all of the warm and delicious flavors that come along with it. Baking is usually not my thing, but this is the one time of year I actually enjoy it. I made a batch of my Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes over the weekend and was reminded how much I adore cranberries. And my Pumpkin Cake has been one of the most popular recipes on the blog since I posted it. That said, I like to keep things simple when it comes to desserts, and my apple pie cupcakes are just that!
My husband and I go to the Franklin Farmers Market every Saturday, and I look forward to it all week long. I just love talking to all the vendors, stocking up on fresh, organic produce and tasting all the unique and delicious foods. It’s set up in the parking lot next to The Factory at Franklin, which is an experience all on its own. It’s filled with eclectic shops and dining and is home to Five Daughter’s Bakery, which serves up the best donuts in the world – ever! Seriously, if you’re ever in Nashville, go out of your way to try these donuts. I promise you won’t regret it!
Apples are plentiful at the market this time of year, so I picked up several different varieties. Everyone in my family has different tastes. I like Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp, which are sweet but still nice and crunchy, and the rest of my family prefers Granny Smith, which are more tart. In my opinion, the best apples for baking are all of the above, because they hold their texture well and don’t get grainy when cooked. That said, I’m not the expert on baking with apples 😉
No one in my family loves cooked apples by themselves. It’s a texture thing, so just serving up a bowl of them just doesn’t happen. That said, we LOVE desserts like this where apples are still the star of the show.
Boxed cake mix to makes apple pie cupcakes quick and easy!
I use my favorite yellow cake mix from Trader Joe’s, but you can use any white or yellow cake mix you want. When you see a product you like in stock at Trader Joe’s, be sure to grab a few extra. Their seasonal products are extremely popular. People literally wait for them to come out and they sell out quickly.
Then I fill the cupcakes with pre-made apple pie filling and top them with a whipped vanilla frosting that has a healthy dose of cinnamon. I’m a fan of taking help from the store, especially when it comes to baking, but you can use any apple pie filling you want to. Enjoy!
How to make apple pie cupcakes:
- Prepare the batter according to the directions on the package.
- Fill a 12 cup muffin pan 2/3 of the way full with the batter. (a cookie scoop makes this easy)
- Bake according to the directions on the package. Let cool.
- Use a small paring knife to remove the center of the cupcake.
- Spoon the apples into the center.
- Use a mixer to make the frosting and pipe it on top of the cupcakes.
Serve this with:
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Apple Pie Cupcakes with Vanilla Cinnamon Frosting
Plain Everything Recipe IndexIngredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 box white or yellow cake mix + box ingredients
- 1 20- ounce can apple pie filling
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven as directed on the cake mix.
- Line a 9-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Prepare batter according to box directions.
- Fill liners 2/3 full and bake according to box directions for cupcakes.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Use a knife to dice apples into smaller pieces.
- Use a knife to core out a plug in the middle of each cupcake and fill with pie filling.
- To make the frosting:
- Whip the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until fluffy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar.
- Add milk until you reach the desired consistency.
- Transfer to piping bag and frost each cupcake.