Apple pie cupcakes have all the fresh seasonal nostalgia of a freshly baked apple pie. They’re made with a seasonal apple pie filling that’s tucked into a light and fluffy vanilla cupcake and topped with a smooth buttercream frosting. Perfect for beginner bakers (and busy moms!) looking for an apple pie-inspired dessert that’s sure to impress. 

At The Produce Moms, we love to use seasonal produce as much as possible. Especially apples! Although, we know this recipe is great year-round since apples are in season year round!

Who doesn’t love a warm apple anything, fresh out of the oven? The smell of the spicy cinnamon and the sweet, fresh apples is a nostalgic flavor that always takes us back to the cozy days of our childhood. 

This recipe is sponsored by Crunch Pak®.

We might even love this apple pie cupcake recipe more than a traditional pie because it’s made with a pre-measured yellow cake mix for easier prep. And it still has a homemade apple pie filling with peeled, sliced, and cut fresh apples for a classic apple pie bite. And it’s even more convenient with Crunchy Pak apple slices!

It’s like a kid-friendly cupcake with an apple pie filling—all baked into one dessert! And they’re incredibly easy to make — seriously, you’ll get these right every time.

Once you’ve tried these cupcakes, you’re sure to be hungry for more tasty apple desserts. Make sure to check out our other apple-inspired recipes at the end.

Let’s go ahead and dive into what you’ll need to make this easy, delicious dessert.

Ingredients

Apple pie cupcakes use a lot of the same ingredients as a traditional apple pie. All you do is mix it all together and pour it into a cupcake tin. However, there are a few key ingredients that we recommend for the best spicy-sweet and fluffy cupcakes. 

Apples

We used Crunch Pak® Peeled Apple Slices because they’re so convenient. They’re already peeled and sliced, cutting down on the prep time. You’ll still need to dice them into bite-size pieces, but half of the work is already done for you. 

Yellow Cake Mix

A pre-mixed box of cake mix makes these apple pie cupcakes easy to whip up. All of the dry ingredients are already measured for you—which means quicker prep time and moist, light cupcakes.

Apple Pie Spice

This seasoning gives the cupcake batter that classic apple pie flavor, especially as it bakes and you start to smell the aroma of apple pie. You’ll use this spice in the apple filling and in the cupcake batter for extra seasonal flavor. Without all of the prep required of a homemade pie!

How to Make Apple Pie Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350℉ while you prep the spicy sweet apple pie filling, smooth batter, and buttercream frosting. Although there are a few steps to this apple pie cupcake recipe, we’ve kept it as simple as possible so you get light, moist cupcakes and that classic apple pie flavor with less prep work. 

Here’s how you make apple pie cupcakes:

Apple Pie Filling

1. Dice your apples.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the apple pie spice, stirring to combine.
3. Add the diced apples, sugar, and water to the saucepan with the butter and apple pie spice mixture. This is the base of your apple pie sauce.
4. Whisk the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water in a small bowl.
5. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan with the apples, stirring with a spatula to form the apple pie filling sauce. Cook for about one minute to help your sauce thicken up. 

Cupcakes

1. Spray your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line it with cupcake liners so the cupcakes don’t stick while they bake.
2. Prep the cake mix according to the package directions and add one tablespoon of apple pie spice. Mix with a hand mixer, until the batter is smooth.
3. Use a cookie scoop to easily fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. You can also use a spoon if you don’t have a cookie scoop.
4. Add a spoonful of apple pie filling to the center of each muffin.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Then transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely for at least an hour so the frosting doesn’t melt when it’s spread over the top.

Buttercream Frosting

1. Use a hand mixer to beat room-temperature butter and cream cheese in a large bowl for 1-2 minutes. Room-temperature ingredients are easier to mix to get that light and fluffy texture. 
2. Add the caramel sauce and mix with the hand mixer until smooth.
3. Add one cup of powdered sugar at a time, beating in between for the smoothest frosting. 
4. Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
5. Transfer the buttercream frosting to a piping bag with your choice of decorative tip. Frost around the edge of each cupcake, leaving the center empty. If you don’t have a piping bag at home, you can also use a Ziplock bag and trim the corner. 
6. Add a spoonful of apple pie filling to the empty space at the top of the cupcakes. Use the back of the spoon to spread the filling around into an even layer.
7. Top with left over apple pie filling or fresh Crunch Pak® apple slice, and dig in!

Why We Love Crunch Pak®

We’ve partnered with Crunch Pak® because they understand that life as a mom is pretty hectic. But just because you’re busy wearing many hats during the day, you still want to give your kids delicious foods, especially when it comes to snacks. Crunch Pak® has made it their mission to create fresh and convenient snacking solutions. 

For easy and quick apple pie cupcakes, look for the 24 oz. bag of peeled and sliced apples.

Learn more about why Crunch Pak® is America’s Healthy Snacking Company. 

More Apple Recipes

Are you in the mood for more cozy, apple-inspired recipes? Here are some of our favorites:

• Apple Crisp Bars – think your traditional apple crisp in a bar form
• Bakery Style Apple Slices – made with a homemade crust and apple pie filling 
• Apple Cobbler — made with a crumble topping with a cake-like texture
• Copycat Crumbl Apple Pie Cookies – featuring soft, chewy cookies topped with tender apples, a sweet glaze, and a crunchy streusel.
• Apple Pie Tacos — another fun twist on apple pie
• Apple Cinnamon Waffles — grated apple is mixed right into the batter