Apple Pie Cupcakes
Fluffy brown sugar spiced cupcakes filled with brown sugar, bourbon, & cider apple pie filling, and topped with whipped vanilla bean buttercream. These cupcakes are like an apple pie a la mode in cupcake form. The classic summer and fall treat just got way easier to make but tastes just as good—if not better.
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This may sound weird, but these cupcakes are an all-American dessert in my mind. Call me crazy, but I feel like apple pie cupcakes could be more American than apple pie itself. Think about it: apple pie + innovation + making something difficult more accessible to all. Seems pretty American to me.
While I’d never try to replace apple pie, I do love that these cupcakes include all the same flavors of an apple pie a la mode with far less hassle. You can make the filling and frosting ahead of time, and the cupcakes come together and bake in less than 45 minutes. Way easier than classic apple pie.
Plus, these cupcakes are soooo good. The brown sugar spice cake is one of my new favorites. And the brown sugar, bourbon, and cider apple pie filling is perfection. Crispy apples in a bourbon caramel sauce? Yes please! Plus, I tinkered with vanilla bean buttercream until I got it tasting as close to vanilla bean ice cream as I could—just like that classic slice of apple pie on the Fourth of July with some ice cream on top.
So if you want apple pie this Independence Day without the hassle, try these cupcakes!
How to make apple pie cupcakes
Make the apple pie filling first so it can cool and set. You can make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a couple weeks or the freezer for a few months.
Make the whipped sea salt vanilla bean buttercream. I like making this while the cupcakes cool.
Remove some of the cupcake’s middle with a cupcake corer.
Fill with apple pie filling
Top with buttercream.
Enjoy!
Tips and notes for this recipe
Make everything in advance
I’m notorious for thinking I can do it all in a day. I can’t. Or rather, I can, but it stresses me and my whole family out. I suggest making the filling and frosting at least a day in advance. The filling can be used straight from the fridge but the frosting will need to come to room temperature, which takes 1-2 hours on the counter followed by a good stir or quick whipping. A simple hand mixer will do for this. The cupcakes will always taste best if made the day you’ll eat them, but you can see the next note for options on making them further in advance.
Assemble the day you’ll eat them
Because the filling really shouldn’t be left out overnight but the cupcakes really shouldn’t be refrigerated, it’s best to at least assemble these the day you’ll eat them. You can make everything ahead of time and store the cupcakes on the counter overnight (in a very well sealed, airtight container). If you need to make them even further in advance, I suggest freezing the unfilled cupcakes! Weird, but freezing is less likely to dry out a cupcake. Make sure they’re very well sealed in a container with as little extra space as possible (or even individually double-wrap each cupcake). Let them come to room temperature on the counter for 1-2 hours, then assemble.
Dice apples fairly small
You want to pack several apple pieces inside your cupcake, so be sure to make dices that around between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. Otherwise, it’ll be awkward to eat them.
Spoon then level and sift the dry ingredients
This is such a key tip for cakes and especially for cupcakes. If you just dunk the measuring spoon into the flour, you’ll get too much and your cake/cupcakes will be dry. You need to spoon the flour in then level it off with the straight edge of a knife. As well, must sift your dry ingredients. I’m not a chemist, but I know from experience that it makes cakes light and fluffy.
My cupcake tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making these cupcakes. Affiliate links provided.
Reusable silicone piping bags (These are super easy to clean—just turn inside out, wear like a mitten, and wash! I stand mine like a cone hat on my tea kettle to dry.)
Cupcake corer (I love that this comes in two sizes!)
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)
Cupcake pans (I’ve used many over the years and these are the most consistently successful.)
Apple Pie Cupcakes
- prep time: 45-50 minutes
- bake time: 15-18 minutes
- chilling/cooling time: 2 hours
- total time: about 3 hours (includes filling, frosting, cupcakes, and assembly)
servings: 24
Ingredients:
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (289g) all-purpose flour, spooned then leveled and sifted
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) ground sea salt
- 1 tablespoon (8g) ground cinnamon (can reduce if you only want a hint)
- dash each of ground nutmeg, cloves, and ginger (or to taste--I like 3 dashes ginger)
- 1 ½ sticks (6oz or 170g) unsalted butter, softened*
- 1 cup (213g) packed light brown sugar (can sub dark, but it will make the cake denser)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240g) whole milk, room temperature
- half a batch brown sugar, bourbon, & cider apple pie filling
- one batch whipped sea salt vanilla bean buttercream
Instructions:
make the apple pie filling
- Make the apple pie filling ahead of time, at least 2 hours in advance, so it can chill and set in the fridge.
make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325 (or 350 at high elevation). Line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
- Sift then whisk together the flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, and spices. Whisk until the mixture is evenly light brown from the spices. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer), beat the butter on high for about 30 seconds, until smooth. Add the brown sugar and white sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bowl halfway through.
- Add the eggs, one at a time (or see my note if you forget and add them all at once), beating on medium until well-combined and scraping the bowl between each addition. Add the vanilla and beat on medium again until fully combined. If needed, beat on high for a few seconds just until smooth (room temperature ingredients help it come together more easily).
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Then, add ½ the milk and beat on low until combined. Don’t worry if it looks a little separated. Continue this process, adding another ⅓ of the flour, then the rest of the milk, then the rest of the flour, mixing just until combined each time. After it’s all added, scrape the bowl then turn the mixer to high for just a few seconds to help smooth it out. Don’t mix it too long. It doesn’t have to be silky smooth, just not separated or curdled looking (it’s not curdled, it just does that sometimes, especially depending on temperatures).
- Divide evenly between your lined cupcake pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a middle cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Avoid waiting until it comes out perfectly clean, as they do continue to bake some after you take them out of the oven. Check early, around 12 minutes, as ovens and climate can drastically alter bake time. Cool in the pans for at least 5-10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack until completely cool.
make the buttercream
- While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. You can also make this ahead of time and let it come to room temperature on the counter while you make the cupcakes, but you’ll need to stir it well to fluff it back up.
assemble
- Using a cupcake corer or knife, remove about a 1” piece of cupcake from the center. Fill this with the chilled apple pie filling. Using a 1M piping tip and reusable piping bag, pipe buttercream, starting from the edge to “seal” in the apple pie filling.
Enjoy!
Store leftovers in the fridge, in a very airtight container with minimal empty space. Avoid assembling these too far in advance, as the filling requires refrigeration but the cupcakes can dry out from too much time in the fridge unless in a truly airtight container with minimal empty space. You can make everything in advance and store the filling and frosting in the fridge and the cupcakes well-sealed on the counter overnight or well-sealed in the freezer 1-2 months).
*I highly recommend European style butter, as it has less water. Also, be sure the butter is still matte in appearance. If it has become shiny, place in the fridge 5-10 minutes to firm it up a little.