Apple Pie Cupcakes – All of your favorite apple pie flavors in a cupcake! Cupcakes topped with streusel, apple pie filling, and frosting.

Apple Pie Cupcakes
Love cupcakes? Love apple pie? Then these cupcakes are for you! These vanilla cupcakes are topped with streusel, apple pie filling, and spiced buttercream frosting. They are the perfect combination of fall flavors!

Common Questions About Making Apple Pie Cupcakes
What are apple pie cupcakes?
Apple pie cupcakes are a simple spiced cupcake baked with streusel on top, filled with apple pie filling, and topped with a spiced buttercream frosting.
Can I do any shortcuts on this recipe?
Yes! I know that this can be an overwhelming recipe to look at so if you want to take some shortcuts you could –
- Use boxed cake to make the cupcakes – either white or spice cake.
- Use canned apple pie filling – just cut up the pie filling so none of the pieces of apple are too big.
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredient Notes
Wondering why we use the ingredients we do in a recipe? Read on and find out!
Cupcake
- Make sure to measure your flour using the spoon and level technique. Adding too much flour can result in dense cupcakes.
- Granulated sugar sweetens our cupcakes. Feel free to use brown sugar if you prefer.
- Baking powder helps the cupcakes rise.
- Apple pie spice enhances the apple flavor.
- Vegetable oil keeps the cupcakes moist and rich.
- I used whole milk in these cupcakes but any milk will work.
- Eggs helps bind the cupcakes together so they don’t become too dry.
- Vanilla enhances the flavor of the apple and the warmth of pie spice.
Streusel
- Flour helps create a “pie crust” like texture in the streusel.
- Butter holds the streusel together and helps it brown.
- Sugar sweetens the streusel.
Apple Filling
- Granny smith apples are a great tart apple to use – but feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Brown sugar adds richness and sweetness to the filling. Feel free to use granulated sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
- Butter helps create a caramel sauce that coats the apples.
- Pie spice enhances the apple flavor.
Frosting
- Butter is the base of our frosting. Make sure it’s fully softened or it won’t incorporate smoothly (and you don’t want chunks of butter in your frosting).
- Vanilla enhances the sweetness and earthiness of the apple.
- Powdered sugar gives the frosting structure and helps it become sweet and fluffy.
- The apple pie spice enhances the flavor and sweetness of the apple.

How can I make the perfect cupcakes?
- Follow the recipe – While I totally understand dietary restrictions, if you plan on making changes to the ingredients, I cannot guarantee the recipe will work. If you are facing this problem, I will gently suggest that you may want to consider finding a cupcake recipe on a site that specifically develops for the diet you are on such as a keto baking website or vegan baking website. Too many times have I seen recipes for wrong for people because they started to adjust the recipe too much.
- Don’t over-mix the cupcakes – If you want to keep cupcakes light and airy, avoiding over-mixing is key. Mix until just barely combined.
- Let the cupcakes completely cool before frosting – This is a classic mistake that people constantly make (including me). Your cupcakes are done baking, you are ready to sit down and eat one so you touch the cupcake and say “this is most definitely cool” even though it’s only been out of the oven for like, 5 minutes. Wrong. Your frosting will just slide off the cupcake and it’ll be really sad. To be safe, I’d say give them 1-2 hours before frosting.
- Don’t over fill the cupcake liners – If you overfill the cupcake liners, you will definitely have some overflow which isn’t pretty and elegant. Stick to filling each liner about 3/4 full.
- Spin the cupcake tin halfway through cooking – An oven’s heat is generally not terribly even so a simple way to make sure all of the cupcakes cook all the way through is to spin the pan about 1/2 way through baking 180 degrees.

What other types of cupcakes can I make?
There are so many fun varieties of cupcakes to make! Some of the best are –
- Funfetti Cupcakes
- Rhubarb Cupcakes
- Zucchini Cupcakes
- Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
- Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
- Mimosa Cupcakes

Looking for more apple recipes? Check these out!

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Apple Pie Cupcakes - All of your favorite apple pie flavors in a cupcake! Cupcakes topped with streusel, apple pie filling, and frosting.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Apple Filling
- 2 large granny smith apples (peeled and chopped)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
For the Frosting
- 1 stick butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners or spray them with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and apple pie spice.
- Add the vegetable oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until no large lumps remain.
- Divide the batter between the muffin tins, filling each one about 2/3 of the way full (I use a 1/4 cup cookie scoop to ensure they're all the same size). Set the cupcakes aside while you make the streusel.
For the Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, butter, and sugar.
- Sprinkle about 1-2 teaspoons of the streusel over each cupcake.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool while you make the filling and frosting.
For the Apple Filling
- Add the apples, brown sugar, butter, and apple pie spice to a small saucepan set over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes or until the apple are soft and the sauce has thickened into a caramel consistency.
- Set aside until ready to use.
For the Frosting
- Add the butter and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter on medium speed until it is smooth and creamy.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar and apple pie spice a little at a time.
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer to medium-high speed.
- Beat the frosting for 2 minutes, or until it is smooth and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip (I used a Wilton 2A) and set aside until ready to assemble.
Assembly
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, scoop a small hole out of the center of each one.
- Fill the holes with apple filling (about 2 teaspoons) and place the cake back on top.
- Pipe the frosting on top and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
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