These divine caramel apple pie cupcakes taste just like an apple pie, in cupcake form! First, soft and easy vanilla cupcakes are filled with sweet caramel apples before being topped with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon sugar and a drizzle of homemade salted caramel sauce. They are completely irresistible and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Who doesn’t love a good cupcake? If you are looking for a cupcake flavour idea that is a little different to your standard chocolate or vanilla, then give these amazing caramel apple pie cupcakes a try!
This recipe is made using a simple recipe for vanilla cupcakes, which is then given an extreme makeover with soft caramel apples, a deliciously decadent vanilla cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. For the ultimate indulgence, I also add a generous helping of homemade salted caramel sauce which is optional, but highly recommended!
Perfect for an afternoon tea treat, parties or a fancy high tea, these cupcakes are sure to please a crowd!
To make these apple pie cupcakes
To start, make the simple vanilla cupcake recipe;
- Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale and creamy.
- Add one egg and beat until it is incorporated into the mixture. Beat in the remaining egg.
- Add the flour, yoghurt and a little milk and gently fold the mixture until combined.
- Spoon the mixture into a cupcake tray lined with paper cases and bake until cooked and fluffy.
The cupcakes are then hollowed out by cutting a hole in the top, to about halfway down. You can use an apple corer or a knife to gently scoop out the top of the cupcake. Spoonfuls of the caramel apple filling for cupcakes is then added.
The caramel apple filling for cupcakes is made using;
- Apples. I recommend using Granny Smith apples for their tartness and strong flavour which balances with the sweet caramel. But any type of apple can be used.
- Butter.
- Brown sugar is used to caramelise the apples.
- Vanilla.
- Cinnamon for the apple pie spice flavour. You could also use a pinch of ground ginger or nutmeg along with the cinnamon.
To make the cupcake filling, simply add all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan and lightly simmer on low heat, covered, for 5-7 minutes to soften the apples. The apples are then uncovered and simmered until the liquid reduces and mostly disappears (to prevent soggy cupcakes).
Top the cupcakes by piping the cream cheese frosting over the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and drizzle with a little homemade salted caramel sauce. The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge and simply re-heated in the microwave to soften.
Other cupcake ideas
Whether you are looking for a new cupcake flavour idea, have a special occasion coming up or just love to bake, give these amazing cupcake recipes a try!
- chocolate cupcakes with mint buttercream frosting
- super soft chocolate cupcakes
- peanut butter cupcakes with salted caramel and chocolate ganache
- lemon meringue cupcakes
- pink lemonade cupcakes
Thanks for reading! If you do try these caramel apple pie cupcakes, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group.
Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce use this make-ahead homemade caramel sauce recipe and keep it in the fridge, or store bought caramel sauce can be used to save time.
For the cupcakes
- 1/2 cup butter (100 grams) softened at room temperature.
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 2/3 cup self raising flour
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1/4 cup milk
For the apple filling
- 3 large apples peeled, cored and cut into small cubes. Granny Smith is recommended, but any can be used.
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 4 tsp butter
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
For the cream cheese frosting
- 1 2/3 cup cream cheese approx. 375 grams, softened at room temperature.
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste Optional, or vanilla extract.
For the cinnamon sugar
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
To make the cupcakes
- Pre-heat oven to 180 C° (350 F) and line cupcake trays with paper cases.
- Beat the softened butter, vanilla and sugar together until pale and soft. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.
- Add half of the flour and stir to combine. Add the yoghurt, milk and remaining flour and stir until just combined.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the 14 patty cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are completely cooked through. You can test this by inserting a wooden skewer into the middle of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are cooked.
- Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
For the caramel apple filling
- Add the cubed apples into a small saucepan with the vanilla, butter, sugar and cinnamon and 1-2 teaspoons of water (or apple juice can be used instead). Slightly simmer over low heat, covered, for 5-7 until the apples soften. Remove the lid and continue to simmer over low-medium heat until and the caramel reduces and most of the liquid disappears.
- Transfer the apples to a small bowl to cool. You can drain the excess liquid off.
For the cream cheese frosting
- Beat the cream cheese, lemon and icing sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and completely combined. Add a little extra icing sugar or lemon juice to make the frosting a little thicker or thinner if required.
To assemble
- Cut the top of the cupcakes to create a hole, approximately half of the cupcake deep. Spoon the apple filling into the centre of the cupcakes. The top of the apple filling should be level with the top of the cupcake.
- Pipe the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cupcake. Stir the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle the frosting with the cinnamon sugar.
- Drizzle with the homemade salted caramel sauce (see link below for recipe, or use store bought).
- These cupcakes are best served immediately, but they can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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