🧁 Apple Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients (makes 12 cupcakes)
For the cupcakes:
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1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
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1 ½ tsp baking powder
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½ tsp baking soda
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½ tsp salt
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½ tsp cinnamon
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½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
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¾ cup granulated sugar
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¼ cup brown sugar
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2 large eggs
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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½ cup milk (or buttermilk for extra tenderness)
For the apple pie filling:
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2 medium apples, peeled and finely diced (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Gala)
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2 tbsp butter
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¼ cup brown sugar
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1 tsp cinnamon
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1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water (for thickening)
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Pinch of salt
For the topping (optional but amazing):
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1 cup whipped cream or vanilla frosting
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¼ cup crushed graham crackers or pie crust crumbs
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Caramel sauce drizzle
🍏 Instructions
1. Make the apple pie filling
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In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
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Add diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft.
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Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook 1–2 minutes more until thickened.
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Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Make the cupcake batter
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
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In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
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In another large bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy (2–3 minutes).
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Beat in eggs and vanilla.
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Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, mixing just until combined.
3. Bake
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Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full with batter.
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Bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Assemble
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Once cooled, use a small knife or cupcake corer to remove a bit from the center of each cupcake.
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Spoon in about 1 tablespoon of the cooled apple filling.
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Pipe or spread whipped cream or frosting on top.
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Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers and drizzle with caramel sauce.
💡 Tips
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Want it even easier? Use boxed vanilla or spice cake mix for the base — just add the homemade apple filling on top!
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For a “mini pie” effect, bake a small round of pie crust on top of each cupcake as a decoration.
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Store leftovers in the fridge (covered) for up to 3 days.
Would you like me to give you a shortcut version using boxed cake mix and canned apple pie filling? It’s just as delicious and takes only 30 minutes start to finish.
