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Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

Yields: 12 cupcakes Best served: Warm, topped with icing and a caramel drizzle, with vanilla ice cream
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Ingredients

Cupcake Batter:

  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk or ½ cup milk + 1½ tsp lemon juice
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Apple Pie Filling:

  • 2 large apples peeled, cored, diced small
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch nutmeg optional
  • Pinch salt
  • 1½ tsp cornstarch or arrowroot mixed with 1 Tbsp cold water

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing:

  • 8 oz full-fat cream cheese cold
  • 4 Tbsp ½ stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 –2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot, optional for extra stability
  • Pinch salt

Crumble Topping:

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup oats optional
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch salt
  • 6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter diced
  • ⅓ cup chopped pecans optional

Caramel Drizzle:

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt
  • Optional: Flaky salt vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Bake the Cupcakes:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add dry mix and buttermilk in batches, mixing until just combined. Fill liners 2/3 full. Bake 18–22 min until golden. Cool 10 min.

Make the Crumble:

  • Mix flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Add pecans if using. Bake on a tray at 350°F for 12–15 min, stirring once, until golden. Cool.

Cook Apple Filling:

  • Melt butter in a skillet. Add apples, sugars, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cook 5–7 min until apples are soft. Stir in cornstarch slurry; cook until thick and glossy. Set aside to cool.

Core & Fill Cupcakes:

  • Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop a small center from each cupcake. Spoon about 1 Tbsp apple filling into each cupcake.

Chill Before Icing:

  • Put filled cupcakes in fridge 10 min so icing won’t melt.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing:

  • Beat cold cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and 1 tsp cornstarch (add another if you want it firmer). If too soft, chill 10 min. Pipe or spread icing on each cupcake.

Make Caramel Drizzle:

  • In a dry saucepan, heat sugar over medium, swirling, until melted and deep amber. Quickly add butter and stir until melted (it will bubble). Add cream and pinch of salt, stirring until smooth. Cool until thick but pourable.

Decorate & Serve:

  • Spoon a little extra apple filling on top of the icing if you like. Sprinkle with crumble. Drizzle caramel over icing. Top with flaky salt and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Pro Tips:
No buttermilk? Mix ½ cup milk + 1½ tsp lemon juice, let sit 2 min.
No fancy tools? Use a zip-top bag with tip cut off to pipe icing or caramel.
Caramel thickens as it cools—warm gently if it firms up too much.