Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Streusel

Easy apple-spiced cupcakes stuffed with apple pie filling, topped with salted caramel buttercream and a caramel drizzle.

Spiced Apple Cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour (stir, spoon & level)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp apple pie spice (or pinch each of nutmeg, ginger, cloves)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) buttermilk (or ⅓ cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar, let sit 5 minutes)
• ¼ cup (64 g) Greek yogurt (I used non-fat)

Apple Pie Filling

• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 Tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, gently packed
• Juice from ¼ lemon
• ½ Tbsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp apple pie spice (or pinch each of nutmeg, ginger, cloves)

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

• ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (82 g) salted caramel sauce, room temperature (store-bought is fine)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ to 2 cups (180–240 g) powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp heavy cream

Optional Toppings

• Chopped pecans or walnuts
• Salted caramel sauce for garnish
• Apple pie filling or apple slices for garnish

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
• In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and salt.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in sugar, then beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, and Greek yogurt until combined. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until smooth; the batter will be thick.
• Divide batter among liners, filling each about ⅔ full.
• Bake 17–19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling and frosting.
• Make the apple pie filling: In a medium saucepan combine apples, butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Cook over medium heat 5–8 minutes until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Let cool.
• Make the frosting: Beat softened butter on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes. Add vanilla and salted caramel sauce and mix until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Add 1 cup powdered sugar and a pinch of salt; beat on low until incorporated. Add heavy cream and additional powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
• Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 more minutes. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred tip.
• Assembly: Use a small knife to cut and remove a circle from the center of each cupcake. Fill each cavity with apple filling, then spoon or pour a little salted caramel over the apples.
• Pipe the salted caramel buttercream on top (a Wilton 1M tip works well). Drizzle with more salted caramel and add chopped nuts or apple slices if desired.

Recipe adapted from Kelly at Life Made Sweeter.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.