Apple Pie Cupcakes Recipe - Chisel & Fork (2024)

With an apple cider cupcake, apple pie filling and Fireball frosting these apple pie cupcakes help you get your apple pie fix. Yes - Fireball Whisky.

These days, I'm all about apple flavors - from apple cider chicken to an apple Dutch baby to apple empanadas to an apple fizz. But these apple pie cupcakes are hard to top.

If you're a fan of apple pie and cupcakes, it really is the perfect combination. Plus who doesn't love the added booze from the Fireball.

Why This Recipe Works

• Flavorful - as is in the title, these apple pie cupcakes are the perfect combination of two popular desserts. If you want a cake that is similar, try this Dutch apple cake.
• Boozy - if you're a fan of adding a little alcohol to recipes, Fireball is present throughout.
• Holiday food - while apple pie is a popular dessert during the holiday season, you can mix it up with the added twist of making them cupcakes. And if there is a birthday, you can never go wrong with funfetti cupcakes.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter - used for cooking the apples, in the batter and for the frosting.
• Apples - you want to use tart apples like Granny Smith.
• Sugar - granulated sugar and brown sugar are needed for the batter, where just granulated sugar is used for the apple pie filling. You need powdered sugar for the Fireball frosting.
• Spices - when it comes to apple pie, you need cinnamon. Nutmeg also adds some warm notes.
• Fireball Whisky - adds some spice notes in the batter, filling and frosting.
• Flour - you want all-purpose flour as it has the right amount of gluten.
• Baking powder - important in giving the cupcakes rise.
• Eggs - helps with the structure.
• Apple cider - gives that apple flavor and moistens the apple cupcakes.

Ingredient Swaps

As with any recipe, you can mix up the ingredients for these apple pie cupcakes. Some variations include:

• While I use Granny Smith apples for the pie filling, Honeycrisps are good substitutes.
• Butteris important for the added fat, but canola oil or vegetable oil work as well.
• While a combination of granulated and light brown sugar is used, you can use all of one or the other.
• If you don't have Fireball Whisky or don't want to use alcohol, just replace with more apple cider.

Step-by-Step Photos

Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Beat together the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.

Beat in the butter, Fireball and vanilla extract. Add half the flour mixture, then apple cider, then rest of the flour mixture, beating until just mixed.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until done.

While the cupcakes are cooling make the apple pie filling by cooking all of the ingredients in a skillet for 10 minutes or until apples are soft. Remove from heat and add flour to thicken.

Use a paring knife to cut a cone-shaped piece from the center of the cupcakes. Fill with the cooled apple pie filling.

Make the frosting by whisking together the sugar and butter for about 3 minutes. Add in the Fireball, vanilla extract and cinnamon and beat for 1 more minute. Pipe on the cupcakes.

FAQs

Equipment

The equipment you use is important to how the cupcakes turn out. What is needed is the following:

• Stand mixer - you can also use a hand mixer with mixing bowls.
• Large bowl - need a bowl to be able to mix together the dry ingredients.
• Whisk - used to mix together the dry ingredients.
• Cupcake liners - keeps the cupcakes from sticking to the pan.
• Cookie scoop - helps get an even amount of batter in each cupcake pan.
• Cupcake pan - bakes the cupcakes.
• Piping bag and tips - makes piping the frosting on the apple pie cupcakes much easier.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Do not skip the apple cideras it helps create themoistnessyou expect from cupcakes.
• If you don’t want to useFireball Whisky, replace it with the same amount of apple cider.
• Allrefrigerated itemsshould be atroom temperature, which helps thebatter mix easily and evenly.
• Whenadding the batterto themuffin tin,don’t fill more than ⅔of the way as they dorise.
• Allow thecupcakes to completely coolbeforeadding the frosting, otherwise it will melt.

Other Cupcake Recipes

If you’ve tried these apple pie cupcakesor any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

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