These apple pie cupcakes are delicious! For the base we use store-bought cinnamon roll dough, fill with a quick apple pie filling, and top it with a crumble topping.
These apple pie cupcakes are outrageously good! We originally shared them years ago, and I’m still in love. Since we use store-bought cinnamon roll dough as the base they come together in minutes!
These have everything we love about apple pie and cinnamon rolls rolled into one!
Key Ingredients
- Cinnamon Roll Dough: I use store-bought refrigerated cinnamon roll dough for these. You can use homemade cinnamon roll dough if you’d like, though!
- Apples: I love crispy, sweet apples when making apple pie, so I use the same varieties here. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji are all great options.
- Brown Sugar and Cinnamon: For the apple filling, I use my cinnamon apples recipe, but use brown sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of lemon juice.
- Topping: I love a good crumble topping, and these apple pie cupcakes are the perfect place to use it. It’s simple to make with butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped nuts.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Apple Pie Cupcakes
Tip 1: Make your cupcake base. You’ll pat out your store-bought cinnamon roll dough to make the base of our cupcakes. I just use my fingers and pat the dough into my cupcake tin.
Tip 2: Make our quick apple pie filling. For the irresistible apple pie filling, melt butter in a skillet until it bubbles, then toss in chopped apples. After about 5 minutes, they’ll begin to soften. That’s when you’ll stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the apples are tender, then finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Tip 3: Top with crumble topping. Divide the apple filling between the cupcake cups and top with a buttery, nutty crumble. These cupcakes bake up in just 12 minutes! Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
More Easy Apple Recipes
Easy Apple Pie Cupcakes
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We make apple pie cupcakes with store-bought cinnamon rolls that have been flattened into discs and placed into cupcake cups. Then, we fill them with cooked apples and top them with a crumble topping. They are outrageously good!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
Apple Pie Cupcakes1 can refrigerated cinnamon roll dough (8 count)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large apples, peeled, cored and diced in to 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Juice from half a lemon
Whipped cream, ice cream, or caramel sauce for topping
Crumble Topping2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly spray 8 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
2Separate the cinnamon roll dough into 8 rolls. Flatten each roll into a 4-inch round and place it into each prepared muffin cup.
3Make the apple pie filling. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, tossing occasionally, until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for 5 more minutes or until tender. Stir in lemon juice.
4Make the crumble topping. Add the flour, brown sugar, and nuts to a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and then add them to the bowl. Work the butter into flour and sugar using your fingers or a fork until it is crumbly.
5Divide the apple filling between the 8 cupcake cups, then top with the crumble topping.
6Bake the cupcakes for 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly, and the tops are light brown. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack. Serve the cupcakes topped with whipped cream, ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Can you use apple pie filling for the middle?
Hi Kim, You can!
I love to cook and love new recipes
These are insanely easy and fast to make. More importantly, they were a huge hit. Everyone wanted seconds. I just won Father’s Day. Thank you!
I’m getting ready to make these for Sunday dinner. Wish me luck
Have you tried freezing these? If so, was it after you baked them?
If freezing isn’t recommended, how long do they stay fresh after baking? I love cooking ahead of time.
I have made these several times and they were a hit. I used them the same day but both times had leftovers which tasted great the next day….
Wonderful recipes!
I love this desert!!! this was hit for my birthday, I made it by own, I like your way of writing, you are too good.
I will be making this. I do love apples!
Please put my subscription in to receive Inspired Taste’s Free Weekly Newsletter, etc.,
Thx so much!
I am allergic to lemon. Can I leave it out?
You can leave our the lemon.
These look so good going to give them a try. The video
didn’t show. it was green.
We made these but instead of using the whipped cream and caramel sauce (because we didn’t have it on hand), we served them warm with vanilla ice cream. We will be making these again!
My MIL made these a few nights ago, they were amazing, absolutely scrumptious. I can’t wait to make them for hubby, as they instantly became a favourite!
Use the icing from the cinnamon rolls on them instead of spending extra money on caramel and whip cream, trust me it is amazing. People beg for these! One batch is not enough.
These look wonderful. I will make them soon!
Has anyone tried another fruit, such as peaches, in these?
Am thinking of trying these with peaches and half with pie crust just to see what textural and flavor differences though I love the creativity and ease of refrigerated cinnamon roll dough! I can see filling the dough into mini “doughnut holes” and frying then dipping in cinnamon sugar like churro bites or baking after brushing with melted butter and rolling in cin/sugar then another roll right after baking…
We love apple desserts, these apple cupcakes are such a wonderful idea.. love them.
I made these in a triple batch and they are awesome and everyone loved them. I did drizzle the caramel sauce directly on the cupcake. Due to travel and being in room temp. in the 70’s for a period of time for a party. I made a stabilized whipped topping to put on top and piped it on. And for decoration, lightly sprinkled cinnamon on the topping. Very easy instruction and turned out perfect baking exactly 10 min. Thank you!
5 star Was very good, had leftovers the next day without topping warmed as a muffin 🙂
How can I substitute cinnamon rolls ? I surely won’t find that ingridient in Poland. Should i use puff pastry or rather yeast pastry? Anyway it looks delicious. I M waiting to do tchem with salted caramel samce.
Puff pastry could be nice or even a good pie crust.
Oh my I am going to run right out and buy the stuff to give these a go. So easy but yet they look so tasty as well. Bye let you know how mine come out later.
These look absolutely delicious! If I make these the day before thanksgiving will they stay fresh? Should I store them in the fridge overnight and the next day heat them up in the microwave? Thanks- Jenna
You should be fine.
These little “tarts” were a big hit with all ages. I wouldn’t have missed the whipped cream and caramel sauce, but what’s not to like about whipped cream and caramel? My three year old granddaughter’s eyes got big when she tasted one and she cried for more when she had eaten it all. There is no greater compliment.
Aww, that’s so great!
Just made these for the family and everyone loved them. They were delicious!
These were really good. Did reduce the lemon juice by half. Will be making again. Thanks for a great idea.
wanted to make this dessert so bad but ran out of butter. Will it still work with margarine.
Apple Pie Cupcake recipe
Margarine should be fine — you could even cook the apples in coconut (or olive) oil.
Can this recipe work without the nuts?? Just wondering…Looks yummy
Yep, just remove them from the recipe completely.
I love he picture it looks so yummy. I dont always love nuts so is there something else i could use?
You can omit the nuts completely.
OMG, I’m so going to make these! I can almost smell them through my iPad, lol!
Haha, if only! Hope you love them.
Want to make them.
Hope you do 🙂
Made these cupcakes and everyone LOVED them. So delicious! I used cupcake liners and it worked great! Question: I know you said if making ahead to store tightly covered in the fridge. But do they require refrigeration, say if you have a couple left over?
It’s best to refrigerate then reheat as you need them. (Room temperature is fine for a day, after that we suggest refrigerating).
These look very nice. I don’t think that I can get the cinnamon rolls here but I will definitely be coming up with an alternative base and giving them a go!