The Ultimate Apple Crisp Cupcakes Recipe You’ve Been Dreaming Of

Are you looking for a quintessential autumn bake that captures the comforting essence of a classic apple crumble but with the delightful, individual charm of a cupcake? Picture the glorious aroma of warm spices, sweet baked apples, and a buttery crumble filling your home on a chilly afternoon. If this is your idea of bliss, you have certainly come to the right place. We are thrilled to share a recipe that truly embodies the spirit of the season: our phenomenal Apple Crisp Cupcakes.

This recipe is far more than a simple dessert; it is an experience of autumn in every mouthful. We have carefully combined the most beloved features of a traditional apple crumble dessert and reimagined them into a beautiful, handheld delight. Beneath a golden, crunchy oat streusel, you will discover a tender, spiced apple centre, all resting on a wonderfully moist and fluffy, cinnamon-infused cupcake. It is the perfect hybrid bake, sure to win the hearts of your family and friends. Let’s begin!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A Symphony of Textures: Each bite offers a satisfying crunch from the streusel, a soft and luscious spiced apple centre, and a moist, airy cupcake base for a truly perfect experience.
• Bursting with Autumnal Flavour: We use a timeless combination of cosy spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg, which beautifully enhance the tartness of the apples, creating a taste that is pure autumn comfort.
• Impressive yet Effortless: While these cupcakes have a professional, bakery-quality appearance, our clear, step-by-step guide makes them surprisingly simple to bake. We will walk you through each stage with ease.
• Perfect for Sharing: Their individual portions make these cupcakes brilliant for parties, bake sales, Bonfire Night celebrations, or as a special treat for your loved ones. No slicing necessary!
• A Creative Take on a Classic: This is an inventive and enjoyable way to savour the cherished flavours of apple crumble. If you are a fan of traditional apple bakes, you will fall in love with this cupcake twist.

Ingredients

• plain (all-purpose) flour
• light brown sugar
• rolled oats
• ground cinnamon
• unsalted butter
• Bramley or Granny Smith apples
• lemon juice
• ground nutmeg
• baking powder
• caster sugar
• large eggs
• vanilla extract
• whole milk

To keep things organised, we have divided the ingredients into three core parts: the crumble topping, the apple filling, and the cupcake batter itself. For the lightest, fluffiest result, we recommend using room temperature ingredients for the batter.

• For the Streusel Topping:
• 85g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 75g light brown sugar, packed
• 50g rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 85g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• For the Spiced Apple Filling:
• 2 medium Bramley or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 50g light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• For the Cupcake Batter:
• 195g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml whole milk, at room temperature

Step-by-Step Instructions: Baking Perfect Apple Crisp Cupcakes

We have crafted this recipe to be as straightforward and enjoyable as possible. By approaching each element one by one, you will find the entire process a breeze. To start, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners.

1. Prepare the Crunchy Streusel Topping

This topping is the magic that makes these streusel topping cupcakes so wonderfully moreish. We find it best to prepare this first, allowing it to chill while you work on the other elements. This helps it maintain a crisp texture as it bakes.

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the plain flour, light brown sugar, rolled oats, and cinnamon until well combined.
2. Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture.
3. Using your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse, slightly damp breadcrumbs. Try not to overwork it; leaving some larger clumps creates that lovely, classic crumble texture.
4. Pop the bowl into the refrigerator to chill whilst you prepare the rest of the recipe.

2. Create the Spiced Apple Filling

This beautifully sweet and tangy apple filling creates the delicious heart of each cupcake. Using a firm, sharp-tasting apple is essential for achieving the best flavour and texture. To discover more about the ideal apples for baking, take a look at this fantastic guide to apple varieties from BBC Good Food.

1. In a small saucepan, place the diced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cornflour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. Stir all the ingredients together to ensure the apple pieces are evenly coated.
3. Cook over a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the apples have softened and the mixture has thickened to a jam-like consistency.
4. Take the pan off the heat and leave the filling to cool down completely.

3. Make the Fluffy Cupcake Batter

Now, we will create the foundation for our apple crisp cupcakes: a wonderfully light and fragrant spiced apple cupcakes batter.

1. In a separate bowl, sift and whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In a large bowl, using either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room-temperature butter with the caster sugar. Beat on a medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then, stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Turn the mixer down to a low speed. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts. Always start and finish with the dry ingredients. Mix only until just combined—overmixing can make the cupcakes tough.

4. Assemble and Bake Your Cupcakes

This is the exciting part where we bring all the elements together!

1. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cases, filling each one about two-thirds of the way.
2. With a small spoon, make a slight indent in the centre of the batter in each case. Spoon approximately one teaspoon of the cooled apple filling into this well. It doesn’t need to look perfect.
3. Liberally sprinkle the chilled streusel topping over the batter and filling in each cupcake case.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. You can check if they are ready by inserting a skewer into the cake part (avoiding the apple centre); it should come out clean.
5. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for five minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you have a fondness for delicious apple-based bakes, we are sure you will also enjoy our Apple Cider Whoopie Pies, which present another delightful way to celebrate this wonderful fruit.

Variations and Customisations

While this recipe is utterly scrumptious as it is, you should always feel free to add your own creative touch! Here are a couple of ideas to personalise your cupcakes.

• Add a Nutty Crunch: For extra texture and a lovely nutty taste, incorporate 50g of chopped pecans or walnuts into your streusel topping mix.
• A Drizzle of Caramel: After the cupcakes have fully cooled, finish them with a drizzle of your favourite caramel sauce for an extra-decadent treat.
• Warm Spice Boost: For a deeper, more complex flavour, add a pinch of ground ginger or allspice to the cupcake batter along with the cinnamon.

If you adore the comforting, spiced notes in these fall cupcakes, we think you will also love our incredibly simple Cinnamon Donut Bread Recipe, which makes for a perfect weekend breakfast.

FAQ

Conclusion: Your New Favourite Autumnal Treat

And there you have it—a recipe that perfectly encapsulates the warm, cosy spirit of autumn. These Apple Crisp Cupcakes are a truly remarkable treat, blending familiar flavours in a refreshingly new way. The harmony between the soft, cinnamon-spiced cake, the tangy apple heart, and the crunchy oat topping is a masterpiece of texture and taste that we are confident you will adore.

They are the ultimate bake for relaxing afternoons, festive occasions, or any time you fancy a little taste of the season. We simply cannot wait for you to fill your kitchen with the glorious scent of these cupcakes baking. We hope you will give this recipe a go and let us know how you get on! Feel free to leave a comment below to share your thoughts or tag us in your baking creations on social media. Happy baking!

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Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 20-25 mins
Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• For the Streusel Topping:
• 85g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 75g light brown sugar, packed
• 50g rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 85g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• For the Spiced Apple Filling:
• 2 medium Bramley or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 50g light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• For the Cupcake Batter:
• 195g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml whole milk, at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4) and line a 12-hole muffin tin.
2. Make Streusel: In a bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Chill in the refrigerator.
3. Make Filling: In a small saucepan, cook the diced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cornflour, cinnamon, and nutmeg over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until the apples have softened and the mixture has thickened. Set aside to cool completely.
4. Make Batter: In one bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
5. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix only until just combined.
6. Assemble and Bake: Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter. Make a small indent in the center of each, add a teaspoon of the cooled apple filling, and top generously with the chilled streusel.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake part comes out clean. Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.