Apple Pie Cupcakes | Gluten & Dairy Free

This holiday staple just got a whole lot easier.

Let's be honest—sometimes, we just don’t have the time or energy to make a classic apple pie from scratch.

From peeling apples to perfecting the pie crust (after a few attempts), all that effort only to have the slice fall apart on the plate can feel a bit disheartening.

But don’t worry, there’s a sweeter, simpler alternative: apple pie cupcakes. They’re easy to make, hassle-free, and every bite is just as delicious!

They come together in just about an hour and a half—including baking, frosting, and decorating!

The best part? You don’t even need to fuss with making an apple pie filling to get that classic flavor.

For this recipe, we’ll capture the warm, comforting taste of apple pie—crust and all—using our Amoretti® Natural Apple Pie Artisan Flavor.

It’s the perfect blend of sweet apples, cozy spices, and buttery pie crust, all bottled up for you. It’s like having the entire apple pie experience, without the hassle!

This is our go-to secret for any spontaneous fall dessert cravings. Why go through the trouble of making a whole pie when you can whip up these cupcakes instead? And forget the tedious lattice crust—just pipe it on with frosting for an extra bit of fun!

Plus, this recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, so everyone can indulge in the delicious taste of apple pie in an easy, stress-free cupcake form. Simple, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion!

Ingredients

For the Cupcake:

• ½ cup avocado oil (or oil of choice)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons Amoretti® Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
• 1 tbsp Amoretti® Natural Apple Pie Artisan Flavor
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 ¼ cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup almond milk (or milk of choice, any milk will work)

For the Frosting:

• 1 cup of vegan/plant based butter, room temperature
• 3 cups of powder sugar
• 1 tablespoon of almond milk
• 2 tsp Amoretti® Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
• ½ of cinnamon

Directions

For the Cupcake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees farhenheit. Prepare your standard 12-cupcake pan with cupcake liners. 
2. In a seperate bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, spices, salt and baking powder) and mix together with a whisk. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer, combine the avocado oil and granulated sugar. Mix until combine.
4. Add in the eggs, 2 teaspoons Amoretti® Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract, and Amoretti® Natural Apple Pie Artisan Flavor. Mix until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix on low. Be sure to scrape the bowl at least once. Pour in the almond milk, and mix until combined.
6. Once batter is done, with a 2 inch cookie scoop, add batter to the cupcake rounds. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

For the Frosting:

1. In your stand mixer, add the 1 cup of butter and whip until fluffy.
2. Add in half of the powder sugar and whip.
3. Scrape the edges of the bowl and add the remaining 1½ cups of powdered sugar along with the milk, extract, and cinnamon powder.
4. Whip frosting for about 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
5. Split frosting into two portions and place in a piping bag fitted with the open star tip, and a piping bag with a stright edge. This will be used to make the lattice.

For the Decoration:

1. Grab a cupcake, and with your straight edge bag of frosting, pipe 4 lines vertically on your cupcake. 
2. Then, pipe 4-5 more lines (depending on how wide of a tip you use) horizontally.
3. Now, with your small open star tip pipe along the edge of the cupcake. Similar to how you would a cake. This will be your "crust"
4. For more instruction on how to make the lattice frosting, check out the youtube video above.