Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes

Imagine the flavors of warm apple pie melting into vanilla bean ice cream, finished with a rich ribbon of salted caramel. This cupcake captures all of that in every bite.

If you love the flavors of an apple pie but don’t have the time (or energy, let's be real!) to bake a full one from scratch for Thanksgiving, these Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes are the perfect shortcut. They’re tender, moist, and packed with cozy fall flavor thanks to Amoretti® Natural Apple Pie Artisan Flavor in the batter. Each cupcake is finished with a rich, creamy frosting made with Amoretti® Natural Salted Caramel Artisan Flavor so you get that sweet, buttery caramel note in every bite.

Best of all? This recipe comes together quickly, requires zero pie-making, and still delivers all the nostalgic apple-cinnamon warmth you crave during the holidays. Add the optional caramelized apple topping for an extra festive finish, and you’ve got a dessert that feels special without the stress.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 ⅜ cups all-purpose flour (split into 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup salted butter, cubed
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tsp Amoretti® Vanilla Bean Paste
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• ½ tbsp Amoretti® Natural Apple Pie Artisan Flavor

Salted Caramel Frosting 

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup salted butter, softened
• 2 tsp Amoretti® Natural Salted Caramel Artisan Flavor
• 1 tsp Amoretti®Vanilla Bean Paste
  
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Caramelized Apples (Optional Topping)

• 2 medium size honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced into small cubes
  
• 1 tbsp salted butter
  
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
  
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs. Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 30 seconds or until bubbles form
3. Add the granulated sugar and mix until light and fluffy
   
4. Gently stir in the first half of the flour. Once combined add the rest
5. Stir until combined
   
6. Add in the Amoretti Vanilla Bean Paste, Amoretti Salted Caramel Natural Flavor and oil. Mix until incorporated
7. Heat the milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-60 seconds until melted and hot, but not bubbling
8. Slowly pour the milk and butter into the batter while mixing
9. Once incorporated, transfer the batter to a lined cupcake pan. Fill them about ⅔ of the way
10. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean
11. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack
    

For the Caramelized Apples

1. In a medium sized skillet add the butter and place over medium-low heat. Toss in the diced apples, maple syrup and ground cinnamon
2. Cook until the apples are softened with a nice caramelization, reduce the heat to low to avoid burning
3. Once done, set aside to cool

For the Frosting

1. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, add the softened cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl and cream together with a hand mixer until combined
2. Add in the vanilla bean paste and salted caramel flavoring. Mix until combined. Be sure to scrape down your bowl here!
3. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy, making sure to scrape down the edges of your bowl to ensure all ingredients get incorporated
4. Transfer your frosting to a piping bag or simply spoon the frosting onto each cupcake and use an offset spatula to spread
5. (OPTIONAL) Once each cupcake is frosted, top with the cooled caramelized apples
6. Serve and enjoy!