Description

These cozy apple crumble cupcakes feature soft, spiced apple centers topped with a crisp cinnamon crumble. Made with simple ingredients and warm fall flavors, they’re perfect for casual baking, dessert tables, or serving as a muffin-style treat with coffee or tea.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 22–25 minutes
Total Time: ~45 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: ~280 kcal per cupcake (estimate)

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cupcakes:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup milk
1 cup finely diced apples (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)

For the Crumble Topping:

½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Optional Frosting (for extra indulgence):

1 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 tbsp powdered sugar
Drizzle of caramel sauce for topping

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, mix the crumble topping ingredients (flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon). Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then refrigerate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well, then stir in vanilla extract.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in the diced apples gently.
Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Sprinkle generously with the crumble topping.
Bake for 22–25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

If desired, top cooled cupcakes with whipped cream and a light drizzle of caramel sauce before serving.

Notes

Use cold butter for the crumble topping to achieve a crisp texture. Finely diced apples ensure even baking and moist cupcakes. These cupcakes are delicious with or without the optional frosting.

Nutrition (Estimated per cupcake):
Calories: 260–300 kcal | Protein: 4–5 g | Carbohydrates: 38–42 g | Fat: 10–12 g