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With simple baking staples and a mini cupcake pan, you can bake these soft and delicious apple pies that are always a hit!
Cupcake Pan Apple Pies
These Cupcake Pan Apple Pies satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt. I love apples so much that I often buy 10 pounds at a time and we spend a week or two eating "everything apple". And this is a recipe I never skip!
One thing I love about these mini apple pies is that they are perfectly portioned. When I make them, my guests (friends) always say that they don't feel as guilty eating these small treats as they do eating a slice of apple pie.
Don't let their "bite sized" look fool you. They are not labor intensive at all… the trick is using that mini muffin pan and the oven does the rest. If you don't have a mini muffin pan, you can make these in a 12 cupcake sized pan (the baking time will be longer).
Ingredients
The deliciousness of this Cupcake Pan Apple Pie recipe comes from combining simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Ingredient measurements and step by step instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
- Apple: you can use any, but tart green apples like Granny Smith hold their texture best in the oven.
- Unsalted butter: for the filling, the crust, and the topping.
- Cinnamon: the perfect spice for any apple pie!
- Cream cheese: at room temperature, for the crust.
- All-purpose flour: or whole wheat baking flour (soft wheat). You’ll use it for the crust and the topping.
- Salt: enhances all the flavors.
- Sugar: white and brown sugar for the tasty topping.
- Walnuts: optional for extra crunchiness.
How to Make Mini Apple Pies in a Muffin Tin
Cook the filling quickly, prep the crust, add the topping, and let these beauties bake in the oven. Every bite of these Cupcake Pan Apple Pies melts in your mouth! Here is how:
- Prep the oven
Preheat oven to 350F. - Cook the filling
In a medium pan, cook the filling ingredients over low heat, stirring until butter has melted. Raise heat to medium-high; cook for 5 minutes until apples soften and release its juice. Remove from heat and cool. - Make the dough
In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter until thoroughly combined. Add flour and salt; mix just until dough forms. - Fill the mini muffin pan
Divide the dough into 24 1-inch balls. Press 1 ball in each cup of a miniature cupcake pan so the dough covers the sides and bottom evenly. If the dough is very soft, chill for 10 minutes before dividing and shaping. - Prep the topping
Mix flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Rub in butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in walnuts. - Add the filling
Divide filling among 24 mini muffin cups, leaving juices behind. Gently press the topping over the apples. - Bake
Bake until golden, 30 to 40 minutes. If you are using a 12-cupcake-sized pan, the baking time will be about 12-18 minutes longer (but start checking around minute 45). - Allow to cool down
Remove from oven and allow mini apple pies to cool down for 10 minutes. Remove from mini muffin pans and let them cool on a wire rack.
More Bite-Size Dessert Ideas
Any menu gets better when bite-size desserts are involved! A fall favorite is my White Chocolate Bread Pudding Bites with classic orange and cranberry flavors. Epic! For chocolate lovers, these Coconut Brownie Energy Bites are not only delicious but also healthy!
Team PB&J? These drool-worthy Peanut Butter & Jelly Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches are a fun treat you can prepare in just 10 minutes!
When you try these Cupcake Pan Apple Pies, come back and let me know how much you enjoyed them. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!
Cupcake Pan Apples Pies
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into ¼ inch dice
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the crust:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat baking flour, soft wheat
- Pinch of salt
For the topping:
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of Salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
- ⅓ cup finely chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
Cook the filling:
- In a medium pan, cook the filling ingredients over low heat, stirring until butter has melted. Raise heat to medium-high; cook for 5 minutes until apples soften and release its juice. Remove from heat and cool.
Make the crust:
- In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter until thoroughly combined. Add flour and salt; mix just until dough forms.
- Divide into 24 1-inch balls. Press 1 ball in each cup of a miniature muffin pan so dough cover sides and bottom evenly. (If dough is very soft, chill for 10 minutes before dividing and shaping.)
Make the topping:
- Mix flour, both sugars, cinnamon and salt. Rub in butter with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in walnuts.
- Divide filling among 24 mini muffin cups, leaving juices behind. Gently press topping over apples.
Bake:
- Bake until golden, 30 to 40 minutes. If you are using a 12-cupcake-sized pan, the baking time will be about 12-18 minutes longer (but start checking around minute 45).
- Remove from oven and allow mini pies to cool down for 10 minutes, remove from mini muffin pans and let them cool on a wire rack.
Anne says
I made these mini apple pies for a party and they were a hit! And the recipe is super easy. Thank you Laura! New follower here!