Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Walnuts (or Not)

How to make quick and easy apple cinnamon cupcakes using boxed cake mix. Delicious eaten warm or cold.

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Apple cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors. With Fall upon us, I was in the mood for that warm, apple cinnamon flavor in cupcake form that I could have in the mornings with my coffee.

I stopped at a Publix that I don’t normally go to, and was looking for Spice Cake Mix. To my surprise, they didn’t sell it at this particular location. What they did have though, was Betty Crocker’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Mix.

What I love about the Spice Cake Mix is that I don’t have to add any spices to it. It has everything included, which means I don’t have to keep extra spices in my cupboard, AND it can be used as the base for Carrot Cake, Pumpkin Spice, Apple Spice, and Gingerbread. With apple cinnamon being the flavor I ultimately wanted, I grabbed the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Mix to give it a try. I’ll say, I really like the chunks of cinnamon in it!

I topped half of my cupcakes with just walnuts (less sugar for me, plus I like the crunch), and the other half with store bought Buttercream frosting, though an icing drizzle would have also been nice. Load up on some Fall themed sprinkles, or print and assembly some Thanksgiving Toppers!

I found my cupcake liners at my local Dollar Tree. They had lots of Fall prints as well. There are also lots of cute options on Etsy, both physical and digital.

Frosted cupcakes can stay out for up to 2 hours. After that, refrigerate for 3-4 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be covered, and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days. I refrigerated both versions so they’d last longer and stay fresher.

Btw, I designed the two crocheted pieces you see. Right now, only the orange piece has been published, and it’s the Taryn Washcloth, and I will update with the link to the other as soon as I get it published on my sister blog EyeLoveKnots! Huge thank you to TandCCrafters for crocheting the sample for me! Candace is such a pleasure to work with, and super talented if you are looking for custom crocheted pieces.

The cupcakes are delicious cold or warm, but I prefer the unfrosted version topped with lots of walnuts popped into the microwave for about 20 seconds.

When I bake these cupcakes for my husband and I, I simply cut the recipe in half so we don’t end up with so many, but I’ve included instructions here to make a full batch. If you cut the recipe in half, you will need 2 eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the cake mix, and you can store the rest of it in a tupperware. Don’t forget to label your tupperware with the contents, the date you opened it, and the expiration date – I do this with a Sharpie on scotch tape that I put on the side of the tupperware.

Perfer Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes instead? I have a recipe for that too!

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MAKES:

28 Cupcakes

TIME REQUIRED:

45 Minutes (25-30 to Prep, and 15 to Bake)

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:

• 1 16 oz Box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Mix
• 1 Stick of Butter (or 8 Tbsp) – mine is Plant Butter, which is Dairy Free and Olive Oil based
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup of Water
• 2 Smaller Granny Smith Apples, or Approximately 2.5 Cups
• Frosting; or Icing: 2 Tbsp Store Bought Frosting + 2 Tsp Milk
• Optional: 1 Cup of Walnuts in the Mix or Some to Garnish

INGREDIENT NOTES:

CAKE MIX: If you want to make half of the quantity, it’s 1 1/2 cups of cake mix. Alternatively, you can use Spice cake mix, or Yellow cake mix and add in 1.5 teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon Sugar/Cinnadust if you just want cinnamon (both can be found in the seasoning aisle) – OR make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice with 1/2 teaspoon each: ground allspice and ground ginger AND 1/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg and ground cloves.

EGGS: If you want to make half of the quantity, use 2 eggs.

APPLES: I used Granny Smith apples, but there are several different tart apples that would also be great for this. The apples I grabbed were on the smaller side each filling about 1 1/4 cup (diced). I’ve had some other give me up to 2 cups each.

FROSTING/ICING: I frosted half of my cupcakes with store bought Buttercream frosting – we love this flavor, or Vanilla, but you can use Cream Cheese for more of a classic flavor. An icing drizzle is also lovely, just like I did on my Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes. You can make your own icing with a couple ingredients, including powder sugar which you might have in your cupboard, but I like the ease of store bought icing, plus it’s a good way to use up leftover frosting.

YOU’LL ALSO NEED:

• Pam or Butter and Flour for Pan
• Cupcake Pan
• Measuring Cup & Spoons
• Mixing Bowl & Spoon
• Small Bowl for Mixing Icing
• Optional, Cookie Scoop for Batter
• Wire Cooling Rack – I found mine at Ross in a pack of 3

CUPCAKE RECIPE:

Step 1: Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Step 2: Peel the apples, and diced in 1/2″ sized pieces.

Step 3: Mix together the eggs, water and butter, then mix in the cake mix.

Step 4: Stir in the apples at this time, and if you want to add walnuts to your mix, add that in as well (I just topped mine with walnuts instead).

Step 5: Scoop batter into cupcake pan. I love to use a cookie scoop for ease, and consistency. Remember to only fill about 2/3 of the way full. I topped half of mine with walnuts before popping into the oven.

Step 6: Bake 15 minutes. Check with toothpick, then move to wire cooling rack.

Step 7: Repeat as necessary.

Step 8: Top with frosting, or mix the frosting and milk together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy, then drizzle across cupcake tops. Enjoy!

How to Store Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes:

Frosted cupcakes can stay out for up to 2 hours. After that, refrigerate for 3-4 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be covered, and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days. I refrigerated both versions so they’d last longer and stay fresher.

The cupcakes are delicious cold or warm, but I prefer the unfrosted version topped with lots of walnuts popped into the microwave for about 20 seconds.

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