Applesauce Cupcakes  are the taste of fall! These cupcakes made with applesauce AND apple juice for extra apple flavor are soft, tender, and moist cupcakes. Applesauce Cupcakes are EASY to make and delicious too! Perfect for fall.

When fall is near I start to get a craving for all the delicious fall recipes, and apples are at the top of my list!

I know most people think of pumpkin this time of year, but I've never been big on pumpkin, personally. I'll make pumpkin for my family, but this girl prefers apples!!

Years ago I had a special recipe for an applesauce cake I would only make once each year. I don't remember why I only made it once each year, but we always looked forward to it!

These Applesauce Cupcakes are very similar to that applesauce cake I made all those years ago. The only real difference is they are in cupcake form, and I frosted these applesauce cupcakes with a delicious and very easy to make meringue icing.

BAKING WITH APPLESAUCE

For the apple flavor in these cupcakes, I used applesauce AND apple juice! Baking with applesauce adds moistness to cupcakes, and is a great way to sneak a little healthy goodness into a sweet treat the kids are sure to LOVE!

Like my Pineapple Upside Down Muffins loaded with oats, wheat flour, and even shredded carrots, the kids will never know how sneaky you are! 

Adding apple juice to these applesauce cupcakes adds even more apple flavor making these applesauce cupcakes an irresistible fall treat that you simple must make!

I topped the frosting with M&M's, because M&M's always look so cute on cupcakes and, of course, what kid doesn't love M&M's?! Did you know you can even get Candy Apple M&M's? It's true! They are a seasonal item, so you won't find them year round, but, if you're lucky, you'll find them in the fall.

HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE CUPCAKES

These applesauce cupcakes are very easy to make. First you need to mix your flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk it together to combine...

Then you put the sugar, softened butter, eggs and applesauce in the bowl of a food processor and let 'er whirl! You just need to pulse this a couple times until everything is combined nicely. I prefer using the food processor, because it is faster than the mixer, but a mixer will do just fine...

Next we combine the wet and dry ingredients with the apple juice and scoop the mixture into cupcake liners and pop them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.

After the applesauce cupcakes are cooled, pipe on the homemade meringue frosting and add the crowning jewel - an M&M® adds the perfect touch of chocolate to the apple-y deliciousness that are these cupcakes! It looks adorable too!

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Applesauce Cupcakes

By Life Tastes Good
Published 09/11/2014

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup Mott's Natural Applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup Mott's 100% Apple Juice
• For the meringue frosting
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• a pinch of salt
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• M&M's for decoration

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F and place cupcake liners in muffin tins
2. In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a food processor add 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup applesauce, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pulse until combined.
4. Mix 1/3 of the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix by hand until just incorporated. Add 1/3 the apple juice and mix by hand until incorporated. Continue alternating dry ingredients and apple juice in this manner until all ingredients are just combined.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the cupcake springs back when pressed gently. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.
6. When the cupcakes are cooled and ready to be frosted, prepare the icing by heating 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup light corn syrup, 3 tablespoons water, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, beat 2 eggs whites until foamy. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly pour the hot syrup mixture into the egg whites. Turn mixer on high speed and beat until stiff peaks form. This should only take 2-3 minutes depending on how powerful your mixer is, so watch it closely. Frost the cupcakes immediately. Decorate with an M&M and enjoy!
8. For a maple flavored frosting I recommend replacing 1/2 the corn syrup with pure maple syrup.

Yield: about 18 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 mins.

Cook time: 25 mins.
Total time: 45 mins.

Meringue recipe inspired by allrecipes.com Unbaked Meringue