These gluten free apple crumble cupcakes capture all the cosy flavours of autumn in a single bite.
After a particularly mild October, the cooler weather has finally settled in, which makes this the perfect time to bake something warming and comforting.
I’ve taken the classic apple crumble and turned it into individual gluten free cupcakes — soft cake flecked with apple, topped with cinnamon buttercream and a crunchy crumble finish.
Apples have been everywhere in my kitchen lately, from pies to puddings, and they’re ideal for seasonal baking: versatile, flavourful and effortlessly autumnal.
These cupcakes balance tender apple chunks, crisp crumble pieces and a spiced cinnamon frosting — exactly the flavours you want as the days grow shorter and cooler.
Perfect for a cold day
There’s something especially comforting about baking when it’s cold and wet outside. I find it soothing to fill the house with warmth and spice while the weather does its thing.
Lately I’ve been experimenting with cupcake frosting and piping techniques. Upgrading to larger piping tips and a reusable bag has made a noticeable difference — my swirls are much neater now.
Mix it up!
These cupcakes are easy to adapt. Try adding a handful of blackberries, or swap some apples for pears for a pear-and-apple version — pear crumble is one of my favourites.
For these, I mixed a little crumble into the top of each cake before baking and toasted the remaining crumble separately to sprinkle over the frosting. The baked crumble adds a lovely texture contrast and looks pretty too.
They’re best eaten within a day or two, while the crumble remains crisp, but they’re so tasty that they rarely last long!
My gluten free apple crumble cupcakes
Gluten free apple crumble cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 150 g unsalted butter or Stork
- 150 g caster sugar
- 150 g gluten free self-raising flour
- 1/4 tsp xantham gum
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large apples
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp plain gluten free flour
For the crumble:
- 60 g plain gluten free flour
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 30 g caster sugar
For the frosting:
- 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 200 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas 4). Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.
- Peel, core and dice the apples into roughly 1 cm cubes. Toss the apples with the brown sugar and 1 tsp plain gluten free flour until evenly coated; set aside.
- Make the crumble by rubbing together the butter, flour and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Reserve some crumble to sprinkle on top of the finished cupcakes and keep the rest for mixing into the cake batter or to bake separately for extra crunch.
- For the cake batter, beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Fold in the self-raising flour, xantham gum and cinnamon. Gently fold through the apple pieces.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cases. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 tsp of the crumble mixture. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes cool, spread any remaining crumble in a thin layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 5–10 minutes until golden and crisp. Allow to cool.
- To make the frosting, beat the room-temperature butter until smooth, then add the icing sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. (Tip: cover the bowl when you start mixing to avoid a dusting of icing sugar.)
- Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip and pipe a swirl onto each cooled cupcake. Finish with a sprinkle of the toasted crumble.
Nutrition
Serving: 12 cakes
More Gluten Free Cupcake Recipes
If you enjoy these gluten free apple crumble cupcakes, you might also like other gluten free cupcake recipes:
- Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Oreo Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Chocolate Orange Cupcakes
Need some more baking inspiration?
If you try these cupcakes and want to bake something different, consider one of these gluten free favourites from my collection:
- Gluten free sticky toffee apple upside-down cake
- Gluten free jam roly-poly
- Gluten free apple turnovers
- Gluten free red velvet cupcakes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see your photos — share them with the hashtag #theglutenfreeblogger or tag me on social media. If you have suggestions for recipes you’d like to see next, please leave a comment.
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