Apple Cupcakes

June 16, 2026

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These apple cupcakes are the cutest cupcakes you’ll make all year long! Baked in the shape of an apple and topped with frosting and decorations, these apple cupcakes always turn out so adorable. Made with boxed cupcake batter, frosting, pretzels, and M&Ms, these cupcakes will become your new favorite recipe to bake. If you’re looking for fall cupcake recipes, back to school desserts, teacher appreciation gifts, or back to school cupcakes, this is the best recipe to make!

cupcakes that are decorated to look like apples with a pretzel stick for the stem and a green m&ms for the leaf to make these apple cupcakes

And, if you’re looking for more fun apple recipes, try these apple slice cookies! They are so easy to make and get your kiddos to eat healthy!

Apple Themed Books For Kids

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Applesauce Day
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ingredients for these fall cupcake recipes- Top-down view of baking ingredients: bowl of flour, glass of water, eggs, orange pretzel sticks, and green candies on a marble surface.

What You’ll Need For These Apple Cupcakes

  • 1 box yellow cake mix + ingredients from the back of the box (water, oil, eggs)
  • 1 container of red premade frosting (or vanilla frosting and red food dye)
  • 24 green M&Ms (I suggest buying M&Ms and picking out the green ones – buying all green M&Ms is expensive ~$40)
  • 12 pretzel sticks

How To Make Apple Cookies

Prepare the cupcake batter, according to box directions.

Top-down view of a whisk mixing yellow batter in a glass bowl, with snacks and a red container nearby for these teacher appreciation gifts


Add your cupcake liners to your muffin tin.


Then, take small amounts of foil and roll into a ball.


Add to one side of each cupcake liner.


Add your batter to the cupcake liners, filling 2/3 full.

Unbaked cupcakes in a muffin tin with foil toppers, ready to bake on a kitchen counter for these back to school cupcakes


Bake, according to box directions.

Golden muffins cooling on a black wire rack with a hint of pink frosting container at the edge.


Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

Red-frosted cupcake with a small green candy on top on a black wire cooling rack, with vanilla cupcakes nearby in the background for these back to school desserts


Add red frosting to the cupcakes, then break each pretzel stick in half, adding a half pretzel stick to each cupcake to make the stem.


Then, add a green M&M to finish off these apple cupcakes!

Important Recipe Notes

cupcakes that are decorated to look like apples with a pretzel stick for the stem and a green m&ms for the leaf to make these apple cupcakes

Follow the cupcake box. For the best cupcakes, follow the directions on the box. Use the ingredients suggested and bake for the suggested time. If wanted, you could bake your own cupcakes from scratch.

Use cupcake liners. Not every cupcake recipe needs cupcake liners, but in this case, they do! They help the cupcakes keep that apple shape that we need. If you skip the cupcake liner, the ball of foil won’t be able to make the apple shape on its own.

Storage. Best eaten in the same day. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Apple Learning Resources

Apple Life Cycle Dough Mats Fine Motor Skills Dough Activities Centers Playdough

Original price was: $3.00.Current price is: $1.99.

Apple Life Cycle Science Unit All About Apples | Apple Activities & Worksheets

Original price was: $8.00.Current price is: $6.00.

Johnny Appleseed Crafts & Activities | Apple Activities | Science Social Studies

Original price was: $5.00.Current price is: $4.00.

Apple Recipes For Kids

Caramel Apple Board- A caramel apple board for kids is the ultimate combo of sweet treats, fun toppings, and silly dipping fun. Kids get to make their own caramel apples with this fun DIY bar!

Apple Slice Cookies– These apple slice cookies are the most fun and healthy snack for kids! Easy to make with simple toppings like peanut butter, chocolate chips, and coconut.

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Apple Cupcakes

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These apple cupcakes are the most adorable back to school treat! Easy vanilla cupcakes decorated to look just like apples — perfect for teacher appreciation.

  • Author: stacie
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 30
  • Yield: 24 cupcakes 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

1 box yellow cake mix + ingredients from the back of the box (water, oil, eggs)

1 container of red premade frosting

24 green M&Ms

12 pretzel sticks

Instructions

Prepare the cupcake batter, according to box directions.

Add your cupcake liners to your muffin tin.

Then, take small amounts of foil and roll into a ball.

Add to one side of each cupcake liner.

Add your batter to the cupcake liners, filling 2/3 full.

Bake, according to box directions.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

Add red frosting to the cupcakes, then break each pretzel stick in half, adding a half pretzel stick to each cupcake to make the stem.

Then, add a green M&M.

author avatar
stacie
Stacie is a former first grade teacher who loves to share educational activities to help kids learn, grow, and develop! She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Child Development with a focus on Mental Health.

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