This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
Spiced cake mix cupcakes with apples in the batter and topped with cinnamon buttercream frosting, Candy Apple M&Ms, and a drizzle of caramel! #FlavorOfFall #CollectiveBias
I get SO excited when I start seeing festive fall flavored candy in Walmart! Just last week I noticed they were putting away all their back to school seasonal items and I knew what that meant - autumn and Halloween goodies! Of course when I returned a few days later I was absolutely right. My food blogger brain goes a little haywire just walking through that seasonal candy aisle! I just about squealed when I saw these brand new Candy Apple M&M's...
Ok, seriously... YUM! They quite literally jumped into my cart. I'm a total sucker for all the crazy fall flavors and I just HAVE to try them and see how they taste and what yummy things I can make with them to share with you all.
You can't see it because of my creative photography skills (ha), but the bag is already cut open! Sat it next to me in the car on the ride home. And yes, I keep scissors in my car - doesn't everyone?! These babies are amazing!! So amazing in fact that I hid them in my bag so the boys wouldn't see them when I carried the groceries in the house. Because every time I come home from the store they not only ask me if I bought them treats, but they try to see through the grocery bags for anything resembling treats. Yes I know, they're my children, mom. :)
They have a perfect blend of chocolate and candy apple flavors that I really think they nailed perfectly! These M&M's are larger than the usual ones, so keep that in mind. I actually had originally mixed some in with the batter of the cupcakes, but they sunk to the bottom. The kids actually thought it was hilarious, but it's up to you if you'd like to do the same!
Now on to these amazing Candy Apple Cupcakes. I decided to make them just a tad better for the boys by replacing the oil in the recipe with this:
Yep you guessed it - Mott's applesauce! Not only does it make the cupcakes extremely moist, it adds a bit more apple flavor which I loved. And when I can, I try to get the Mott's brand because I love that they have BoxTops on their products. Out schools need all the financial help they can get, amen?!
Whatever you do, do NOT skip the amazing Cinnamon Buttercream to frost these with. I may or may not have ate a small batch of it with a spoon playing my Facebook games. While the kids were asleep, of course. ;)
Candy Apple Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes
15 oz yellow cake mix
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup water
1/2 cup Mott's applesauce
3 eggs
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped fine (or shredded)
1/2 cup Candy Apple M&M's
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
For the Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
In a large mixing bowl, stir together cake mix, cinnamon, and allspice. Add in water, applesauce, and eggs and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Gently stir in chopped apple. Divide evenly among 24 lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely. For the frosting, beat butter until fluffy. Add in powdered sugar one cup at a time while beating. Beat in milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and blend until fluffy. Frost cupcakes as desired. Garnish each with a Candy Apple M&M and drizzle with caramel.
And because you all KNOW how much I love saving money, be sure to click over and grab some coupons available for a limited time:
$1 off any two (2) Mott's sauce or Mott's juice drink
$1.50 off any two (2) M&M's brand chocolate candies
Here are some more of my favorite fall desserts:
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Salted Caramel Frosting
Spooky Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits
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