Apricot Cupcakes

These apricot cupcakes skip refined sugar entirely. Three cups of apricot preserves carry all the sweetness, with applesauce adding moisture and reducing the butter load below what a standard cupcake batter would need.

The rolled oats are unexpected but essential here. They give the crumb a hearty, slightly chewy texture that lands somewhere between a muffin and an oat bar rather than a traditional frosted cupcake. Pumpkin pie spice threads warm autumn flavor through every bite.

The batter is versatile: pour it into lined muffin tins for individual cupcakes, or spread it into a baking dish and cut into bars. The bars version travels better and is ideal for lunchboxes.

Because all the sweetness comes from preserves, the flavor depends on the jam you use. A sweeter, more fruit-forward apricot jam makes a noticeably sweeter cupcake.

Kitchen Tips

• Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full for domed tops that don’t overflow
• Line tins rather than greasing for cleaner edges and easier cleanup
• Check at 15 minutes since oven temps vary; cupcakes should spring back lightly when pressed
• For bars, cool completely before cutting as they firm up significantly as they cool

Variations

• Fall twist: Replace applesauce with apple butter for deeper autumn flavor that complements the pumpkin spice
• Berry swap: Substitute strawberry or raspberry jam for the apricot preserves to change the fruit profile entirely