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My delicious recipe for Pumpkin Cupcakes is a fall treat you're going to want to make every year! Filled with warm fall spices, pumpkin, and easy homemade cream cheese frosting, this easy pumpkin cupcake recipe is ready to enjoy in under an hour.
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Pumpkin Cupcake Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcake Batter Ingredients
| Ingredients | Notes |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Make sure to measure your flour using a scale for best results. Incorrect measurements can lead to dense cupcakes. |
| Granulated sugar | Plain white granulated sugar is needed for these cupcakes. Some pumpkin cupcake recipes use a mix of sugars, but I find it easier to just use white sugar. |
| Baking soda | Make sure your baking soda isn't expired! |
| Baking powder | Like the baking soda, make sure your baking powder isn't expired. Expired baking soda and powder won't allow the cupcakes to rise as they should. |
| Seasonings | Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt are the seasonings used in this recipe. You can also use my pumpkin pie spice. |
| Eggs | Farm fresh eggs are the best, but if you can't get those I recommend using pasture-raised eggs when possible. |
| Pumpkin puree | Make sure to grab canned 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling has added sweeteners, so you won't want to use it. |
| Canola oil | Or any other flavorless vegetable oil. |
| Water | This is used in the batter to allow it to reach the right consistency. |
| For full ingredient measurements, scroll to the recipe card below. |
According to your taste, you can instead use my pumpkin pie spice recipe in similar amounts for the spice mix. It's full of that pumpkin flavor we all love, adding ground ginger and ground cloves, so it's perfect for all of your favorite pumpkin recipes!
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- Butter, softened
- Cream cheese, softened
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Orange food coloring (optional)
- Brown food coloring (optional)
- Yellow food coloring (optional)
- Cinnamon for sprinkling
For tips and video instructions, see my Cream Cheese Icing recipe. Or, try out my No-Butter Cream Cheese Frosting for an extra light and fluffy variation!
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
Baking the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. As it preheats, prepare a 12-count cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.
- Add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to a large bowl. Whisk dry ingredients until combined.
- Carefully crack eggs into the flour mixture. Add pumpkin puree, canola oil, and water. Using a hand mixer, mix on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary, until completely mixed.
- Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ of the way with batter. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Once ready, transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely as you prepare the cream cheese frosting.
Mixing the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add softened butter and cream cheese to a medium-sized bowl.
- Using a hand mixer, beat together for 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl down as necessary about halfway through the mixing process so the frosting mixes together smoothly.
- Add vanilla extract and half of your powdered sugar. Beat for another 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar, and beat well until combined completely.
Decorating the Cupcakes
- Divide the frosting into 2 separate bowls, leaving a small amount of plain cream cheese icing to the side. The white frosting is used in only a small amount, so you won't need much. See below these instructions if you don't want to use food coloring.
- To one bowl, add a couple of drops of orange food coloring at a time until it reaches the desired pumpkin pie color. For a richer color closer to pumpkin pie, you can add a couple drops of brown food coloring.
- To the other bowl, add a couple drops of both brown and yellow food coloring at a time until the desired crust color is reached.
- Add the pumpkin-colored frosting to a piping bag with a round tip, and the crust-colored frosting to a piping bag with a small star tip. Add the white frosting to a third piping bag with a small star tip.
- Pipe a large dollop of orange frosting onto the center of each cupcake. Use a flat icing knife to smooth out the frosting, creating a flat surface. Ideally, it should look like the top of a pumpkin pie!
- Pipe a border around the orange frosting using the crust-colored frosting.
- Pipe a small dollop of white frosting into the center of each cupcake.
- Finally, top off the cupcakes with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Note: If you don't have piping bags, you can instead use plastic bags with the corners cut out. However, for a true pumpkin pie appearance, you'll want to make sure you at least have two star tips to work with.
If you are not using food coloring, simply decorate the cupcakes with plain cream cheese frosting as desired. A sprinkle of cinnamon at the end makes all the difference; there's nothing like cinnamon cream cheese frosting for pumpkin pie cupcakes!
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe Tips
- You can also use a stand mixer instead of an electric hand mixer if you prefer. Just make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl of a stand mixer as you mix, just as you would with a hand mixer.
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese are softened before you try to mix them. Leave them at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so before mixing the frosting to let them soften.
Spiced Buttercream Frosting (Alternative)
If you prefer buttercream frosting, you can make buttercream to use with these cupcakes instead of cream cheese frosting. You will need the following ingredients to make buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1½ to 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Follow these instructions to make spiced buttercream frosting:
- Beat butter well for 5 minutes or so, until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time.
- With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar 1 spoonful at a time, until entirely mixed through.
- Add the spices and heavy cream, then beat for another 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Frost your cupcakes, and enjoy!
Finally, if you're more of a whipped topping person, you can follow my recipe for whipped cream instead.
How to Store Leftover Pumpkin Cupcakes
Frosted Cupcakes
- Store leftover decorated cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If you have them, you can also use special storage containers made for cupcakes, such as a cupcake carrier, but it's not necessary. This is great for parties where you're traveling with the cupcakes, however.
- To freeze frosted cupcakes, first add them to a baking sheet or plate, then place in the freezer, uncovered, for about 1 hour until the frosting is frozen. When they're ready, individually wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and store for up to 3 months.
Unfrosted Cupcakes
- You can also store unfrosted cupcakes the refrigerator in an airtight container after allowing them to cool completely, or on the counter at room temperature for up to 1 week, as long as they aren't frosted. Unfrosted cupcakes can also be wrapped individually and frozen for up to 3 months.
- Store the icing separately for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep in mind you should avoid mixing in any food coloring until ready to serve, and allow it to reach room temperature and soften again before attempting to mix in the food coloring or ice the cupcakes.
FAQ
No, you can also use whipped topping or buttercream frosting according to preference. See my whipped cream recipe. For buttercream frosting, see the above header for buttercream icing.
Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Room temperature eggs fluff up more than eggs straight out of the refrigerator, which will help keep your cupcakes fluffy.
Absolutely. Use an 11 by 7 inch rectangular cake pan, or two 9 by 2 inch round cake pans. Grease the pan(s) and bake the batter at 350°F for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Check at the 30 minute mark to be sure. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean when it's ready. If the top is browning too much, cover it with foil. Let it cool before you frost it with your cream cheese icing.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
When my kids were growing up, one of our favorite activities was spending time together in the kitchen. They always enjoyed it more when we made something sweet, like cookies or cupcakes! I remember their little works of art: cupcakes that often had more frosting than cake.
Now, with my two grandchildren old enough to help in the kitchen, I’m enjoying experimenting with recipes we can make together, including this one for Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with homemade frosting. We recently whipped up a batch of these pumpkin cupcakes, and the boys were incredibly excited when they realized what we were making!
If you get the chance, involve a family member when you make this pumpkin cupcake recipe. Baking together is a special experience, with many steps that even little hands can manage. Decorating the cupcakes together afterwards is the best part!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Equipment
- 12 count cupcake tin
- 3 Piping bags with 1 round tip and 2 star tips
- 3 medium bowls 2 are optional, for mixing portions of frosting with food coloring
- 1 silicone spatula for scraping down the sides of the bowl
- 1 Hand mixer or stand mixer, as preferred
Ingredients
Pumpkin cupcakes
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 eggs - room temperature
- 1½ cups pumpkin puree - use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling!
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup water
Cream cheese frosting
- ½ cup butter - softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese - softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar - sifted
Instructions
Baking the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. As it preheats, prepare a 12-count cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.
- Add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to a large bowl. Whisk dry ingredients until combined.1½ cups granulated sugar,1 teaspoon baking soda,½ teaspoon baking powder,1 teaspoon cinnamon,½ teaspoon salt,¼ teaspoon nutmeg,1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- Carefully crack eggs into the flour mixture. Add pumpkin puree, canola oil, and water. Using a hand mixer, mix on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary, until completely mixed.2 eggs,1½ cups pumpkin puree,½ cup canola oil,¼ cup water
- Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ of the way with batter. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Once ready, transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely as you prepare the cream cheese frosting.
Mixing the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add softened butter and cream cheese to a medium-sized bowl.½ cup butter,8 ounces cream cheese
- Using a hand mixer, beat together for 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl down as necessary about halfway through the mixing process so the frosting mixes together smoothly.
- Add vanilla extract and half of your powdered sugar. Beat for another 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through.2 teaspoons vanilla extract,3 cups powdered sugar
- Add the remaining powdered sugar, and beat well until combined completely.
Decorating the Cupcakes
- Divide the frosting into 2 separate bowls, leaving a small amount of plain cream cheese icing to the side. The white frosting is used in only a small amount, so you won't need much. See notes below if you don't want to use food coloring.
- To one bowl, add a couple of drops of orange food coloring at a time until it reaches the desired pumpkin pie color. For a richer color closer to pumpkin pie, you can add a couple drops of brown food coloring.
- To the other bowl, add a couple drops of both brown and yellow food coloring at a time until the desired crust color is reached.
- Add the pumpkin-colored frosting to a piping bag with a round tip, and the crust-colored frosting to a piping bag with a small star tip. Add the white frosting to a third piping bag with a small star tip.
- Pipe a large dollop of orange frosting onto the center of each cupcake. Use a flat icing knife to smooth out the frosting, creating a flat surface. Ideally, it should look like the top of a pumpkin pie!
- Pipe a border around the orange frosting using the crust-colored frosting.
- Pipe a small dollop of white frosting into the center of each cupcake.
- Finally, top off the cupcakes with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Notes
- If you don't have piping bags, you can instead use plastic bags with the corners cut out. However, for a true pumpkin pie cupcake appearance, you'll want to make sure you at least have two star tips to work with.
- If you are not using food coloring, simply decorate the cupcakes with plain cream cheese frosting as desired. Sprinkle with cinnamon according to taste.
- You can also use a stand mixer instead of an electric hand mixer if you prefer. Just make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl of a stand mixer as you mix, just as you would with a hand mixer.
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese are softened before you try to mix them. Leave them at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so before mixing the frosting to let them soften.
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