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Home » Cupcakes » Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Published October 18, 2021 Last Modified October 19, 2021 By Greedy Eats

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These Pumpkin Cupcakes are the perfect fall dessert. Topped with creamy yet fluffy cream cheese frosting, this simple cupcake recipe is a great way to celebrate all the fun and delicious flavors of fall.

Try my Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe next. Find more Fall Desserts on the blog here.

Soft and moist Pumpkin Cupcakes with creamy and fluffy cream cheese frosting.

Super moist and easy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes topped with creamy frosting in a wrapper.

TASTE AND TEXTURE:

  • Moist and fluffy
  • Perfectly balanced pumpkin flavor
  • Sweetened with only brown sugar as opposed to these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes sweetened with both granulated and brown sugar
  • Topped with creamy homemade cream cheese frosting

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

  • canned pumpkin puree - Make sure that it's actually canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. You will need a cup of pumpkin puree for this batter.

Pumpkin puree in a cup with a few spices bottles and vanilla to make fall cupcakes

Ingredients like pumpkin puree, sugar, oil and eggs in a white bowl to make homemade cupcakes.

  • light brown sugar - Adds the sweetness to these cupcakes and also makes them very moist and flavorful.
  • vegetable oil - You can also use coconut oil here.
  • vanilla extract - Vanilla adds that warm and comforting taste we all love.
  • eggs - These should be at room temperature. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, immerse them in hot water for a few minutes, pat them dry and you are good to go.
  • flour - All purpose flour gives the cupcakes their structure and texture.
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • ground cinnamon - I love the cinnamon flavor this adds!
  • Spices - Along with spices like nutmeg, cloves and ginger, I also like to add a pinch of black pepper that's totally optional, but you will love
  • salt - Just a little bit goes a long way!

FOR THE FROSTING:

Cream cheese and butter softened to room temperature kept in a mixing bowl.

  • cream cheese - Room temperature cream cheese works best.
  • butter - I like to use unsalted butter.
  • powdered sugar - This adds the sweetness to the frosting.
  • vanilla extract - Another great addition to add warmth and depth.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES

Step by step process to bake pumpkin cupcakes from scratch at home.

Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add cupcake liners to your pan.

Add the wet ingredients. Mix together the brown sugar, oil, canned pumpkin, vanilla, and eggs. Use a whisk and mix them all together until it is smooth. .

Combine all the mixes. Add the dry ingredients- baking powder, baking soda  flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, black pepper (if using) and salt to the wet mixture and stir.

Put into the cupcake liners. Take cupcake mixture and fill the cupcake liners about ¾ full.

Bake in the oven. Put cupcake pan in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes of time.

Freshly baked Pumpkin Cupcakes cooling down in a cupcake pan.

Remove and cool. Take cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack. Once they are cool, you can add the frosting.

Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe topped with silky, fluffy, sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Whipped cream cheese frosting with butter, full fat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.

Add the butter and cream cheese into a bowl and mix until it is smooth and creamy. Then add half the powdered sugar and mix.

Once that is nice and creamy, add in the vanilla and stir. Then go ahead and add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix as well.

Grab a piping tip and use it to frost the cupcakes. Once the cupcakes are covered, top with one or two candy pumpkins.

Hand mixer handles showing stiff peaks formed with homemade cream cheese frosting.

HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVERS OF THIS PUMPKIN CUPCAKE RECIPE?

To keep these cupcakes moist and fresh, you need to store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. This will make them wonderful to enjoy for 2-3 days after baking.

CAN THE FROSTING BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Absolutely. Once you make the frosting, just store it in the fridge in a container with a lid. Making it a day in advance is a great way to save some time.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting topped with pumpkin toppers, kept on a wooden board.

CAN YOU FREEZE BAKED CUPCAKES?

You can freeze cupcakes but make sure that you freeze them without any frosting added on. You can always make the frosting fresh once you unthaw them when you're ready to eat them.

QUICK TIPS FOR MAKING PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

  1. Make sure that the cupcakes are done baking by testing the middle of the cupcakes with a toothpick. Once the timer goes off for them to be done baking, insert a toothpick into the middle of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean, they're done and ready to be taken out of the oven.
  2. Mix the frosting well because the last thing that anyone wants is to eat a chunk of cream cheese that wasn't mixed well!
  3. Top your frosted cupcakes with more cinnamon by sifting it on the frosting. Tastes wonderful and looks so pretty!

Pumpkin Cupcakes frosted with fluffy cream cheese frosting and drizzled with ground cinnamon on top.

MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES FOR YOU

  • Funfetti Cupcakes
  • Caramel Apple Cupcakes
  • Banana Cupcakes
  • Angel Food Cake Cupcakes

If you liked this Pumpkin  Cupcake Recipe recipe, give it a star review. Also, tell me in the comments below, how did this turn out for you! And don’t forget to share your creations with me on Instagram at #greedyeatsblog And lets be friends on Pinterest and Facebook too! 🙂

Pumpkin Cupcakes

This soft, fluffy and easy pumpkin cupcakes recipe is perfect for sharing with family and friends.
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
US Customary - Metric
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories: 277kcal
Author: Neha

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs (at room temp)
  • 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp ground Black Pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese
  • 6 T room temperature butter
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add cupcake liners to your pan.
  • Add the wet ingredients. Mix together the brown sugar, oil, vanilla, canned pumpkin and eggs. Use a mixer and mix them all together until it is smooth.
  • Combine all the mixes. Add dry ingredients- baking powder, baking soda, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, black pepper and salt to wet ingredients and fold to combine.
  • Put into the cupcake liners. Take the cupcake mixture and fill the cupcake liners about ¾ full.
  • Bake in the oven. Put cupcake pan in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes of time.
  • Remove and cool. Take cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack. Once they are cool, you can add the frosting.

To make the frosting:

  • Add the butter and cream cheese into a bowl and mix until it is smooth and creamy. Then add half the powdered sugar and mix.
  • Once that is nice and creamy, add in vanilla and stir. Then go ahead and add rest of the powdered sugar and mix as well.
  • Grab a piping tip and use it to frost the cupcakes. Once the cupcakes are covered, top with pumpkin toppers.

Notes

How to store Pumpkin Cupcakes:
  1. Frosted cupcakes stay good for up to a day at room temperature. For a longer storage, keep them in refrigerator. They will last for 3-4 days there.
  2. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well for 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator or on the counter before frosting.
Pumpkin Puree: I strongly recommend using canned pumpkin puree in these cupcakes than homemade one. I use Libby's brand and love it. 
Spices: You may skip cloves, nutmeg, ginger black pepper and add ¾ tsp of pumpkin pie spice to your cupcakes. Don't skip cinnamon in this case.
Oil: Instead of using vegetable oil, you may sub it with ½ cup coconut oil. ¼ cup of oil and ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce works too.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cupcake | Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 112mg | Sugar: 53g
Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Mention @greedyeats or tag #Greedyeats!

 

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Halloween Bark »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Neely Moldovan

    October 21, 2021 at 3:53 pm

    Ohhhhh these would be so fun to make for Halloween! I love how they turned out!

    Reply
  2. Ntensibe Edgar

    October 21, 2021 at 3:32 pm

    Nnnniiiiccceeeee...I need to give these cupcakes a try! It's time for a change to these from the ordinary butter ones that I love so much! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
  3. Elise Ho

    October 21, 2021 at 9:23 am

    5 stars
    I am not a frosting girl and therefore skipped making the frosting. However I did make the cupcakes and they were delicious.

    Reply
  4. Kelly Bolen

    October 21, 2021 at 5:40 am

    5 stars
    I love pumpkin everything, and these looks amazing! I am definitely pinning for later!

    Reply
  5. khoingn | The Broad Life

    October 21, 2021 at 5:08 am

    Gosh, the cupcakes looked so cute. I'm sure they are delicious too. Just want to have a try now.

    Reply
  6. Emman Damian

    October 20, 2021 at 5:47 pm

    5 stars
    Pumpkin Cupcakes look so good! Can't wait to make a small batch and may be bake them on weekends.

    Reply
  7. Beth Pierce

    October 20, 2021 at 7:35 am

    5 stars
    I'm down for some pumpkin cupcakes this weekend!

    Reply
  8. Talya Stone

    October 20, 2021 at 7:34 am

    5 stars
    Oooh I've been looking for a cupcake recipe to use with my daughter this week for our baking afternoon. These look like the perfect autumn treat - thank you!

    Reply
  9. Alita Pacio

    October 20, 2021 at 7:34 am

    5 stars
    I can't wait to try your recipe! I hope I can follow the instructions 🙂

    Reply
  10. Gervin Khan

    October 20, 2021 at 5:44 am

    5 stars
    Your pumpkin cupcake is so pretty and looks delicious!
    I will def make this for the kids.

    Reply
  11. Stephanie

    October 19, 2021 at 8:32 pm

    I've been trying to figure out a good dessert for our Halloween get-together and these will be perfect! I'll make some as is and a few with a different frosting to make them dairy-free.

    Reply
  12. Heather

    October 19, 2021 at 7:41 pm

    These pumpkin cupcakes look so delicious. I can't wait to make them!

    Reply
  13. April

    October 19, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my, this looks so amazing! I will definitely give this recipe a try this week!

    Reply
  14. leann

    October 19, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    5 stars
    Well, now I'm starving! I love pumpkin everything, especially this time of year. I can't wait to try this.

    Reply
  15. GiGi Eats

    October 19, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    These are hands down perfection!

    Reply

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About Neha

I'm Neha, baker, recipe developer, photographer and writer at Greedyeats.com I aim to create kitchen tested and quality recipes, accompanied by helpful process clicks and lots of tips & tricks along the way. I truly hope my recipes give you confidence to bake and cook from scratch! Read More…

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