These super moist pumpkin cupcakes are easy to make, perfectly pumpkin spiced, and finished with tangy cream cheese frosting. I adapted this recipe from my very favorite pumpkin cake. They’re a must-try during the fall season!
Pumpkin cupcakes deserve their own spotlight, right?
I received some questions about turning my pumpkin cake into cupcakes, so I figure a completely separate post for pumpkin cupcakes would be helpful. Compared to cake, cupcakes cook faster and are easier to decorate, transport, and serve. LOVE THAT!
These are the BEST Pumpkin Cupcakes
And I have a list to prove it!
- Easy to prepare
- Simple, basic ingredients
- Moist and soft
- Heightened pumpkin spice flavor (just like pumpkin pie!)
- Sweetened with brown sugar
- Topped with tangy cream cheese frosting
- Fun to decorate! 🙂
Let’s Compare
Let’s compare these pumpkin cupcakes to my beloved pumpkin muffins recipe. There’s definitely a few differences!
- Ease: Both pumpkin cupcake recipes are super low maintenance. You don’t need a mixer to make either batter (though you could certainly use one!) and both batters come together in minutes.
- Actual Recipes: The recipes themselves are pretty similar. Here I cut out the milk and reduced the flour to make up for less liquid. You only need 1 cup of flour, so you are basically guaranteed mega moist cupcakes. There’s also slightly less pumpkin because it can weigh down your baked good (totally fine in a hearty, slightly denser muffin though).
- Flavor: The flavors are pretty identical, including spices.
- Texture: But here’s the real difference—these pumpkin cupcakes are not quite as dense. They’re incredibly moist and soft, but have more of a cake and cupcake texture and less of a muffin texture.
My tip: As with most of my cupcake recipes, fill the liners only about 2/3 full. This is about 3 full Tablespoons of batter per cupcake. (See 9 more tips for baking the BEST cupcakes!)
Ingredients in Pumpkin Cupcakes
Because this homemade pumpkin cupcake recipe is based off of my pumpkin cake, you’ll notice the ingredients are almost exactly the same. In a nutshell, we halve the cake recipe to yield about 12 cupcakes. The spices and vanilla extract aren’t completely halved. Rather, I kept both on the higher side for plenty of FLAVOR!
Here’s what you need:
- Flour: All-purpose flour serves as the base. It’s sturdy enough to support the thick batter.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These help the cupcakes rise.
- Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie Spice: Instead of prepared pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1/2 teaspoon each: ground allspice and ground ginger AND 1/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg and ground cloves. I love using homemade pumpkin pie spice here!
- Salt & Vanilla Extract: Both add flavor. Try making your own homemade vanilla extract sometime.
- Oil: Oil, as opposed to butter, guarantees a moist crumb.
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure and moisture.
- Sugar: I only use brown sugar to sweeten these cupcakes because it’s the best!
- Pumpkin: Use 1 cup of pumpkin puree in this recipe, then browse my pumpkin recipes to use up the rest of the can.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is a pumpkin cupcake’s BFF.
Here’s what I love most about this duo: cream cheese frosting doesn’t take away from the pumpkin flavor. Rather, it lets the pumpkin cupcakes shine. Cream cheese frosting is not selfish. That’s a true friend, is it not?! 😉 We’d have a different story with, say, vanilla buttercream because it’s too sweet, too heavy, and too overpowering.
This cream cheese frosting will hold a little shape if you pipe it, though a simple swirl with a knife works too. I like to use a round tip for piping, like Ateco 808 large round because it resembles a big puffy cloud on top. It’s the same frosting and piping tip I use for carrot cake cupcakes, too.
If you really want to go wild, try this brown butter cream cheese frosting from my banana layer cake, this cinnamon cream cheese frosting from my banana cupcakes, this pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting from my pumpkin bars, or this salted caramel frosting. Or use chai spice buttercream—another favorite fall flavor!
For decoration/garnish, we love using these little pumpkins. Or you can try these festive fall sprinkles or mellowcreme pumpkins. We also used these cupcakes as the perfect base to decorate Halloween cupcakes!
More Perfect Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Muffins & Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies & Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Roll
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies & Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Recipes to Make With Leftover Pumpkin Puree
For even more inspiration, here are my 30+ best pumpkin dessert recipes.
Print
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite recipe for super moist and easy pumpkin spice cupcakes topped with delicious cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil*
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (226g) canned pumpkin puree*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. Batter will be thick.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners—fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I add it).
- Frost cooled cupcakes however you’d like. I used an Ateco 808 large round piping tip for these pictured cupcakes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Leftover cupcakes keep well covered tightly in the refrigerator for 3 days. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco 808 Piping Tip | Cupcake Carrier
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/2 teaspoon each: ground allspice and ground ginger AND 1/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg and ground cloves. This is in addition to the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon—you will still add that.
- Oil: Instead of 1/2 cup of oil, try 1/4 cup (45g) unsweetened applesauce and 1/4 (60ml) cup oil. The cupcakes are just as moist.
- Pumpkin: I strongly recommend using canned pumpkin puree over homemade in this recipe, though 1 cup of homemade would work just fine. I found the flavor better with canned. I prefer Libby’s brand.
- Mini Cupcakes: For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 12-13 minutes, same oven temperature.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin!
Reader Comments and Reviews
I love this recipe but the frosting is too sweet , and theres no other taste other than the tooth hurting sweetness. Is there any changes i can make to improve the frosting
When I google for any recipe I always choose the one that comes up from Sally’s Baking Addiction, every single one has been perfect and this one is no different!
These cupcakes are so delicious! I ended up making two batches! But was wondering if I could use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and if so, would the measurements change? Thank you for this oh so yummy recipe!
Hi Faith, I’m so happy you enjoy these cupcakes! You can definitely use melted (and slightly cooled) coconut oil in place of vegetable oil. Same amount, no other changes needed!
Can’t wait to make these for a coworker’s bday as she loves anything pumpkin. Really wanted to double the recipe but my can of Libbys pumpkin is 25g short (425 instead of the full 450 from the recipe). Will this be okay or should I make further adjustments?
Hi Stacey, You can make up for the extra 25g of pumpkin by using another wet ingredient such as mashed banana.
I can’t wait to make these! Silly question… do you recommend keeping these refrigerated since there is cream cheese in the frosting? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Madison, After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, I would definitely refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with- We’ve never had any problems leaving frosted desserts at room temperature for a day
I made this recipe for the first time over the weekend but I switched up the frosting to your cinnamon cream cheese frosting and added the salted caramel sauce as a drizzle, oh my goodness they were spectacular and definitely a huge hit. Everybody loved them, I can’t wait to try some more things. Thank’s so much for the great tips on your site
Omg I made these and they are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made! Thanks for the recipe, my fam and I had a great time eating them 🙂
So easy, so delicious and smells amazing while baking. Literally ate them all in one sitting, I couldn’t help myself. Will definitely be making these again
This recipe is super moist and delicious. I also added some pumpkin pie spice on top before I chilled it the frosting made it great! This will be my favorite.:(^…^)
If you love pumpkin, this is for you. I know it is meant for the fall, but I make it all year round!
They are really fun to make. They smell good. They also taste super yummy.
Can you substitute almond flour for all purpose flour?
No, I don’t recommend almond flour here. For the best texture stick to all purpose.
I’ve made this a few time and can’t believe I’ve never made a review. I love this recipe it’s a great way to get rid of some of the extra pumpkin puree I have. The cupcakes are moist and balanced. And cream cheese frosting is always a win. Thank you for this recipe it’s one of my favorites.
I was looking for a pumpkin muffin recipe. I found this one by doing a Google voice search on my phone. I had already tried several that I was not happy with. I prefer a recipe that is somewhere between a rustic and a bakery style. I make jumbo muffins in a quarter sheet pan convection oven. Some recipes work well in this oven, some don’t. I like a recipe that has a good rise and produces a good ‘muffin top’. (best part of a muffin??) This recipe hit all the marks. A great rise and muffin top, great texture and just the right moisture level and sweetness. These are so good they really don’t need frosting or a glaze although I’m sure that would only make them even better. This will be my ‘go to’ pumpkin muffin recipe from now on.
The best!!!!
Made them for Thanksgiving. EVERYONE loved them.
Thank you!!!
Absolutely delicious, moist and slightly crumbly, not too sweet. I will definitely be making these again and again
I just made the cupcakes (not the frosting) for the first time. Since they’re so moist, they convert beautifully to gluten free! The cakes being dairy free is an added bonus. My boyfriend said they were one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever baked. They were so good that I’m bringing them to another event today! Thank you!!
These cupcakes ate wonderful! Will be making them again. Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello, I am looking to make this recipe into a layered cake. Will I need to adjust the oven temperature or bake time? I intend to bake the batter in two, 9″ x 2″ in round pans.
Hi Katie! For a 2 layer pumpkin cake, I recommend using my pumpkin cake recipe: pour batter evenly into two 9-inch round cake pans. Same oven temperature, bake for 25 minutes or until baked through. This frosting is enough for a 2 layer cake.
This recipe looks great! I want to make mini spiced pumpkin cakes using a mini fluted pan. Can this recipe be used? If so, do I need to adjust the cooking time? Thank you!
Hi Lauren! You can use this pumpkin batter for mini Bundt cakes in a mini fluted pan. The bake time depends on the dimensions of the cakes, but it will likely be around the same time. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Shocking how good these are…and I haven’t even frosted them yet but definitely have to hide them or they’ll be eaten before I get a chance to! Really light and not overly pumpkin or too sweet… a dessert not to be mistaken as a muffin
Made these last night for my sister to take to a baby shower and they loved them! Would this recipe work well as pumpkin bread baked in a loaf pan?
Thanks!
I’m so glad they were a hit! You can bake these in a loaf pan – or see my recipe for my favorite pumpkin bread: https://route-span.live/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bread/%3C/p%3E
These are super! I doubled the recipe because, 12 just won’t cut it for my fam.. And I halved the oil with butter.. easy to make, light & fluffy. A mouthful of fall <3
Hi,
I made your pumpkin cupcakes and they were a hit! I am not a big sweet person so I reduced the brown sugar to 1/2 cup. As well with the icing, I don’t measure, just add to my liking which ends being a lot less.
I just made these! It was a great recipe I like that the cupcake wasn’t a sweet one considering the frosting (which was great btw). I might play with it a little and add a bit more pumpkin so it can come through more. But overall it was great! Thank you!
This is the most amazing recipe ever. I’ve made it several times and it’s always a huge hit. This year I needed to make a TON of cupcakes for my work potluck my daughters work potluck and a dinner I was hosting in the evening so I QUADRUPLED this recipe. I was super lazy about it and just multiplied everything by 4 and threw it all together and the cupcakes came out PERFECT! Do you even know how amazing that is?? That means the ratios for this recipe are absolute perfection so thank you Sally for doing all the hard work in testing these recipes so people like me can be lazy and still seem like a rockstar at the work potluck lol and seriously these cupcakes are amazing!
I made these and they turned out great. I had to use butter (mostly) and olive oil as I do not have vegetable oil in the house. I sometimes use coconut oil, but there is a nut allergy in my son’s classroom and I didn’t want to take a chance (coconut oil is a different allergy but some kids react to it if they have a nut allergy). The batter was super thick, and the tops did not turn out fluffy round, so I thinned it out with a small addition of milk for the remaining batter (baked 6 at a time to test). Overall, it really tuned out nice. I prefer to use coconut oil next time as butter made the bottoms a tad oily.
Thanks for the recipe! (PS if you ever do a website update, it might be nice for us to upload our photos of your recipes! I took some cute pix!) 🙂
Sally, thank you – you never fail to provide delicious recipes and this is no exception. I’m making batch number two. Tomorrow, I’ll be delivering beautifully decorated Halloween cupcake boxes of four each to people in nursing homes or those at home who are unable to bake any longer. This is a monthly project for me and your sweets are always a big hit. I just wanted you to know that you’re a bright spot in the lives of many!
LOVED THESE. Ridiculously easy recipe and already had all the ingredients. Baked a batch of mini cupcakes for work (made about 36), plus cinnamon cream cheese and some orange/black sprinkles. Devoured! Number one compliment was how moist they are, and just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. This was great for my title as office baking queen! 😉 #tisTheSeason