My soft and buttery pumpkin cupcakes are perfect for fall with their irresistible brown sugar cream cheese frosting. Melted butter in the batter allows us to bloom the spices (more flavor!) AND eliminates the need for a mixer (beginner-friendly!). Recipe includes a how-to video!
Perfect Pumpkin Cupcakes
These soft pumpkin cupcakes will fulfill all of your fall dessert cravings. Are they packed with pumpkin? Check! Infused with cozy spices? Check! Fast and easy (more time for corn mazes and pumpkin patches!)? Check, check, check! Find me a more simple and satisfying-I dare you (ok, my pumpkin cheesecake might be a good contender)!
I shared this recipe years ago and am tweaking it just a tiny bit today to make it more flavorful. They are still the same super soft and moist cupcakes you loved before, but even better!
Why This Recipe WORKS
- Moist without any oil. The pumpkin adds enough moisture that we can rely solely on butter here (as opposed to butter and oil, my usual choice!). This adds a lovely flavor and creates the perfect moist, tender texture.
- Fast and simple, but also intentional. The batter comes together by hand without a mixer, and this is intentional. Using melted butter (as opposed to softened) gives us the most buttery flavor and eliminates the need to use a mixer, which could lead to over-mixing.
- Blooming spices = bold pumpkin spice flavor. Adding the spices to the warm melted butter extracts their flavor and makes a big difference in the end result. This is very similar to blooming cocoa powder, which I do for deep chocolate flavor in my chocolate cupcakes and chocolate cake.
- Lots of frosting options. If you’re not a fan of today’s brown sugar cream cheese frosting, feel free to frost your pumpkin cupcakes with any of my other suggested frostings in the FAQ section below (brown butter frosting would be my second pick!).
Jump to:
Ingredients
I won’t go over everything here, but let’s talk about a few of the key ingredients you’ll need to make these pumpkin cupcakes.
- Canned pumpkin. Use 100% pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling (sneakily sold right beside the puree, in a very similar orange can). You could substitute homemade pumpkin puree so long as you process it properly, but I do recommend the canned version in this situation for consistency(and you’re more likely to get consistent results using the canned stuff).
- Butter. Generally I prefer to use a blend of oil and butter when making cakes and cupcakes (like my vanilla cake and apple cake). However, when it comes to my pumpkin cupcakes, I found that the pumpkin goes a long way in preserving the moisture and simply tastes better than any versions I tried with oil. However, butter solidifies when cold, so if you refrigerate the cupcakes to store them I recommend letting them sit at room temperature a bit before enjoying, that way the crumb can soften to its proper melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Pumpkin spice. This blend of spices is what gives the cupcakes their flavor. If you don’t have any on hand (or can’t find it in the grocery store), you can make my homemade pumpkin spice with spices you probably already have handy (or can easily find in the grocery store).
- Cream cheese. For the frosting! Use the brick-style, full-fat version; I don’t recommend the spreadable kind that comes in a tub (it will make your frosting runny and you won’t be able to pipe it).
- Brown sugar. Adding a few tablespoons of brown sugar to the frosting adds a subtle depth of flavor (thanks to the molasses in brown sugar).
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: Today’s frosting would also be great on carrot cake cupcakes, spice cake, or banana cake!
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
Make the Batter
My method for mixing the ingredients is a little different from both traditional creaming and reverse creaming, and is more similar to what I use when making muffins (like my chocolate chip muffins). I found this method resulted the best texture, so this is what I stuck with. It yields a plush, tender crumb, that reminds me of pumpkin bread. Let’s do it:
- Bloom the spices: Melt the butter, then immediately whisk in the spices. Set this aside and let it cool to the touch.
- Dry ingredients: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then set aside.
- Wet ingredients: Add the pumpkin puree to the cooled butter, then whisk in your eggs and vanilla. Once combined, pour in your milk and whisk again until everything is combined.
- Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to over-mix (don’t use an electric mixer!) but also making sure the batter is cohesive and smooth.
Portion & Bake
- Portion: Divide your batter evenly in a lined muffin tin; I use an ice cream scoop to do this for the cleanest and easiest portioning.
- Bake: Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, about 19 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan to a cooling rack after a few minutes; this will prevent greasy bottoms.
Make the Frosting
We’ll be topping off our pumpkin cupcakes with a brown sugar version of my classic cream cheese frosting, and it’s the perfect pairing. It’s a silkier and thinner variation that pipes beautifully and pairs so well with the pumpkin flavor. You’ll love it!
- Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and combined, then stir in the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Scrape the bowl, then gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the cream, if using, then whip the frosting until silky, about 30 seconds on high speed.
- Pipe over cupcakes: Pipe or spread the frosting over your completely cooled cupcakes. Decorate as desired; I like to press these cute icing pumpkins into the tops (feel free to make your own with my royal icing recipe!). Enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: Beating in a tablespoon or two of heavy cream will make your frosting even silkier and smoother. I’ll add it depending on how I want my frosting to look on top of my cupcakes when I’m finished; if you leave it out, your frosting will be stiffer and hold its shape better when piped.
Frequently Asked Questions
For my particular pumpkin cupcake recipe I recommend refrigerating if you’re not enjoying them within a day or two, specifically due to the cream cheese frosting. If you plan on keeping them longer, I recommend refrigerating to help them last. Note the fridge is notorious for drying cupcakes out a bit, so keep them in an airtight container and it’s not a bad idea to let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or so (to let them warm/soften a bit) before enjoying.
Cream cheese frosting is a classic choice, but ermine frosting, white chocolate buttercream, vanilla frosting, brown butter frosting (also uses cream cheese but it’s a whole different experience!), brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream or my classic Swiss meringue buttercream would all work instead. Marshmallow frosting would also be tasty, and classic buttercream frosting would be a quick and easy choice!
You could, but I’d recommend you try my pumpkin cake instead. The recipe is similar, but slightly adjusted to work better as a layer cake. I also have a pumpkin bundt cake recipe, pumpkin coffee cake recipe, and a spice cake.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try:
If you’re looking for more cozy cupcake recipes, try my snickerdoodle cupcakes or gingerbread cupcakes next!
Enjoy!
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Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup (165 g) unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1 ¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten (room temperature preferred)
- 1 ½ teaspoon (7.5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (225 g) pumpkin puree¹
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) milk
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup (110 g) unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese softened
- 4 Tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream optional, this will make your frosting even thinner and silkier.
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- Place your butter pieces in a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Immediately add pumpkin spice and cinnamon and whisk to combine. Set butter aside to cool.¾ cup (165 g) unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- In a separate large mixing bowl combine flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well-combined. Set aside.1 ¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, ¾ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Check that your butter isn't warm to the touch and add pumpkin puree and stir well.1 cup (225 g) pumpkin puree¹
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk well to combine. Stir in milk.2 large eggs, 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) milk, 1 ½ teaspoon (7.5 ml) vanilla extract
- Gradually stir your dry ingredients into your wet until completely combined, taking care to not over-mix the batter.
- Evenly divide cupcake batter into prepared muffin tins (filling each about ⅔-¾ full/about 3 Tbsp of batter per liner) and bake on 350 for 18-20 minutes (toothpick inserted in center should come out mostly clean with only few crumbs).
- Allow to cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5-7 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer) beat together cream cheese and butter, until well-creamed.½ cup (110 g) unsalted butter, 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese
- Add brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and beat on medium-high speed until well-combined (about 15-30 seconds). Pause mixer to scrape down sides of bowl, and then beat again to make sure all ingredients are combined.4 Tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually, about ½ cup at a time, add powdered sugar until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again.3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar
- If using heavy cream, add now (1 Tablespoon at a time) and beat on high speed for 30 seconds — until frosting is smooth and silky. Scrape down sides of bowl once more and beat briefly.1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Spread or pipe frosting over cooled cupcakes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This easy recipe was originally published 09/07/2016. Additional information and a new video have been added to help make this post as helpful as possible. A few minor tweaks have been made (a bit more pumpkin spice bloomed in the warm butter) as well.
Scotti
Hey Sam!!! I want you to know I enjoy so many of your recipes. This one is one of my favorites! I didn’t have pumpkin spice but I made my own and it turned out great! This frosting is amazing and now my favorite of all time! Thank you for sharing all of your recipes!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Scotti! 🙂
Melissa
Great combination of flavors. The cupcakes reminded me more of a muffin. They paired perfectly with the icing. Had some leftover frosting so plan to make another batch soon.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for your 5-star review, Melissa! I am so glad that you enjoyed the pumpkin muffins. Happy Baking on your next batch! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Sue
Love these! Great fall recipe and so easy to make. You are always my go to site for recipes! Never a letdown always fantastic…can’t say enough about the easy chocolate cupcake recipe too! I am always asked to make those for any event!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Sue! I really appreciate your kind words. I am so glad that you have become such a fan of my recipes. The Chocolate Cupcakes are one of my favorites as well. I am happy that you enjoyed the Pumpkin Cupcakes too. Thanks again. Happy Baking. 🙂
Barb
Hi Sam- made the pumpkin cupcakes yesterday and we loved them! The cream cheese frosting is the best-it will be my new go to frosting! Baking a second batch right now to freeze for when we need a pumpkin fix!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Barb! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Pumpkin Cupcakes and the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting. 🙂
Florenia Takahara
Hi, Sam,
I’ve been following and using your recipes especially the moist choco cake which my friends often asked me to bake whenever we have church activities.
Love all your recipes😘💕
I want to congratulate you for your coming angel🎉🎉🎉 Take care of yourself.
Praying for a healthy baby💐💐
Sugar Spun Run
Florenia, thank you so much for your well wishes and for being a fan of my recipes. I appreciate it! 🙂
Laila
👍🏻
Cheryl
Have you tried making this into 3- 6 inch cake rounds? I’ve done this with the cupcake recipes on Sally’s Baking Addiction and it was great. The smaller cakes seem to be very popular now.
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Cheryl! I haven’t baked it in 6″ round cake pans, but it should work great. I hope that you enjoy the pumpkin cakes. 🙂
Morgan
Hey Sam! Just wanted to tell you I made these and omgosh!! So delicious! The brown sugar in the frosting was so yummy. They were SO moist and a total HIT! Haven’t had a bad recipe yet on your blog. You rock! Funfetti cake in the oven now 🙂
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! I know you’ll love that cake too! 😉
S Grant
Hello!
I am a huge fan of yours. As weird as this may sound, you’re just about the only blogger I trust when it comes to baking (every time I have tried your recipes, jaws have dropped with how delicious the treats are). So, I was wondering if you would be able to give a recipe with your favourite vanilla buttercream frosting that would go well with chocolate cupcakes. I tried searching for it on your page but couldnt find a vanilla buttercream!
Thanks 🙂
Sam
Your comment truly just made my day, I’m so thrilled that you enjoy my recipes so much! Now, for the vanilla buttercream: I’m honestly not a huge fan of buttercream myself which is why I don’t yet have a recipe for it on my site, I’m sorry! I will let you know once I do publish one, though.
UPDATE: Here is my vanilla buttercream recipe!
S Grant
Hey there!
I know this is a little late but I just wanted to say thanks for providing me with such a lovely recipe for frosting!!! Honestly, the chocolate cupcakes recipe you had up was AMAZING. I made them with your frosting suggestion and now I’m even more obsessed with your blog haha. I really think you’re gonna be the ONLY place I follow for recipes from this day forward!
Not once have you let me down!!! and that;s saying something because I really sucked at baking before I came across your blog!!!!!
Sam
Well thank you so much! It’s comments like this that make it worth it for me to keep on developing recipes! Thank you so much for the sweet words! <3
Barbi
I know this comment was from years ago but I just wanted to echo the sentiment.
Whenever I’m thinking of a new flavor I want to try or I see a recipe on another website that looks good, I come here right away to see what my FAVORITE BLOG EVER has to say about the subject.
Thank you so much for sharing your talent with everyone! ❤️
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Barbi! I really appreciate your kind words and support. I’m glad you find my recipes enjoyable. 🙂
Roxanne
At what point do you mix in the 2 tablespoons of milk listed in the cupcake part of the recipe? I just added it with the eggs and vanillato the butter. And the recipe also says to stir in Nutmeg with the cinnamon but thsre’s no Nutmeg listed in the ingredients? I’mean sorry if I missed these things! But the cupcakes were great! Love the addition of brown sugar to the frosting. 🙂
Roxanne
Also, sorry for my typos. My phone hates me.
Roxanne
And I found the milk part. I’m so sorry! I should probably read before I comment. Forgive me!
Sam
Hi Roxanne! I’m glad you found the milk part! This is strange, though, it’s almost like you’re somehow seeing the very original draft of the recipe, which did mention nutmeg and omit the milk but which I fixed before publishing… the milk part and the pumpkin spice (not nutmeg) are showing correctly in the recipe for me, can you see them now? I did go into the post and “refresh/update” it in case it is somehow mistakenly showing the instructions incorrectly by showing the original draft. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes, though!
Amanda
I am always in the mood for pumpkin spice, so this is great in my book. That brown sugar cream cheese frosting looks too good!
Pat
Wow Sam likes a little cupcake with her icing. The frosting on top is taller than the height of the cake. LOL 🙂
Just teasing you, but Joe and I both remove about 70% of the frosting before we eat the cake, and we don’t remove it to put it in our mouth.
Sam
Haha! You know me well, Pat 😉
Honestly if it’s not cream cheese frosting I can’t eat a lot of it (I can stand about a tablespoon of buttercream before it’s too much) but cream cheese is a whole different ball game for me!
Pat
Actually I make a homemade butter cream frosting that I can’t leave alone and my mom used to make a broiled caramel icing that was out of this world. What has turned me against icing is the lousy surgary artificially colored stuff on store bought cakes. I only like cream cheese with a cracker or chips. I don’t like cheesecake. I am a strange duck, just a little quacked.
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries
Ummmmm I’m basically crying over how delicious these look…I would have been okay with pumpkin recipes in July…I am obsessed with fall. This is making me so happy! So creative to add brown sugar to your frosting – you rock!
stephanie
Have you ever used oil and added butter extract for flavor? I wonder how that would work! I own Wilton’s butter extract but I cannot remember what recipe I used it in. I have seen a Butter Nut Extract I have been wanted to try, too.
Sam
I have not tried that, Stephanie! It probably would not be bad, though I’ll admit I think I’d prefer the real thing 🙂
My local cake shop carries a ton of flavors and emulsions that I’m always dying to try out, they usually make it into my macarons, but haven’t made it into my cupcakes (yet!).
Mikaru86
The “Recommended Tools” sections just reads “XX XX”, I think that might be a left over placeholder.
I’m personally not that big of a fan of pumpkin anything. It’s not like I won’t eat it if it is part of a dish, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for deliberately flavor anything with it. So I think I’ll pass on the pumpkin spice recipes. But that’s not too bad, might give me a chance to work away at my backlog of recipes I need to try out 😉
Sam
Hmm, there should be Amazon images up there, it seems to be working on my phone and on my computer so I’m not sure why they’re not showing up for you but I’ll look into it!
And I’m not much of a pumpkin fan myself (I actually used to avoid it at all costs) but I surprised myself with how much I LOVED these cupcakes (maybe my taste buds are finally just maturing, though). Thanks! 🙂
Mikaru86
Found the problem: One of my privacy and anti-tracking plugins (Ghostery) was blocking the Amazon images.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
These cupcakes look so delicious that I cannot even imagine protesting them! I love pumpkin flavors- it’s never really too early 🙂 And now I’m thinking about what would happen if you combined pumpkin AND cookie dough… deliciousness would ensue for sure!
Sam
Omg… Medha I love your creative mind right now! I’m going to have to propose a pumpkin/cookie dough mix to my sister!n Thanks!