Moist and sweet pumpkin cupcakes with an easy cream cheese frosting. These cupcakes are perfect for pumpkin lovers!
Ever since I met my husband nearly ten years ago, I’ve always told him I wanted to own a bakery. You know how some kids dream of becoming a lawyer, doctor, or even a vet when they grow up? I’ve always wanted to have my own bakery and bake sweets all day long. Just the idea sounds fun, right?
In fact, cupcakes are one of my favorite things to bake. I bake them for coworkers, family, sometimes just because I feel like baking. So this past weekend I felt like it was time to start working on some of my own cupcake recipes for the blog. I figured the perfect place to start would be with one of my favorite things ever – PUMPKIN!
I worked on several batched of pumpkin cupcakes and after some tweaking, I finally found the winning recipe. The cupcakes themselves are slightly sweet, but not too sweet since we’re topping them with some frosting too. These cupcakes are extra moist too thanks to the oil, brown sugar, and of course the pumpkin.
I used a full cup of pumpkin in this recipe because I wanted to make sure the pumpkin flavor stood out. Since you won’t be using an entire can, you can use the rest to make these baked pumpkin donuts (one of my favorites!).
And then I also topped them with an easy cream cheese frosting with just four ingredients – cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar), and vanilla. I always set my cream cheese and butter out ahead of time to make sure they’re both soft, which makes them easier to mix together and a creamier frosting.
If you don’t have a piping bag and tip you can use a bag with the corner snipped off or even a knife to frost these cupcakes. I brought a batch of these to a family get together this past week and everyone loved them. I guarantee anyone else who loves pumpkin will love these too!
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12 count muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners about ⅔ of the way full, you should get 12 cupcakes, and smooth out the tops of each one.
- Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until fully combined.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
More recipes from friends!
Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread from Bakerita
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones from A Latte Food
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice from Kristine’s Kitchen
Love these pumpkin cupcakes- they look super moist and I love how the sweetness is balanced between the cake and the frosting 🙂
Girl, with cupcakes as gorgeous and droolworthy as these are, you would TOTALLY have the best bakery! I would probably buy you out of everything, so there’s that. 😉 LOL. Seriously though! These cupcakes are amazing, Danielle! Lovin’ how moist they look and pumpkin + cream cheese frosting = my weakness!!
Thank you, Sarah! If I ever do open a bakery, I’ll totally send you free cupcakes 😉
Hurray! Pumpkin baking time is here! How gosh darn pretty are these cupcakes Danielle? They’re perfect! You could definitely own a bakery with pretty cupcakes like this. Can’t wait to make these!
I love pumpkin baking time! Thanks for the kind words, Natalie!
This is my all time favorite treat! I Looooooove pumpkin and the cream cheese frosting sounds perfect! And your photos are so beautiful!
Me too! I’ve always wanted to own a bakery! These cupcakes are so, so pretty too! I’m in love.
It would be so much fun, right? Thanks, Michelle!
I tried to make these and for some reason every time I make cupcakes following the exact same instructions given to me they never taste right. What am I doing wrong ?!
Hi Alexa, What exactly do you mean when you say they never taste right? Is it the sweetness, spices, texture, are they too dense? How are you measuring your flour? I’d love to try to help you figure out what may be going wrong, but I just need a bit more information.
I would love to own a bakery! But first, I have to master the art of frosting, I stink at it haha. Love these cupcakes, Danielle! That cream cheese frosting is just calling my name!
Congrats on finding your winning recipe, Danielle! It’s so exciting when you develop your very own baking recipe, isn’t it? These cupcakes are so gorgeous with those pretty swirls, and I need to try them for sure!
Yes, it’s definitely a great feeling when you create a recipe that you really love! Thanks, Marcie 🙂
These definitely look like bakery-perfect cupcakes!! I’m so glad it’s finally pumpkin season. Time to binge! 🙂
Your pictures look gorgeous! That frosting looks like pure perfection.
I think it would be fun to own a bakery, but so much work too! 🙂 I love that you made pumpkin cupcakes, and that cream cheese frosting looks heavenly! I’d love one of these right now!
Definitely a lot of work, but I almost feel like it wouldn’t feel like work 😉 Thanks, Kristine!
These cupcakes look fantastic, Danielle! Pumpkin cupcakes have been on my must bake list for ages now, definitely going to have to make some! 😀 Love the spiced pumpkin flavour, and the velvety smooth cream cheese frosting! I would love to own a bakery one day too!
Thanks, Jess! I think you could definitely own one, you have such wonderful recipes!
Mmmm, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting look so yummy. And these photos are stunning, Danielle! 🙂
I would definitely buy out all your cupcakes if you had a bakery 🙂 These are so gorgeous, Danielle! I love pumpkin cupcakes and they sound perfect with the pretty swirl of cream cheese frosting!
Thank you, Kelly! That means a lot 🙂
You’d have a totally awesome bakery, Danielle. But then you’d have to get up crazy early and bake. Oh, wait, you probably do that anyway. 🙂 These look absolutely perfect!
I definitely do on the weekends, so it wouldn’t be so bad 😉 Thanks, Mir!
Hi Danielle! well, I hope you pursue your dream to have your own bakery!!! you never know right?! I used to want to own my own coffee shop. . so I could serve coffee and sweet treats and talk with people. 😛 I love these cupcakes! hooray for everything pumpkin!
Thank you for the kind words, Alice! A coffee shop would be such a fun thing to own too. Love that idea!
You should totally do it!! Sometimes I think about a bakery or some sort of food business. It scares me so much I usually stop thinking about it. But maybe some day… 🙂
I feel the same way when I think about it! Maybe one day though 😉 Thanks, Dorothy!
Having your own bakery would be so amazing. Go for it! I would come and buy these cupcakes! They look perfect!
I could totally see you owning your own bakery someday Danielle!
These pumpkin muffins are calling my name…now my greek yogurt for breakfast seems totally bland. lol
Thank you, Mariah! 🙂
These cupcakes are so pretty! You could definitely own a bakery and I’ll probably buy everything from you! Can’t wait to try the recipe! Pinned!
I love all things pumpkin and these cupcakes look fantastic! I agree with you, owning a bakery would just be fun. I would love a job where I could just bake all day, but not have all those sweets sitting in my own kitchen tempting me! 🙂
Yes, that would be the best part! I wouldn’t have them sitting around my house haha 😉
Girl! I am slacking in the cupcake department. I don’t think I have one on my site. I need to fix that ASAP! These look awesome. Cream cheese frosting is THE BEST!
What is it about pumpkin and cream cheese frosting? Such an addicting delicious combination.
I agree, it’s definitely a great combination!
Wow these cupcakes are absolutely beautiful! I’ve never made pumpkin cupcakes before. I will have to give this a try!
Thanks, Kelley! Hope you enjoy them if you give them a try 🙂
Oh how I love cream cheese frosting!! There’s really nothing more delicious out there! These cupcakes have made me so hungry now that I will just HAVE to go whip up a batch! They really look amazing! Yum 🙂
Thank you, Jane! Hope you enjoy them 🙂
Hi I was wondering how much pumpkin puree to put in it just says 1 can I have homemade puree and am not sure how much to use.
Hi Ariana, sorry for any confusion. The recipe calls for 1 cup of pumpkin puree, so you’ll just need 1 cup of your homemade puree.
I made these today and they turned out great! The cupcake was moist, but not too dense! I might add some cool whip to the frosting to make it a little lighter next time, but still a very tasty frosting too! =) I garnished them with the pumpkin shaped candy corns and they look super cute!
So glad to her that you enjoyed the cupcakes, Brittney! Cool whip in the frosting would be so good, especially to cut down on the sweetness and make it lighter. I so need to give that a try! 🙂
These cupcakes are absolutely delicious. I’ve made them twice for two separate venues and everyone loves them. Thanks so much!!!
I’m so glad to hear that, Joanne! Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting 🙂
My cream cheese frosting comes doesn’t come out as stiff looking as yours. Once it’s piped it drops and looks melted. Any tips on how I can fix this?
Thanks
Hi, Amanda! There’s a few reasons it may be softer, over mixing cream cheese frosting could be one cause. If you make it again, try and mix it until it’s just combined. Another reason could be that the butter/cream cheese is too warm. You could also try refrigerating it for a little bit before frosting the cupcakes to help as well.
I didn’t like this recipe. Too much flour. I followed the recipe exactly and they didn’t taste good and they were mushy.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t like the cupcakes, Sabrina. Did you spoon and level your flour as mentioned in this recipe? Or did you happen to scoop it out of the container? The reason I ask is because if you scoop flour out of the container it can become packed into the cup and you can end up with too much flour in your recipe.
Also, you mentioned they were mushy? Did you check them with a toothpick to make sure they were done? I’d love to try to help you figure out what may have happened, I just may need a bit more information.
My 8 yr old daughter asked for pumpkin cupcakes for her birthday. I made them today and they are fantastic! I made her a princess pull apart cupcake cake and these were perfect. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
So glad you enjoyed the cupcakes, Stephanie! The princess pull apart cupcake cake sounds so cute!
Best. Cupcake. Recipe. Ever. Fast and easy — The only change I made was using half almond flour and half all-purpose; they came out perfectly. My whole family scarfed them up and I had to bake a second batch by request. Thank you for sharing!
So glad you liked the cupcakes, Jenna! Thanks for sharing about the almond flour too!
I am completely a beginner, but even I seemed like a pro when I served this for a group! Perfect pumpkin cupcakes simple enough for even me to make. BONUS: These cakes are DAIRY-FREE without the icing (or substituting with a different icing). Husband does not eat food cooked by anyone other than himself or me due to severe food allergies. Beyond grateful when I find recipes that: 1) are easy enough for me to make; 2) taste delicious; 3) are dairy-free. Thanks for making my day with this recipe that fulfilled all 3 requirements for us!
I’m so happy to hear that, Heather! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and comment 🙂
These cupcakes are now my go-to! I’ve made them a couple times, and I’m planning on making another batch for Friendsgiving dinner. I have one question though: why is it that we must use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling? I messed up at the store today and bought pumpkin pie filling as I couldn’t locate Libby’s pure pumpkin. I’m pretty broke, so I feel plenty of guilt over this.
So glad to hear this is your go-to cupcake recipe, Jack! As for the pumpkin, pumpkin purée is just pumpkin that’s been cooked and puréed. Pumpkin pie filling contains pumpkin purée, spices, and it’s already sweetened.
If you use pumpkin pie filling in this recipe, it will affect the overall taste and sweetness of the cupcakes. If you try to adjust the sugar/spices in the recipe and use the pumpkin pie filling it will probably affect the taste and texture as well. Pumpkin pie filling is best for making pumpkin pie though, you could always use it for that too. I hope that helps!
Can I use this recipe and bake or as a whole cake instead of cupcakes? If so how long should they bake in he oven?
I think that should be fine. I would use a 9 inch cake pan and bake at the same oven temperature. I’m unsure of the baking time though, maybe check it around 30 minutes? You’ll know it’s done when the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Excellent! Easy. Moist. Delicouis!
Glad you enjoyed the cupcakes, Mary!
It’s a great recipe and I like the fact you use pumpkin puree. I have lots leftover from halloween.
So glad you like the recipe, Wayne!