This is the only pumpkin cupcake recipe you will need! It has a moist and melt-in-your-mouth soft crumb, rich pumpkin spice flavor, and the best cream cheese frosting. Pumpkin cupcakes are so easy to make (as you’ll see in the video tutorial), and they rise beautifully every time.
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The Best Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Make these once, and you will make them again and again – they are THAT good! This recipe was based on our popular pumpkin cake – it’s popular for good reason, and I know you will love these cupcakes just as much!
The whipped cream cheese frosting is as easy as it gets and it always gets compliments because it isn’t overly sweet and pipes beautifully. It tastes almost like a marshmallow cream. You literally add 5 ingredients to the bowl and beat them together.
Pumpkin Cupcakes Video
See how this delicious taste of Autumn comes together easily. I updated the recipe in 2024 to add pumpkin pie spice, and the taste and aroma are even better. I would pass you a cupcake right through the screen if I could.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes
Grab a can of pumpkin puree (or homemade puree) and a few pantry staples to create moist, cinnamony cupcakes that are perfect for Fall. These pumpkin cupcakes are as easy as they are delicious!
- Dry ingredients – all-purpose flour (measured correctly), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
- Wet ingredients – 3 eggs (room temperature), vegetable oil (extra light olive oil works as well)
- Pumpkin puree – use one 15oz can or 2 cups of well-drained homemade pumpkin puree (it’s so easy and fun to make). Be sure to use canned pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
Our cream cheese frosting perfectly compliments the pumpkin spice cupcakes, because it’s whipped to perfection and only requires these 5 ingredients.
- Cream cheese – it’s important to use room temperature cheese to be sure the icing mixes properly
- Unsalted butter – be sure the butter is also room temperature
- Powdered sugar – sweetens the frosting
- Salt – just a pinch is needed to balance the sweetness
- Real vanilla extract – we use homemade but any storebought real vanilla extract will work
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
It takes almost no time to whip up a batch of these pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for any time we have a Fall event, potluck, or party. Here are the simple instructions:
- Prep – Heat the oven to 350° and then line a 24-count muffin pan with liners
- Dry Ingredients – measure and mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and salt into a mixing bowl
- Wet ingredients – use another bowl to completely mix the pumpkin puree, oil, and eggs.
- Combine the batter – mix the wet ingredients and the flour mixture and then scoop the batter into the liners. (I use this trigger-release Ice cream scoop) Bake for 20-22 minutes and then rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
This is literally the easiest creamy cheese frosting because you put all of the ingredients into the mixing bowl and beat together until it’s fluffy and smooth. It comes together in minutes. If you want to make a bigger batch, you’ll want to follow our Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe.
- Mix the ingredients – in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and beat the ingredients on medium speed until light and fluffy. Once cupcakes are cooled, ice the cupcakes (see our tips for decorating below)
How to Decorate Pumpkin Cupcakes
This pumpkin cupcake recipe looks great without fancy decorations, but I just love how fun these turn out with a bit of seasonal sprinkles and a fun piping tip. If you have the extra few minutes, try some of these ideas for making the cupcakes look as festive as they taste!
- Orange cupcake liners (from Hobby Lobby)
- Fall non-pareil sprinkles (I found these at Walmart)
- Mellowcreme pumpkin candy
- Large open-star frosting tip – Wilton 1M
- Large frosting piping bag
Make-Ahead
It’s easy to make these pumpkin cupcakes ahead because they taste great at room temperature and chilled from the refrigerator. Be sure to refrigerate the icing within 2 hours.
- To Refrigerate: keep decorated cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days (icing can last for 2 weeks)
- Freezing: before adding icing, put cakes in an airtight container to freeze for up to 3 months
- To Reheat: thaw in the fridge overnight and serve cold. You can also take the cupcakes out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving them for a room-temperature dessert.
Pumpkin Cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate the tastes and smells of the Fall season! The cinnamony pumpkin spice flavor satisfies that sweet tooth, and the cream cheese icing perfectly compliments the moist cake. You’ll make this pumpkin cupcake recipe over and over again.
As I was developing and testing this recipe, I sent a couple of batches of these to my son’s school since 50+ cupcakes in the fridge are dangerous business! My son was so happy to deliver them. One bite and you will fall in love with these pumpkin cupcakes. When you try these, let me know.
More Pumpkin Recipes
We don’t celebrate Halloween at all, but we do love harvest time and Autumn, and all things pumpkin! Explore more of our pumpkin recipes here.
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Pie
- Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Waffles
- Easy Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Roll
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup extra light olive oil , (or vegetable oil)
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 12 oz cream cheese, (1 1/2 packages), room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, (12 Tbsp)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
How To Make Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 24-count muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- In a second medium mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients: 15 oz pumpkin puree, 1 cup oil, 3 large eggs. Whisk until well combined and all oil is fully blended in and no longer visible.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Divide evenly between 24 liners, filling each 2/3 full. Bake at 350˚F for 20-22 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes rest in pan for 10 min then transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature before frosting.
How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Combine all frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium/low speed until powdered sugar is incorporated. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and beat on high speed for 4 min or until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Transfer to a large pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip (Wilton 1M) and pipe over cupcakes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
*Recipe updated in 2024 to add pumpkin spice which gives the cupcakes a more pronounced spiced flavor.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
These cupcakes are killer – so light!
I was wondering if you might substitute strawberry puree and freeze dried strawberries for the pumpkin and spices?
Hi Renee! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I am not sure how those substitutions would work. Without testing, I can’t provide much feedback, sorry.
Hi Natasha!
I’m so glad I found your page! 🥰 Over the past year, I’ve come across many of your videos and tried several of your recipes from here – I loved every single one of them! But this recipe… this one turned me into a true fan!
Thank you so much for sharing it!
Can these by made gluten free? Want to make these for fun but my daughter is allergic
Hi Mary! I haven’t tested gluten-free flour, but I assume it would work. Maybe someone can share their experience if they have tried this?
Amazingly delicious! Cut them in half and filled them like snack cakes. They were definitely moist but not super moist. I did panic when I pulled them out of the oven because they looked overcooked to me but no, they were great and didn’t crumble either, which made cutting and icing them a breeze. The flavor profile is great. Kept the snack cakes in the fridge and ate them again at room temperature and they were still great.
You are the best! Great recipe…Be Well!
Connie
Hello I am just about to make your muffins! Have you putting chocolate chips in and had success? Just to appeal to my chocolate lovers.
Hi Ally. It should be fine to add chocolate chips. I would just add them to your preference, start with a less and add more as needed, so you don’t overwhelm and weigh down the batter.
These were incredible with slight adjustments I made to the frosting. We don’t like the frosting tooth achingly sweet so I cut the sugar in half and also cut the butter by 1/3. Sprinkled the top with pumpkin spice and these are my new favorite cupcakes!
That’s great, Maria! Thanks for sharing.
These pumpkin cupcakes were… ok. They need more spices other than cinnamon in my opinion. They didn’t have enough pumpkin flavor/taste.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kacie.
I have made these a number of times and they are delicious. I have a lot of sweet potatoes right now and wondered if you could substitute the sweet potatoes for the pumpkin?
Hi Betsy, I haven’t tried that substitution to advise on an outcome. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Can pumpkin pie filling be used in place of the puree? I have some I’d like to use up. I understand it contains sugar & weak amount of spices.
Hi Lisa! I haven’t tried that substitution to advise how it would affect the texture and taste (it may be too sweet). If you experiment let us know how it turns out.
Can you make these and freeze them without the frosting and defrost the day you want to eat them?
I haven’t tried freezing them, but after they are frosted, they should be refrigerated since it is a cream cheese-based frosting, and the frosting is excellent in texture after refrigerating. You can enjoy them straight out of the fridge – they will still be very soft in texture. If the cupcakes are not frosted, they can be stored overnight at room temperature.