The only pumpkin cupcakes recipe you will need! This is a gem of a recipe. Pumpkin cupcakes are so easy to make and rise beautifully every time. The crumb is perfectly moist and melt-in-your mouth soft.
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The whipped cream cheese frosting is as easy as it gets. It tastes almost like a marshmallow cream. You literally add 4 ingredients to the bowl and beat them together. This frosting always gets compliments because it isn’t overly sweet and pipes beautifully.
The assembled cupcakes refrigerate well and taste great chilled or at room temperature, so you can absolutely make these ahead and refrigerate up to 3 days then serve straight out of the fridge. We love make-ahead desserts! The cupcakes remain soft and perfect and the frosting is so smooth.
P.S. Want to know which tools we used to make this recipe? See the Amazon affiliate links in the instructions below.
Watch How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes:
I would pass you a cupcake if I could. Make these once and you will make them again and again – they are THAT good! This recipe was based on our wildly popular pumpkin cake – it’s popular for good reason and I know you will love these cupcakes just as much!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes:
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup extra light olive oil or vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
*Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/2 packages (12 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (250 gr) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp real vanilla extract (click for easy how-to)
What You Will Need (Amazon affiliate links):
24 count cupcake pan (I need this in my life)
Ice cream scoop with trigger release
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
⬇Print-Friendly Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe:
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
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 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
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, 2 tsp cinnamon 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 toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes rest in pan 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 spatula and beat on high speed 4 min or until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Transfer to large pasty bag fitted with large open star tip (Wilton 1M) and pipe over cupcakes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
I sent a couple batches of these to my son’s school this morning since 50+ cupcakes in the refrigerator is dangerous business! My son was so happy to deliver them. One bite and you will fall in love with these pumpkin cupcakes. If When you try these, let me know.
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. Have a sweet and safe weekend my friends!
Loads of Love,
Natasha ❤
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.