These moist pumpkin cupcakes are the cutest! They’re perfectly spiced and topped with silky cinnamon cream cheese frosting and the most adorable mini pumpkins. Made with a buckeye dough, they’re so quick and easy yet so adorable.
How to make pumpkin cupcakes
Pumpkin cupcakes are probably the easiest cupcakes you will ever make. The pumpkin adds so much moisture and stability, so each cupcake is so soft yet bakes with perfectly domed tops.
It’s just three simple steps:
- Dry Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. When measuring make sure to either weigh the flour or gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off. This will prevent you from adding too much excess flour.
- Wet Ingredients – In the main mixing bowl, sugar, dark brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, vanilla, and eggs are whisked together. Make sure to stick with dark brown sugar for the best flavor!
- Combine – Mix the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients and the batter is done!
Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full and spread the batter as smooth as possible. The easiest way to do this is to jiggle the pan a bit to level out the batter. I also suggest using a large cookie scoop to scoop the batter into the liners. It makes the whole process quick and clean!
Tips for Making Cream Cheese Frosting
I can’t imagine topping these cupcakes with anything BUT cream cheese frosting. The warm spices paired with the sweet and slightly tangy frosting is just too good.
To create the smoothest frosting possible, here’s what you need to know:
- Cream Cheese Brand – This is NOT sponsored, but I always suggest using full fat Philadelphia cream cheese. It has the best flavor and consistency out of any other cream cheese I’ve baked with.
- Temperature – Make sure both the cream cheese and butter are softened at room temp before mixing. If they’re too cold, the frosting will turn out lumpy.
- Sugar – Mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, measuring each as a light and fluffy cup. Spoon the sugar into the measuring cup to ensure accuracy.
- Chilling – It’s important to chill the frosting after it’s mixed. Cream cheese frosting is softer than traditional buttercream, so chilling will help stabilize it for piping.
To pipe the frosting on top, I used a large round tip fitted on a large piping bag. Don’t pipe all the way out to the edge of the cupcake because when the mini pumpkin is pressed on top, this will make the frosting expand just a bit. Otherwise, use any piping tip or technique that you prefer!
How to Make Mini Edible Pumpkin Decorations
What makes these pumpkin cupcakes so dang cute is the little mini pumpkins on top. My initial plan was to make a separate batch of buttercream, pipe little balls onto parchment paper, freeze, and place those on top as “pumpkins” but they just didn’t give the affect that I really wanted. Plus it was may too much added work.
I also didn’t want to make fondant pumpkins because that requires some special equipment and does anyone really even enjoy eating fondant? This was my same thought when it came to opting for the candy corn pumpkins.
That’s when the idea of buckeyes came to me. The peanut butter is a naturally soft pumpkin color and you can add just a bit more powdered sugar to create a moldable consistency. So to make these pumpkins, simply make buckeye dough!
The main two ingredients are peanut butter and powdered sugar. Once combined with butter, spices, and vanilla, it creates a sweet peanut butter dough that’s perfect for rolling into balls.
Use a toothpick to create the pumpkin ridges all around the ball. Start at the top center of the ball and rock the toothpick down the side. Continue this all the way around the ball until it looks like a pumpkin.
To help elevate that pumpkin color, these are then rolled in cinnamon sugar. This is optional, but it really helps enhance that warm orange color.
Dot the top with a mini chocolate chip to create a little stubby stem and you have the cutest pumpkin cupcake decorations!
Pumpkin Cupcakes FAQs
First and foremost, make sure you use 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. My favorite pumpkin puree is Lily’s, but any brand will work here.
Yes. If you don’t have ready-made pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own by combining 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice, and 1/2 tsp cloves.
You can as this will not affect the overall consistency, but I prefer dark brown sugar for the best flavor!
Instead of peanut butter, sub in cookie butter!
Keep these cupcakes in the refrigerator in a closed cupcake container until they’re ready to serve. The cupcakes will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
Yep! Just make sure they’re kept in the refrigerator in a closed container. They’ll taste so good the next day.
For more pumpkin recipes, check out my:
- Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Mini Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Muffins
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make these pumpkin cupcakes. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Watch how to make these pumpkin cupcakes:
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Total Time: 1 hour 33 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
Moist pumpkin cupcakes baked with warm spices and topped with silky cinnamon cream cheese frosting! Made extra special, these cupcakes are topped with edible mini pumpkins. THEY’RE SO STINKING CUTE!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (105g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (108g) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (345g) pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, room temp
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 4 cups (400g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Mini Pumpkins
- 1/2 cup (125g) creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup powdered sugar + 2–3 tbsp as needed
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars, oil, and pumpkin, followed by the vanilla and eggs.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Divide the batter between the liners, filling each about 2/3 full (you may have a little bit of batter left over). I like using a large cookie scoop for this step as it makes the process quick and clean.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting
- Using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, followed by the cinnamon and vanilla.
- Store the frosting in the refrigerator until you’re ready to frost. It will thicken as it chills.
Mini Pumpkins (optional)
- In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and butter (this can be done by hand or with an electric mixer).
- Mix in the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice, followed by the vanilla. It should be the consistency of play-doh and easy to roll into a ball. If it’s too thin, mix in one tablespoon of extra powdered sugar at a time until you reach the right consistency.
- In a side dish, mix together the cinnamon and sugar.
- Scoop out 1/2 tbsp of dough and roll it into a ball. Use a toothpick to press ridges all around the ball, then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
- Press a mini chocolate chip on top to finish off the pumpkin. Store the pumpkins in the refrigerator until you’re ready to decorate.
Assemble
- When the cupcakes have completely cooled, fill a large piping bag with the frosting. It can be fitted with any shape tip you prefer.
- Pipe the frosting onto each cupcake, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and press a pumpkin on top. Keep the cupcakes in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Celine says
these were delicious!! the cinnamon cream cheese frosting was 1000/10 and pairs sooo well with the cupcake <3
Samantha says
Best ever!!
Destaney says
Hi☺️ Haven’t made them yet but do you think this recipe would enough to make 2 8 in cakes?