These pumpkin cupcakes are what happens when real pumpkin (from a can!) gets to shine, no pumpkin pie spice stealing the show. They’re light, fluffy, and spiced just with cinnamon for a warm, cozy flavor that doesn’t overpower. Topped with my go-to cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon, they look bakery-level fancy but come together with zero fancy tools. No mixer, no stress, all fall vibes.

A pumpkin cupcake with white frosting dusted with cinnamon on a small plate.

A pumpkin recipe with REAL pumpkin?

Yes, please!

These pumpkin cupcakes are super easy to make with canned pumpkin puree, essential baking ingredients, and simple equipment.

No fancy stand mixer needed! Instead, you’ll use a spatula to mix the ingredients into a rich, silky pumpkin cupcake batter.

As a pastry chef, I’ve tested many pumpkin desserts, and these pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are one of my favorites. Rather than overpowering the cupcakes with pumpkin pie spice- real pumpkin adds pure flavor, while cinnamon brightens the cupcakes up with a warm and cozy taste.

To double the warm flavor you can also frost these with cinnamon cream cheese frosting or this brown sugar buttercream would be amazing too!

These cupcakes are the perfect cupcake for pumpkin lovers! If you want an easy dessert for a crowd go ahead and make this pumpkin bundt cake! Also don’t miss these bakery style pumpkin banana muffins or this silky pumpkin mousse.

Gotta get in all the pumpkin recipes this season while you can!

Ingredients for pumpkin cupcakes.

Make sure you are buying canned pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is already spiced to put straight into a pie shell. I like to use canned pumpkin so I can control which spices and how much of each go into my cupcake batter.

I am not a huge clove person, so I tend to leave it out!

Making the Cupcakes

Prep for baking by preheating the oven to 350°F and lining a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Dry ingredients for pumpkin cupcakes in a glass bowl.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon with a spatula. Be sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar.
Wet ingredients for pumpkin cupcakes in a glass bowl.
Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin with a spatula until smooth.
Pumpkin cupcake batter in a glass bowl.
Mix cupcake batter: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and combine with a spatula.
A muffin tin with orange cupcake batter inside.
Pour the batter into the muffin tin.

Cool and frost: Let cool completely, then frost with cream cheese frosting and dust cinnamon over the top (optional).

Recipe tips

  • All refrigerated ingredients should be at room temperature – Set the eggs and milk out 20-30 minutes before getting started.
  • Break up any clumps of brown sugar – Otherwise, it can create holes in your cupcakes.
  • Pumpkin spice cupcakes – I stick with cinnamon because I don’t love nutmeg and clove in pumpkin desserts, but you can add ½ tsp of each to the batter to make pumpkin spice cupcakes. 
A pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting on a small plate.

Decorating

To decorate the cupcakes, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, with the cream cheese frosting and pipe over the top of the cupcakes. Dust with cinnamon to make them extra pretty.

A pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting on a small plate.
5 stars (4 ratings)

Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 22 minutes
Total: 32 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
These pumpkin cupcakes are what happens when real pumpkin gets to shine, no pumpkin pie spice stealing the show. They’re light, fluffy, and spiced just with cinnamon for a warm, cozy flavor that doesn’t overpower. Topped with my go-to cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon, they look bakery-level fancy but come together with zero fancy tools. No mixer, no stress, all fall vibes.
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Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour , 150g
  • 1 cup brown sugar, 213g
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs, large, room temperature
  • ¼ cup whole milk, room temperature
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling 250g

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.
  • In a medium bowl combine the 1 ¼ cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp ground cinnamon and mix well with a spatula to combine, making sure to break up the brown sugar clumps.
  • In another bowl combine the 2 eggs, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup oil, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, and 1 cup pure pumpkin and mix with a spatula until smooth.
  • Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula only until combined.
  • Fill the muffin liners ¾ of the way full with batter and bake for 20-22 minutes.
  • Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting and dust with cinnamon if desired.

Notes

Storing: Unfrosted pumpkin cupcakes are best stored in a covered container or wrapped tightly in plastic at room temperature for 3-4 days. If your cupcakes are frosted, keep them in the refrigerator.
Freezing: If you plan to freeze your pumpkin cupcakes, let them cool to room temperature, then wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then frost.
Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 181kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 197mg, Potassium: 100mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 3226IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Cupcake, Cupcakes, Dessert
Author: Sam Adler
Cuisine: American
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