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Frosting & Fettuccine

Home » Recipe Search » Cupcakes

Jul 27, 2022

Moist and Fluffy Pumpkin Cupcakes

5 from 5 votes
BySam Adler
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

This post might have affiliate links, please check out my full disclosure policy.

These cupcakes are all pumpkin, no pumpkin spice! With these step-by-step instructions, you’ll bake a moist and fluffy batch of Pumpkin Cupcakes spiced with cinnamon instead of pumpkin pie spices. Then, frost with cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon, and these cupcakes are the ultimate autumn dessert!

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 tastes

These cupcakes are the perfect cupcake for pumpkin lovers! Speaking of pumpkin lovers, don’t miss chewy pumpkin maple cookies, pumpkin bars with chocolate chunks, or this silky pumpkin mousse.

WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS RECIPE

  • These cupcakes are super easy and are so moist!
  • They are the perfect fall cupcake
  • If you like pumpkin but not pumpkin spice, these are the cupcakes for you!
  • Delicious pumpkin dessert for Halloween parties and Thanksgiving dessert tables.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

Ingredients for pumpkin cupcakes.
  • All-purpose flour – Flour is the framework for cupcakes that give them their signature shape and structure.
  • Brown sugar – To sweeten your cupcakes. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
  • Baking powder & baking soda – This pair of leavening agents help create a reaction in the batter, so it expands into a stable, tender cupcake while baking.
  • Kosher salt – Salt also plays a role in cakes rising while making everything sweet taste even sweeter!
  • Cinnamon – For a touch of vibrant warming flavor.
  • Eggs & vegetable oil – This pair of liquid ingredients lends moisture and helps create a fluffy, soft crumb. As a rule of thumb, your eggs should always be at room temperature.
  • Whole milk – adds moisture, flavor and helps keep the cupcakes from drying out as they bake.
  • Vanilla extract – Use a quality, pure vanilla extract to intensify the rich, creamy flavors.
  • Pure pumpkin – NOT pumpkin pie filling! Pure pumpkin is then pureed, while pumpkin pie filling has added flavors, like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sugar.

HOW TO MAKE Pumpkin Cupcakes

Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners. Set aside.

Combine dry ingredients: 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.

Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin with a spatula until smooth.

Mix cupcake batter: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and combine with a spatula.

Bake: Fill the muffin liners ¾ full with the batter, then bake for 20-22 minutes.

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

Dry ingredients for pumpkin cupcakes in a glass bowl.
Combine the dry ingredients.
Wet ingredients for pumpkin cupcakes in a glass bowl.
Combine the wet ingredients.
Pumpkin cupcake batter in a glass bowl.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients to make the batter.
A muffin tin with orange cupcake batter inside.
Pour the batter into the muffin tin.

Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes are topped with my ultimate cream cheese frosting. The contrast between the pumpkin and cream cheese is a sweet and tangy combo that is so perfect for fall! The frosting will pipe out nicely and hold it’s shape, but you can also slather it on with a spoon or knife. No judgments!

You can also use my caramel buttercream frosting, classic vanilla buttercream, or this smooth brown sugar buttercream if you want to skip the cream cheese!

TIPS FOR RECIPE SUCCESS

  • 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. 
  • Don’t overfill the muffin tin – Fill the liners about 2/3 full (about three rounded tablespoons per cupcake).
  • Best way to cool pumpkin cupcakes – After baking, allow the cupcakes to cook in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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.

STORAGE AND FREEZING

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.

A pumpkin cupcake cut in half on a rustic plate.

FAQ

Is canned pumpkin the same as pumpkin puree?

Yes! Canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) and pumpkin puree are both cooked and mashed pumpkin made without any sugars or added flavors.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling?

No, pumpkin pie filling wont work for this recipe because it has added spices and added sugar and would be too sweet for this recipe. Make sure to only use canned pumpkin.

How can you tell if pumpkin cupcakes are done?

To check for doneness, use the toothpick test. If you don’t have a toothpick, press your finger into the top of one of the cupcakes. The cupcakes should have some give but bounce back into shape when you pull your finger away.

Can I substitute pumpkin pie filling for pure pumpkin in cupcakes?

Technically, yes -but it’s important to note that pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and flavored with pumpkin pie spices. So the final product will be much sweeter and more “pumpkin spiced.”

More Cupcake recipes

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    Light And Fluffy White Chocolate Cupcakes
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    Moist and Fluffy Blueberry Cupcakes (Not Muffins!)
  • An unwrapped vanilla dairy free cupcake with sprinkles on top.
    Quick and Fluffy Dairy Free Cupcakes
  • A coffee cupcake on a brown plate.
    Easy and Moist Coffee Cupcakes
A pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting on a small plate.

Moist and Fluffy Pumpkin Cupcakes

These cupcakes are all pumpkin, no pumpkin spice! With these step-by-step instructions, you'll bake a moist and fluffy batch of Pumpkin Cupcakes spiced with cinnamon instead of pumpkin pie spices. Then, frost with cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon, and these cupcakes are the ultimate autumn dessert!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Cupcake, Cupcakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Kosher
Keyword: moist pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cupcakes without pumpkin spice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 181kcal
Author: Sam Adler

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.

Video

https://youtu.be/37W6TS5rWrY

Notes

Make sure to use canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Top the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Moist and Fluffy Pumpkin Cupcakes
Amount Per Serving (1 cupcake)
Calories 181 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.03g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 197mg9%
Potassium 100mg3%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 3226IU65%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 53mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I love when you share my recipes!!

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Filed Under: Cupcakes Tagged With: Cheese, Cinnamon, cream cheese, Pumpkin

About Sam Adler

Sam Adler is a Le Cordon Bleu professionally trained pastry chef, Saveur Blog Award winner, food photographer, and food blogger over on FrostingandFettuccine.com. She has been featured in numerous online and in-print publications including Taste of Home Magazine, Saveur Magazine, The Feed Feed, and Food Blogger Pro. Sam lives in Hollywood florida with her husband, two young kids, and french bulldog. When she’s not baking and dancing in her kitchen you can find her at her favorite yoga spot.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nikki says

    November 18, 2022 at 7:34 pm

    5 stars
    I have a recipe for a brown sugar cinnamon whipped cream cream cheese frosting that I’ve been dying to try, and now I’ve found this recipe I can’t wait to try them either! I think they’d probably go great together, but what do you think?. Would these cupcakes be good with brown sugar cinnamon whipped cream cream cheese frosting?

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      November 20, 2022 at 3:29 pm

      Hey Nikki! That sounds like a fabulous combo! Let me know how they turn out!!

      Reply

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Hi! Im Sam Adler,

I'm a professionally trained pastry chef and food photographer.
This is a place where you will find easy yet impressive looking desserts. I also share a ton of food photography resources too! What can I say, I love pretty & delicious baked goods! Learn more about me!

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#ALDILove
Prep time: 1 hr 45 mins
Cook time: 1 min
Yield: 40 donut fries
2 pack Baker’s Corner Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Simply Nature Grade A Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs
2 tbsp Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup Carlini Pure Vegetable Oil
5-6 cups Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ cup Baker’s Corner Powdered Sugar
For Dipping:
1 cup Baker’s Corner Dark or Milk Chocolate Morsels
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Method:
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•Dust the donut fries with powdered sugar and set aside.
•Microwave 1 cup of dark or milk chocolate for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Scoop
jelly into another bowl. Dip the fries in the chocolate or jelly!
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