Light and fluffy, these homemade pumpkin cupcakes are packed with pumpkin flavor and autumn spice. Sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup, the finished cupcakes are topped with a cinnamon-maple cream cheese frosting that’s totally irresistible!
Sometimes it can be difficult to find a moist pumpkin cupcake that is flavorful, yet also light and fluffy. But I’m happy to say this recipe checks all the boxes. These cupcakes are tender, packed with fall flavor, and topped with smooth cream cheese frosting. Does it get any better?
Why I Love These Pumpkin Cupcakes
I made FOUR different versions of these pumpkin cupcakes before I settled on the best one (with help from my taste testers of course). Here are a few reasons why this recipe ended up being the winner:
- Incredible flavor: The brown sugar in this recipe brings out the molasses notes in these cupcakes. I also added a touch of maple syrup and equal parts pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. The end result is cupcakes that taste like fall baking perfection.
- Perfect texture: They have a super tender, moist crumb – thanks to the use of all oil.
- Easy! Despite the impressive results, these pumpkin cupcakes are simple to make. You’ll only need a few basic ingredients, most of which you likely already have in your pantry.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make this pumpkin cupcakes recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list:
For the Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- Brown sugar – I used all brown sugar to really enhance the molasses flavor.
- Vegetable oil – Helps create a tender, moist crumb.
- Maple syrup – Gives the cupcakes a sweet, rich flavor that pairs well with the spices.
- Vanilla Extract
- Pumpkin puree – Make sure to grab puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon
- All-purpose Flour, Baking powder & baking soda– Sifting all these together with the spices helps prevent a lumpy batter.
- Milk – Any milk will work
For the Frosting:
- Unsalted butter – Make sure it’s cold, that is the secret to my frosting!
- Cream cheese – Full-fat is a must, otherwise the consistency will not be thick enough. It should also be cold, not room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream– Makes the frosting light and fluffy
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
Let’s take a quick look at how to make this recipe, step-by-step. The hardest part of these pumpkin cupcakes is waiting for them to cool!
- Combine the wet ingredients. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color. Add in the pumpkin and beat to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients, milk, and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Alternate adding half of the dry ingredients and half of the milk to the batter at a time, beat until it combines. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and the milk.
PRO TIP: Be sure to stir the batter from the bottom to the top. This is especially important as there’s a lot of liquid in the batter, and if it’s not properly mixed, your cupcakes can sink or bake unevenly.
- Bake. Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake liners. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. To evenly fill the cupcake liners, I recommend using a large cookie scoop.
- Make the frosting. Cut the butter into blocks and beat until slightly softened. Add in the cream cheese. Beat until fluffy and free of lumps. Add in the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time, followed by the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Add the remaining powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream. I’ve included some additional frosting tips below.
- Decorate the cupcakes. Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe the frosting onto the top. Enjoy!
Getting the Frosting Right
- Use cold ingredients for the frosting. For a stable cream cheese frosting that’s ideal for piping, you want to start with cold butter and cold cream cheese – not room temperature.
- Use the correct cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese, the kind that comes in a block is best.
- Properly cream the butter first. Since the butter is cold, it should be whipped to a soft and spreadable consistency before adding the cream cheese. That way when the cream cheese is added, the consistency of the two will be similar.
- How to prevent a lumpy frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese together until it’s completely smooth when you run a knife through it. At first, it may have a cottage cheese consistency, but continue mixing until it’s smooth.
- Can the frosting be made ahead? You can prepare the frosting in advance and then pipe it the next day, which I often do. Store it in an airtight container. Just take the frosting out of the refrigerator about an hour before you want to frost your cupcakes. You may want to rewhip the frosting prior to using.
- If the frosting is too thin: If you have not added the heavy cream, try skipping it. Otherwise adding additional powder sugar can help, but before doing so, try refrigerating for about 30 minutes to see if it holds up.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Be sure that all the ingredients are well combined but once they are, don’t continue stirring.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure batter. My secret to the mess-free transfer of cupcake batter to the liners is to use a large cookie scoop. This also ensures the liners get filled evenly!
- How to tell when the cupcakes are done? You definitely don’t want to overbake these cupcakes (and bake out the moisture!). Test the cupcakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.
Can I Make This As a Layer Cake?
Yes! You can make my recipe for Pumpkin Mascarpone Cake which is similar but made with a mascarpone whipped cream instead of a cream cheese frosting. Although you could still make it with this cream cheese frosting as well.
Storing The Finished Cupcakes
I recommend refrigerating the cupcakes once they’ve been frosted. To prevent them from drying out, be sure to store them in an airtight container. They’re best served at room temperature, so remove them from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.
Can I Freeze These Cupcakes?
I don’t recommend freezing the frosted cupcakes. You can however prepare the cupcakes in advance and freeze them. To freeze them, place the cooled cupcakes on a sheet pan and flash freeze, uncovered for 20 minutes or so. Transfer to an airtight container to store in the freezer.
Slowly thaw to prevent additional condensation by first thawing in the fridge for several hours then transfer to the countertop and thaw until they reach room temperature. Frost the cupcakes once completely thawed.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
Moist Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 Cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Light and fluffy, these pumpkin cupcakes are packed with real pumpkin flavor and spice, with maple syrup, cinnamon, and pumpkin flavors.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (330g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (244g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons (5g) pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons (5g) cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6g) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (177ml) milk, at room temperature
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold
- 12 ounces (339g) full-fat cream cheese, cold
- 6–7 cups (780-911g) powdered confectionary sugar
- 1 teaspoon (2,5g) cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) heavy whipping cream or milk, cold
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Next mix in the pumpkin and beat until well combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine all remaining dry ingredients and sift together with a fine mesh sieve. Then, add half the dry ingredients to the batter followed by half the milk, and beat until it starts to combine.Then add remaining dry ingredients and milk and beat until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Using a large cookie scoop, divide the batter evenly, filling each liner 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes. Test the cupcakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. Cool Completely.
For the frosting:
- Cut the butter into 1-inch blocks. Beat the butter for several minutes until it is whipped and fluffy.
- Then add the cream cheese and cream together for several minutes until it’s fluffy and free of lumps, scrape down the bowl occasionally.
- Slowly add the confectionary sugar 2 cups at a time, followed by the cinnamon vanilla extract and maple syrup, and beat until desired consistency is reached. Add the remaining powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream and beat until desired consistency.
- In a large piping bag fitted with a large open star piping tip, pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Notes
- Storing: I recommend refrigerating the cupcakes once they’ve been frosted. To prevent them from drying out, be sure to store them in an airtight container. Remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.
- Frosting can be made in advance and kept refrigerated. Remove 30-60 minutes before piping. You may want to rewhip the frosting in a mixer prior to piping. If you don’t like cream cheese frosting, try serving these with vanilla buttercream instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 427
- Sugar: 50.9g
- Sodium: 221mg
- Fat: 19.7g
- Saturated Fat: 12.7g
- Carbohydrates: 61.1g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Protein: 3.5g
- Cholesterol: 63.6mg
I made this recipe via weight and not the dry measure. Everything was very flavorful and moist. The cream cheese frosting was a huge hit with my group. Make sure to really really cream the butter before moving on. I made 3/4 recipe of the frosting and probably could have made half recipe.
Thank you so much! It is a house favorite!
Can we add food coloring to the frosting?
Yes, but I’d do it early on so you won’t over mix the frosting
I made these for my baby shower and they turned out amazing! The recipe was super easy to folllow and the cupcakes were super moist and frosting was to die for 😋
I love that Maria!! Thank you so much. This is one of my favorite cupcake recipes on my site
My frosting came out to soft to pipe. Tried adding more powdered sugar. Please help.
You can try refrigerating it but usually it comes back to room temperature it will be too soft again. Were the ingredients cold to begin with? Next time, hold off on adding the additional heavy cream if the frosting is already soft.
These cupcakes delivered delicious and moist treat. My daughter made these for Thanksgiving. Turned them into cute turkeys. Wish I had a pic to share.
Everyone loved them.
Yeah! Thank you Kendra! I bet they were so cute!
These cupcakes were awesome 👌 I WILL make them again!
Thank you so much Sherry!
These cupcakes are a hit in my family. I’ve made them twice…can the frosting be stored in the freezer, if so how long?
I am so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! I personally don’t like to freeze cream cheese frosting, but you could always try it and see if it works for you
I made these for my birthday. I followed the cupcake recipe exactly and the cupcakes were light and moist! I did however, use a different recipe for the icing. The recipe here seemed like a lot! They were a hit and I’ll definitely make them again!
I am so happy you enjoyed them! I love these so much, and I am glad you did to!
Can I substitute butter for oil if out of oil?
I would recommend using a different type of oil, do you have olive oil? Butter can be used but the texture and moisture content will be different
These cupcakes are delicious. Perfect! Could you re-post cooking times and size of cake pan 8” round and 13×9, if I would like to make a cake next time? I would really appreciate it.
Hi there, this is my pumpkin layer cake made with three 8-inch pans, increase the bake time 5-10 minutes for two pans. For a 9×13 inch cake, it probably needs 25-32 minutes.
Thank you!!!
Do we use pure maple syrup or breakfast pancake syrup or does it matter?
I use 100% pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. For the frosting, pancake syrup might be a little thin.
Other than my question these cupcakes are so magnificent!!! 😁
Can the batter be baked as a cake? If so for how long and what would be the temperature of the oven?
Hi Brenda, yes this can be made as a cake. This pumpkin cake is a 3-layer 8-inch cake baked for 20-25 minutes. If you want to reduce to two 8inch pans, the baking time increase by 5-10 minutes give or take you may need to adjust based on your pans and oven.
Quick, URGENT question, how long does the frosting last? I made the cupcakes and frosting , but I had extra frosting; so how long does it take till the icing goes bad if I was thinking of making a second batch of cupcakes to use the frosting on?
Hi Cassandra- you can keep it in the refrigerator for 5 days to use again
The cupcakes turned out wonderful! However, I wish I could say the same for my icing. The poor thing was LUMPY and LOOSE. kinda like my grandma after a few glasses of wine. No matter what I did to get rid of the lumps, they stayed in my icing. A possible recommendation would be to alter the ingredients list to include that the cream cheese needs to be full fat. I used low fat and I did not see that I needed full fat until I read some reviews. It does taste great, thanks for sharing your recipe.
Hi Anna, thanks for your note. Yes always full-fat cream cheese for frosting, will update this so it’s more clear. Regarding the lumps, these must be worked out before adding any powdered sugar. Sometimes because the consistency of the butter is so much thicker than cream cheese, you have to beat the butter for longer before adding the cream cheese.
I just made these they are WONDERFUL
Made 3 batches this week, gave them to friends. “HAPPY FALL”
OMG the best!! Thank you Nancy!
Thanks! I’ll keep an eye out!
What do you think would happen if you used this batter but treated it like black-bottom cupcakes, with a dollop of the same cream cheese batter but using cinnamon chips instead of mini chocolate chips? I haven’t tried this because failure in the UK would be expensive given that the canned pumpkin is hard to find and the cinnamon chips have to be ordered from an American importer (or shlepped in our luggage when we visit). Curious, though.
Hi Karen, I have not tested it, so I do think it will work because the cupcake batter is thicker, but I would hate to tell you to go and do it knowing that the ingredients are expensive in the UK. If I test a version of that, I will follow up with you to let you know.
I am planning on making these cupcakes in mini cupcake form for a fall open house at my family’s coffee shop & boutique. Would the icing be okay if it was not refrigerated throughout the day?
Hi Hannah, that would depend on the temperature in the room and how long you plan to leave them out. I personally do not refrigerate them, but that’s my choice. You could also keep them refrigerated and replenish each hour. They are best served at room temperature.