Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Get the recipe for these moist and delicious pumpkin spice cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting!

I’m celebrating the autumn season by sharing my favorite recipe for pumpkin spice cupcakes with you today. Honestly, if you’re coming across this recipe at a different time of the year, it’s worth making anyway! If you’ve been here before, you’ll know that we’re big fans of pumpkin recipes. You can also check out our mini no-bake pumpkin pies and pumpkin walnut baked brie!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

If there’s one thing I know, it’s that we have a lot of pumpkin spice fanatics out there. Lattes, muffins, candles, and cupcakes- oh my!

I also know there are many recipes for pumpkin spice cupcakes floating around, but I wanted to share the one I’ve developed through trial-and-error. Over the years I have added milk to the recipe, more pumpkin pie spice, less egg, etc.

At one point, I even added the cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting to give it a little something “extra”.

pumpkin spice cupcakes on a wooden cake stand

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

One of the most important factors that I’ve found with this recipe and others is that I get different results depending on the temperature of the ingredients. So if you have a bit of time to plan ahead, I recommend that you keep the following ingredients at room temperature for a little while before baking:

  • eggs
  • milk
  • butter
  • cream cheese
cupcakes in a bunch

It leads to much more stable recipe results!

Next, prepare your cupcake pan with liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine your dry ingredients: self-rising flour (or flour plus baking powder), salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set that aside, we’ll come back to it later!

In a separate bowl (if you have a batter bowl, that’s what I like to use for this) combine pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract by hand until the mixture is smooth. Set this aside as well!

overhead view of pumpkin spice cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and cinnamon sprinkle garnish

Do you have to use a stand mixer?

Not necessarily, but I would recommend using it if you have one! It makes both the cake and especially the frosting a lot easier. If you don’t have a stand mixer, I would recommend a handheld mixer.

If you do have a stand mixer, in the bowl cream together the brown sugar, sugar, and butter. Add the three eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly in between.

Now it’s time to get the two bowls you set aside earlier. Switch the speed to low and beat in a third of the flour mixture. Next, add half of the pumpkin puree mixture. Continue to alternate mixtures until all is combined. A helpful trick here is to use a dish towel draped over the mixture to prevent a flour explosion!

Use an ice cream scoop to add the pumpkin spice cupcake batter to the pans. Fill them about 3/4 of the way.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Repeat all of this for the second dozen!

Cupcakes on a cake stand with pumpkins and leaves

How to Make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the part were the stand mixer is especially helpful! The first step is to cream together the cream cheese and butter with a paddle attachment until it’s smooth. Next, add half (which will be half of the bag) of the confectioner’s sugar. A dish towel helps here as well! Turn the mixer to low and combine. Add the final half. After that’s well mixed, add the vanilla and cinnamon.

I use a Wilton 1mm Star Tip to frost the cupcakes, then I garnish them with a little added cinnamon.

Since the frosting does contain cream cheese, the cupcakes should be refrigerated.

fall cupcakes with pumpkins and leaves

These cupcakes disappear really fast in our house. The kids love them with or without the frosting. They call them muffins and want them for breakfast. Hey, whatever works! I hope you enjoy them as much as we clearly do.

Print
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Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting


  • Author: Nina Hendrick
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 24 Cupcakes 1x

Description

Sweet and creamy pumpkin cupcakes with a spicy cinnamon cream cheese frosting.


Ingredients

Scale

For Cupcakes

  • 2 cups Self-Rising Flour (I prefer White Lily) OR 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour + 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree ((NOT pumpkin pie filling))
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick) butter, room temperature or softened
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 8 oz packages of Cream Cheese, room temperature (16 oz total)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 lbs confectioner’s sugar (i.e. 32 ounce bag)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp cinnamon (plus extra for garnish)

Instructions

For Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cupcake liners to a 12-cupcake pan, or grease pan.
  2. Mix flour (or flour+baking powder), salt, and pumpkin spice in medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. Combine pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  4. Cream brown sugar, sugar, and butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add eggs in thirds, mixing thoroughly between additions.
  5. With your stand mixer on low, beat in flour mixture in thirds, alternating with half of the pumpkin puree, until all is combined.
  6. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each section in the cupcake pan 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Repeat for second dozen.

For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Cream together cream cheese and butter in stand mixer using paddle attachment.
  2. Add half of the confectioner’s sugar, beat on low until combined. Add other half.
  3. Once combined, add vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until combined.
  4. Once cupcakes are cool, frost and add cinnamon for garnish.

Notes

Keeping ingredients at room temperature for a little while before baking (eggs, milk, butter, cream cheese) leads to much more stable recipe results!

Use an ice cream scoop to transfer cupcake batter to baking cups!

Place a dish towel over the bowl of your stand mixer when adding your powdered sugar. This prevents a sugar explosion!

I used the Wilton 1mm Star Tip to frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting must be kept refrigerated.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

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39 Comments

  1. Well…I must admit, you had me at “cream cheese frosting.” 🙂 This is the best time of year for baking and trying out new Fall recipes. I usually keep a can of pumpkin puree on hand starting in early September, that way, when we have our first cool snap, (which for us means anything below 90 degrees), I’m ready to bake. Thanks for sharing this!

  2. I think I gained weight reading this recipe. 🙂 I have ALWAYS added cinnamon to my pumpkin pie recipe, and well, anything pumpkin. I was excited to see the cinnamon added to the cream cheese frosting. I think I will try to make this recipe this weekend. 🙂 Thanks for sharing! I’m “pinning” this too. 🙂

    1. Some of the instructions got cut off, sorry about that! 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

  3. Waiting for these to come out of the oven right now! The batter tastes absolutely amazing; it’s so similar to the taste of pumpkin pie. I’m in love! Thank you for this awesome recipe!

    1. It depends on how much you fill the cups- it’s supposed to make 24, but I somehow rarely get that second dozen 😉

  4. ugh… I need to edit my comments lol!
    That is…. *of cream cheese :p
    What is the total amount of cream cheese ? :p

  5. 5 stars
    Found this recipe on Pinterest and just made it for my family for Canadian thanksgiving! They were so so so delicious… very reminiscent of a small pumpkin pie 🙂 they were moist and light and fluffy! 10/10 – everyone loved them!

  6. Hi if i were to lessen the sugar by half..would it effect the overall results or just the sweetness factor? i was thunking about less granulated sugar because i know brown sugar gives flavor.

    1. Hi Trisha, I’ve never tried to lessen the sugar, so I could not speak for the results. It very well could impact the actual recipe because brown sugar is denser than granulated. But yes, it would give a different flavor.

  7. 5 stars
    Hi there, I found this recipe on Pinterest and followed it exactly and they turned out so yummy! I am officially a fan of Pumpkin Spice! I took them to a pot luck Halloween get together and they were a hit! Thank you for a wonderful Fall recipe, will share with friends & family.

  8. Hi, Erica!

    I always use salted, but it’s a preference thing. I think you are “technically” supposed to always bake with unsalted, but I prefer the flavor with salt!

  9. 5 stars
    Hello, I made this recipe and it was great! If I wanted to make a Cake instead of cupcakes would everything including bake time be the same?

    1. A cake may take a bit longer to bake, depending on the size- I would recommend checking after 25-30 minutes to see if a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

  10. 5 stars
    Hi,

    I just made this cupcakes and they are so yummy! I have a lot of frosting left over is it possible to freeze it?

    1. I have never tried freezing it- but I can imagine it would be fine! You may have to add cream to soften when you thaw it.

  11. 5 stars
    I’ve made these twice now!!! They are delicious and moist!! Everyone loves these, and they are easy!!

  12. 5 stars
    WOW!! These are absolutely amazing!! I made them for my daughters birthday and everyone raved about them. Will definitely be making these again…and again :). Thank You!

  13. I would like to make mini cupcakes with the recipe. What do you suggest for baking time? Maybe half the time of the original recipe?

    1. Yes, probably about half! I’ve never done this specifically, so you’ll have to keep a close eye and check them early on with a toothpick.

  14. Do you think having a standing mixer is a requirement for this recipe?

    I’m on attempt number two and they just don’t want to rise or bake all the way through for me!
    They still taste really great, but even gentle mixing wasn’t coaxed them to bake up. Any advice? Thank you!

    1. Hi, Dana! No, I’ve made these without a stand mixer many times. I would check your baking powder (or self-rising flour if you went that route). Sometimes it can lose its potency even before expiration.

  15. 4 stars
    Moist and delicious, and that cinnamon icing really makes them special. I made these as minis, and found that half a batch of frosting (though with the full 2 t of cinnamon!) was plenty for a nice swirl on top of each one, without overpowering the cake. Thanks for a delicious recipe.

  16. I’m wondering if you’ve ever made a filling for inside the cupcake with this recipe. If so, what flavor might you suggest?

  17. 5 stars
    These are absolutely amazing! I have people begging me to make the again and again. I only used 3/4 bag of powdered sugar to make the frosting less sweet. Thank you for the awesome recipe!