These pumpkin cupcakes are light and fluffy, perfectly spiced and loaded with pumpkin flavor. So easy to make and topped with the best cream cheese frosting.
Making these pumpkin cupcakes was just a given after we made our delicious pumpkin cake.
And these gorgeous cupcakes are simply amazing. Topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting and some chopped pecan nuts these pumpkin pecan cupcakes look gorgeous and taste divine.
We love the savory pumpkin recipes too and our pumpkin soup and roasted pumpkin salad are both awesome. But right now we’re all about the baking. You’ll love how easy these cupcakes are to make, with the perfect amount of pumpkin spice in every bite.
For more delicious pumpkin baking, check out our pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies and pumpkin bread.
How To Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix together.
- Add pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, oil and eggs and mix into a batter.
- Line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners and divide the batter evenly between them.
- Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Ingredient Notes & Tips
Measure the flour correctly. It’s important to measure the flour correctly. You can do this using the spoon and level method, which is to spoon flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Alternatively you can weigh your flour on a food scale.
Pumpkin Purée. You can use canned pumpkin purée or fresh homemade pumpkin purée. Canned is a lot easier of course. If you use fresh homemade purée then make sure the consistency isn’t too wet. Let the purée stand in a sieve over a bowl so that any excess water can drain off before you use it.
Pumpkin Pie Spice. If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice available then it’s super easy to make your own. Our recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice is made using a mix of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice.
Cream Cheese Frosting. These cupcakes are topped with a delicious tangy cream cheese frosting. Our vanilla buttercream frosting would also work well here.
Pecan Nuts. Finally, the cupcakes are topped with chopped pecans to make gorgeous pumpkin pecan cupcakes. You can omit the pecans if you prefer or you can add more! Add up to 1 cup of chopped pecans to the cupcake batter if you want to dial up the pecans.
Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes FAQ
Yes it is. Pumpkin purée is just plain canned pumpkin, nothing added to it. You can use any brand of canned pumpkin. Libby’s is a good popular brand that works great for all your baking needs. You can of course also make up a batch of your own pumpkin purée by cooking and then puréeing pumpkin, but using canned is much easier.
Pumpkin pie filling has added sweeteners and spices so it’s not recommended to use in this recipe. Pumpkin purée is the best option.
Storing and Freezing
They are best stored in the fridge (covered) for up to 5 days. They keep best in the fridge due to the cream cheese frosting. It’s ideal to let them come up to room temperature on the countertop before serving.
You can freeze either the frosted or unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Cupcake Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour (188g) Measured Correctly*
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar (100g)
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar (100g)
- 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 3 ½ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 cup Pumpkin Purée (225g) Canned or Fresh*
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 2 Large Eggs
For the Frosting:
- 1 Recipe Cream Cheese Frosting
For Decorating:
- Chopped Pecan Nuts Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
- Sift the all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix together.
- Add the pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, oil and eggs and mix into a batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. (Ours baked for 22 minutes).
- Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with a cream cheese frosting and decorate with chopped pecan nuts.
Video
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly either using the spoon and level method (spoon flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife) or weighing it on a food scale. Click ‘metric’ below the list of ingredients to get the ingredient weights in grams.
- Pumpkin Purée can be either canned or fresh. If you use fresh homemade purée then make sure the consistency isn’t too wet. Let the purée stand in a sieve over a bowl so that any excess water can drain off before you use it.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice available then it’s super easy to make your own. Our recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice is made using a mix of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice.
- Storing and freezing: Keep the cupcakes stored in the fridge (covered) for up to 5 days. They are best stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting. You can serve them straight from the fridge but it’s better to let them come back to room temperature on the counter before serving. They can also be frozen, either frosted or unfrosted for up to 3 months.
Amazing! I can’t believe how easy it was to make these and they came out so good. I’m not much of a baker so I was seriously impressed! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome Charlotte, so glad they were a success!