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Pumpkin Cupcakes

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The ultimate BEST EVER pumpkin cupcakes with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Everyone goes crazy for these cupcakes! via chelseasmessyapron.com

The BEST EVER spiced pumpkin cupcakes with a delicious and easy cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Image of the ready to eat pumpkin cupcake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting on it

I’ve mentioned a few times how obsessed my boys are with pumpkin. And we all know where I stand on preference to pumpkin šŸ™‚

Since the toddler has started school, Bentley and I have done a pretty good job making pumpkin muffins (we alternate between these ones and these) while he’s gone. That way he always has an after school snack or a quick on-the-go breakfast snack. Bentley has really gotten into using the hand mixers – he loves them.

A couple of weeks ago we decided to do pumpkin cupcakes instead of muffins and as you can probably guess with the sky-high frosting — these won over muffins.
Image of the hand mixers mixing the butter and sugar for these pumpkin pie cupcakes The next morning when I came into the kitchen, the toddler had eaten not just one, but THREE sky-high frosted cupcakes.

When I asked him why he was eating those and started talking about how we don’t eat treats for breakfast, he said, “I thought you always let us eat muffins for breakfast?”

He’s 100% convinced these frosted cupcakes pass for muffins and are perfectly acceptable for breakfast. If only….Image of the egg being mixed in with the butter and sugar with the hand mixers for this pumpkin cupcake recipeImage of the pumpkin puree being added to the mixture and being mixed with the hand mixer for this pumpkin cupcake recipe

I’d love for these to pass as an acceptable breakfast because they would absolutely be my first choice for every single morning — they are amazing!

These muffins are adapted from a recipe featured on Taste of Home. I actually first had these at a party several years ago and fell in love with them. I’ve tried a few other pumpkin cupcakes over the years and nothing has ever compared to (or even come close to!) this recipe. The cupcakes are deliciously flavored and have the best texture! The cinnamon cream cheese frosting complements the cupcakes perfectly and it’s admittedly my favorite part…clearly the toddler’s favorite too. šŸ™‚

If you don’t love pumpkin pie and don’t want to go to all the effort of making a pumpkin cake, these are the perfect Fall-time dessert and will be a hit wherever you serve them!

More upclose image of the ready to eat most pumpkin cupcakes

 

More Amazing Pumpkin Treats:

5 from 6 votes
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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

The BEST EVER pumpkin cupcakes with a delicious and easy cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pumpkin cupcakes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 266 kcal
Author: Chelsea
Ingredients
Cupcakes
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened not melted
  • 1 and 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (make sure it's not watery; I recommend Libby's)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 cup regular milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar), separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 and 1/3 cups white all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting
  • 1 package (8 ounces) full fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 

  3. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add in the pumpkin, 1/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla extract

  4. In another bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three parts, alternating each part with adding in 1/4 cup buttermilk (to use up the  remaining 3/4 cup buttermilk).

  5. Fill the prepared muffin tin liners three-fourths the way full (this batter makes exactly enough for 24 cupcakes). Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

  6. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

  7. For the frosting: in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until completely smooth. 

  8. Frost the cupcakes. (Refrigerate any leftover cupcakes) Best within 2-3 days.

Nutrition Facts in these pumpkin pie cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

 

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Comments

  2. 5 stars
    Uuu, They look delicious and amazing! No wonder Toddler has eaten three of them ?? Ha-ha. Nice work! The boys must be so happy to have a mom like you ?

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I love the cinnamon cream cheese frosting!! The only thing I changed was that I increased the cream cheese by 1 block, for a total of 2 blocks. I also use this frosting on my Carrot Cake. It was a HUGE hit!! Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Yes! It’s definitely just what you would prefer for taste! Let me know how you like them! šŸ™‚

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Hi!! Iā€™m making these today for thanksgiving and was wondering, if you substitute the buttermilk for milk and vinegar, what kind of vinegar would you use?

    Reply

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