This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Pumpkin Cupcakes are fluffy, moist, and full of warm spices and tons of fall flavor! They come together in one bowl and are topped with luscious swirls of brown butter cream cheese frosting. It’s the best pumpkin dessert to enjoy during pumpkin season!
Why you’ll love these Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- Moist Pumpkin Cupcakes – These perfect cupcakes come together in one bowl with no mixer, and are ultra fluffy and moist!
- Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting – This is the best frosting you’ll ever taste!
- Tons of Flavor – The cupcakes are full of warm pumpkin spices, real pumpkin, and the brown butter flavor in the frosting is incredible. It’s the best pumpkin treat!
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Canned Pumpkin – Be sure to use one 15 ounce can of pumpkin – not pumpkin pie filling, as this has other ingredients added.
- Vegetable Oil – This keeps the pumpkin cupcakes ultra moist!
- All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
- Cream Cheese – Use full fat block-style cream cheese for best results.
- Butter – I always use salted butter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Maple Syrup – Be sure to use real, pure maple syrup for best results.
- Eggs – Be sure to buy large eggs for baking, always.
Recipe Variations:
- Dairy-free – The cupcakes are already dairy-free, but you can make the frosting dairy-free by using your favorite dairy-free cream cheese and butter.
- Brown Sugar – You can use dark brown sugar if you want a deeper flavor.
- Regular Cream Cheese Frosting – You can skip browning the butter if you’re super short on time.
- Cardamom – Don’t love cinnamon? Try a little cardamom instead, but go gradually if you haven’t had it before!
How to Make the Best Pumpkin Cupcakes:
Step 1: Brown the Butter. Add your butter to a saucepan over medium high heat, and cook for about 5 minutes until it’s a deep golden brown and has a caramely, nutty aroma.
Step 2: Make the Cupcake Batter. In a large bowl, whisk up your wet ingredients – real pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs, and brown sugar. Then, add the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda and powder, and cozy fall spices.
Step 3: Bake the Cupcakes. Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Step 4: Make the Frosting and Frost the Cupcakes. Cream together brown butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, & salt. Frost cupcakes with a Wilton 2A piping tip.
Serving + Storing:
Now, for the best part – we dig in! These will fly off the plate anywhere you take them. Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Allow to come to room temp for 30 minutes or so, to let frosting soften.
If you enjoyed these, you’ll love my Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel and my Classic Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Expert Success Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Cool Cupcakes – Always let your cake or cupcakes cool completely before frosting them, or the frosting will melt.
FAQs:
Yes! The cupcakes can be made up to a day ahead, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, and frosted the next day. Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a day before serving. Let sit at room temp for about 30 minutes so the frosting softens back up.
Cream cheese can be mixed from cold! If your frosting becomes to soft to work with at any point, pop it in the fridge to firm it up.
Special Tools:
(Affiliate links)
- Piping Bag – I like to use a reusable piping bag.
- Piping Tip – I used a Wilton 2A tip, but you can also try an Ateco Open Star #849 piping tip for swirls.
Just look at those little brown butter swirled hats atop your fluffy pumpkin cupcakes. So festive – and delicious. These Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are perfect for gifting to neighbors who love all things pumpkin, or for a fun Halloween movie night!
More Pumpkin Recipes to Love:
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins with Maple Glaze
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Rum Caramel
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Scones with Bourbon Vanilla Glaze
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Mom’s Best Ever Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Pasties with Maple Glaze
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 330 grams
- 1 cup vegetable oil, 220 grams
- 2 tbsp real maple syrup, 30 grams
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- one 15 ounce can of pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed, 260 grams
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup salted butter, cubed, 226 grams
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature , Use the block type, in full fat – 340 grams
- 5 cups powdered sugar, adjusting to taste, 575 grams
- 1 tbsp milk, 15 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon, or a pinch more, to taste
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the Brown Butter: In a nonstick pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking the butter – stirring constantly. The butter will get foamy, then bubbly, then start to turn turn golden brown and develop a nutty/caramely aroma. Once it reaches a deep golden color, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to chill in the fridge or freezer until it's room temperature. It doesn't have to come back to solid before using. See note below if you do bring it back to a solid/softened state.1 cup salted butter, cubed
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Make the Cupcakes: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients and whisk together, making sure no dry bits are hiding in the bottom of the bowl.4 large eggs, at room temperature , 1 and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 tbsp real maple syrup, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, one 15 ounce can of pumpkin, 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon , 1 and 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp salt
- Bake: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them pretty close to the tops – about 3/4 full. (see photos above for reference). Bake for 18-19 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with some moist crumbs on it, but not wet batter. Let the cupcakes cool a few minutes in the cupcake pan, and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the frosting. Never frost warm cupcakes!
- Make the Frosting: Note: If you aren't planning on piping large swirls of frosting on the cupcakes like in my photos, you may only need 1/2 to 3/4 of the batch. Feel free to scale it down or freeze the extra for later! Cream together your room temperature melted or softened consistency brown butter and room temperature cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 full minutes. Add half the powdered sugar and mix until just incorporated. Add the remaining powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt and mix until creamy.12 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature , 5 cups powdered sugar, adjusting to taste, 1 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, pinch of salt
- Serve + Store: Pipe frosting onto the top of the cupcakes and enjoy immediately! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Make Ahead Tips: Cupcakes can be made ahead, cooled, and stored in a container at room temp for one day before frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I took these for Thanksgiving and they were devoured. Going to make a cake with my leftover pumpkin using the same recipe for another event this week. Thank you!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Tiffany!
First I don’t even like Pumpkin Spice, but when I tell you these are DELICIOUS, I mean it. So moist and did not last long as I made them for my work and my husband’s work, they barely made it past breakfast, With people fighting for seconds.
It made a lot more than expected, I ended up with 24 regular size cupcakes and 23 mini.
WILL 100% BE MAKING AGAIN.
So glad to hear you loved this recipe, Brittany!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m taking these cupcakes to a Halloween party tomorrow! Found you on TikTok and had to follow lady! 🎃
Thanks so much, Becs! Happy to have you here. Happy baking!
How can i make these mini cupcakes
Hi Vanessa! You can simply bake them in a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners. One normal sized cupcake will make about 3 mini cupcakes so you may want to cut the recipe in half. I also wanted to ask if you already tried this recipe? I see you gave it four stars out of five – is there a reason that the recipe didn’t earn five stars? I take all feedback seriously! Happy baking.