These Pumpkin Cupcakes are light, moist, and are full of warm spices and tons of fall flavor! They come together in one bowl and are topped with a swirl of brown butter cream cheese frosting. It’s the most perfect pumpkin dessert to enjoy during pumpkin season!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- 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 and the brown butter flavor in the frosting is incredible. It’s the best pumpkin treat!
Ingredient Overview
- Canned Pumpkin – Be sure to use one 15 ounce can of pumpkin – not pumpkin pie filling. There’s tons of real pumpkin flavor in these cupcakes.
- Vegetable Oil – This keeps the pumpkin cupcakes ultra moist!
- Cream Cheese – Use full fat block-style cream cheese for best results.
- Butter – I always use salted buter 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.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- 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.
How to Make this Recipe Step-by-Step:
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 color and has a caramely, nutty aroma. Allow this to chill in the fridge until it’s back to the solid consistency of room temperature butter. Brown Butter adds so much depth of flavor to anything you use it in!
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 your softened brown butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl on high speed for 2 minutes, until nice and creamy. Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of cinnamon and salt. Frost cupcakes with an offset spatula, or use a piping tip.
Now, for the best part – dig in! This is truly the best pumpkin cupcakes recipe – they are bursting with fall flavor, and will fly off the plate anywhere you take them.
Expert Success Tips:
- Avoiding Runny Frosting- Your butter should be brought back to a solid, room temperature state before creaming into the frosting. Cream cheese only needs 15 or so minutes to come to room temperature because it’s softer than butter. If your frosting becomes to soft to work with at any point, pop it in the fridge to set back up.
- Quickly Cooling the Brown Butter – I pour the brown butter into a container with a lid, and stick it in my ice tray in the freezer to quickly solidify – you can also set it in a bowl of ice in your freezer if your ice maker doesn’t have room.
- Cool Cupcakes – Always let your cake or cupcakes cool completely before frosting them, or the frosting will melt.
FAQs:
- Can I make this recipe ahead? 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.
Recipe Variations:
- Regular Cream Cheese Frosting – You can skip browning the butter if you’re super short on time.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Special Tools:
(The links below are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase using that link.)
- Piping Bag – I like to use a reusable piping bag like this one.
- Piping Tip – I used a Wilton 2A tip, but you can also try an Ateco Open Star #849 piping tip for swirls.
- Cupcake Pan – You’ll need a standard size cupcake or muffin tin for this recipe.
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? Snap a photo and leave a comment!
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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 and 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp real maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- one 15 ounce can of pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 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 buter, softened at room temperature
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature Use the block type, and full fat
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 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 the consistency of room temperature butter again (not melted butter).
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees 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.
- 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: Cream together your softened brown butter and 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.
- 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.
Stephanie Louise says
I saw these on Tiktok and I was so excited to make them but I never thought they would taste THAT amazing! Seriously! They’re so good! I love this recipe! Can’t wait to make some more! Thank you Stephanie for such a good fall treat 🎃🧁🍂
Stephanie Simmons says
thanks so much for the rave review, Stephanie! 🙂
Anna says
Hello, this looks delicious. What do you mean by ” can pumpkin” (i am french) can you use fresh pumkin ? Would you have to cook it and mash it ? And also which type of pumpkin ? The big bright orange one carved for Halloween ? Thanks a lot
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Anna! Canned pumpkin in the states is made from cooked and mashed pumpkin, and it typically comes in a 15 ounce can. I think you’d be better off with a pie pumpkin which are smaller than the variety used for carving, and are meant for cooking & eating. I hope that helps! Let me know if you try this recipe. 🙂
Amelia says
So good and so easy! Everything was explained really well and the cupcakes were crazy good.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Amelia!
Ana says
So good!! The cream cheese frosting OMG!!!! I could just eat that as a dessert. I am going to have check out your other recipes. The house as we baked these smelled sooooo good.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks for the rave review, Ana! 🙂
bekah says
oh my goodness, these were the most delicious cupcakes i have ever made, my family loved them! the cupcake itself isn’t so sweet so the frosting really ties it all together. My family loved them! thank you for sharing this amazing recipe
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much Bekah, glad to hear everyone enjoyed these!
Harper says
Do you know how many calories are in one cupcake? Thanks!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Harper! I don’t, but there are lots of free calculators online that you could plug the ingredients into! Happy baking. 🙂
Wilnie says
I made this recipe last night and these cupcakes are so good!! I’ve never made brown butter, nor have I made brown butter frosting so it was a learning experience that I truly loved. The cake was perfectly spiced and the frosting tasted like butterscotch but not as sweet.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks, Wilnie! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Mirabelle says
I baked these at midnight last night on a whim after seeing your video and it was so worth it!!!! The brown butter frosting is amazing I never would’ve thought to do that!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you liked these, Mirabelle! 🙂
kennedy says
These were so fun to make and so delicious!! my whole family loved them!
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear that, Kennedy! 🙂
Kaycee says
These are easily the best cupcakes I’ve ever made… The brown butter in the frosting is a game changer!!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Kaycee! ☺️
Paige says
Can i half this recipe?
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, absolutely! ☺️
Ashlyn says
I loved the cake part of the recipe, but the frosting was just super buttery. More than I expected it too be or maybe it just wasn’t for me. I would definitely make the cupcakes with a different frosting again though.
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Ashlyn! Glad you liked the cake. I’m a bit surprised to hear that about the frosting, because I don’t like super buttery frostings – I’m wondering if you accidentally used 2 cups of butter rather than 2 sticks (1 cup).
Sabine says
Omg, made them just an hour ago….
These are sooooo good!!!
Normally I don’t make recepies with cups (I’m from the netherlands) because then I have to calculate to grams. But I saw these cupcakes and had to try…
I’m obsessed now😍😍😍
Thank you so much!!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you liked these, Sabine! I need to work on adding metric measurements to my recipes, I apologize for that! The u.s. needs to get with the program 😂 I do have a cookbook out with metric measurements! (click the “cookbook” tab at the top of my site if you’d like to check it out.
No Mapies says
Can you leave out the maple syrup? I dont have any at home and i’m too lazy to go to the nearest store lol
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, you can leave it out! 🙂
Npfr says
I found this recipe yesterday and baked them last night. This are so DELICIOUS and fluffy, thank you for easy to follow directions!!!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you enjoyed these! 🙂
Hannah Price says
The cakes were so moist and had the perfect amount and mixture of spices, and the frosting was absolutely to die for!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks for the rave review, Hannah! 🙂
ashley says
Delicious!!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thank you, Ashley!
Robin says
Delicious! I’ve been hunting for the perfect fall recipe with lots of spice and pumpkin flavor and this was exactly what I wanted. I was out of cupcake liners so I made this recipe in a mini-bundt pan, baked about 5 mins longer and they came out great!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you loved this recipe, Robin! And that’s so funny – I just tried making these as mini-bundts last week too. Great minds! 🙂 Happy baking.
Jade says
These are absolutely delicious and the cream cheese frosting might be the best cream cheese frosting I’ve ever had.
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear you liked these, Jade! And thanks for that compliment on the frosting! 🙂