Small Batch Pumpkin Cupcakes

Fluffy, flavorful, and spiced to perfection, these Small Batch Pumpkin Cupcakes are topped with a decadent homemade cream cheese frosting and ready to rock your pumpkin spice loving socks!

Are you freaking out? You’re totally freaking out!

It’s a rare and momentous occasion that I actually post a dessert recipe on here, but today I’m here to DELIVER!

I’ve been testing what I thought was going to be bakery-style pumpkin spice muffins for a few weeks now but the “muffin” was staring to look and taste a whoooole lot like a cupcake.

So I decided to lean in and create a fluffy cream cheese buttercream frosting to go on top and POOF!

It’s cupcake-o-clock, yo!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe yields 6 tall and tasty cupcakes and enough buttercream for a generous frosting situation.

mini pumpkin cupcakes or muffins

Like things little? You can make about 20 mini muffins or cupcakes out of the batter instead!

For mini muffins/cupcakes simply fill a mini muffin tin with paper liners and spoon batter into each liner until 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for approx. 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

5 from 4 votes

Print

Small Batch Pumpkin Cupcakes

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Pumpkin Cupcakes

Prep Time 18 minutes

Cook Time 27 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 cupcakes

Author Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (90 grams)
• 1 + 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 2 TBSP avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2 TBSP orange juice (pulp-free)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened (56.5 grams)
• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar (250 grams)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Mix and set aside.

3. Combine pumpkin puree, sugar, egg, oil, and juice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until just blended.

4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir with a fork or whisk until just moistened.

5. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Since we're adding a full cup of pumpkin here (hello flavor and moistness!) cups will be a little over 3/4 full but not filled past the muffin liner.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick inserted to the center of the cupcake. Mine were perfect at 27 minutes (I'm at sea level) but oven times may vary.

7. Carefully remove cupcakes from muffin tin and allow to cool completely on a wire baking rack.

8. While they cool, make the frosting.

9. To make the cream cheese butterream frosting, combine softened butter and cream cheese in a medium/large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand-mixer and beat until lusciously creamy and free of lumps.

10. Beat in vanilla and salt until incorporated. Adjust mixer speed to low and, in batches, gradually add powdered sugar while mixing the frosting. After the powdered sugar is incorporated, beat at medium speed for a few more seconds, then add to a piping bag to frost cooled cupcakes.

11. After frosting, feel free to sprinkle cupcakes with a teeny bit of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice as a tasty garnish.

Recipe adapted from Libby’s Pumpkin Muffins.

If you get a chance to try these scrumptious spiced pumpkin cupcakes, let me know!

Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!

how to pipe frosting on cupcakes

I don’t have crazy video skills yet, so I’ll refer y’all over to Cakes by Linz for her amazing quick and easy cupcake frosting tutorial video. She has some amazing tips and shows four different ways to frost a cupcake including the method you see in these photos.

looking for more pumpkin recipes?

On the savory front, I love making Brown Butter Pumpkin Grits when we have friends over for brunch in the Fall. They’re so festive and flavorful!

These Chipotle Pumpkin Veggie Burgers are another home-run hit and a must try this season!

If you’re team sweet stuff, fret not! I have the most AMAZING Pumpkin Bread recipe for you that’s topped with a decadent cinnamon sugar streusel.