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.
Small Batch Pumpkin Cupcakes
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
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Mix and set aside.
- Combine pumpkin puree, sugar, egg, oil, and juice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until just blended.
- Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir with a fork or whisk until just moistened.
- 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.
- 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.
- Carefully remove cupcakes from muffin tin and allow to cool completely on a wire baking rack.
- While they cool, make the frosting.
- 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.
- 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.
- After frosting, feel free to sprinkle cupcakes with a teeny bit of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice as a tasty garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
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.
These are delicious! The Mr is on a low carb diet, so I often make mini cupcakes- one little mini is perfect.
Thanks for sharing Jenn. PS I’m not sure how old the comment from Puja is- I also don’t buy OJ- but I DO buy a can of frozen OJ concentrate and empty it into a freezer bag. Then when I need just a little bit of OJ- I scoop some out and mix with some water. Voila. OJ 😊
Thanks Linda! Love the frozen OJ trick for always having it on hand when you need it! My husband likes to use the peel for cocktails so in a pinch I squeeze one of his oranges into a measuring cup and call it a day. lol! So glad you enjoyed the cupcakes!
Is there anything I can sub the orange juice with ? Don’t want to buy a whole carton for just a tiny bit for the recipe 🙂
Hi Puja! I often have oranges handy and squeeze it fresh. You could add 2 TBSP milk in it’s place though if needed! xo
Thank you so very much for this recipe!! With two birthdays back to back, having a small batch that doesn’t leave mountains of sweets is so very appreciated!! This recipe tasted similar to the box mix, but with all the goodness and none of the “junk”. Keep up the awesome work!!!
Fantastic! Very moist and packed with flavor. Muffins (cupcakes) are just as enjoyable without the frosting. We love this blog as much as we love this recipe! Thank you!
These are life changing! I could eat an entire batch. Thank you for making healthy, fun desserts. My family gobbled them up.
Yesssssss! These babies are going to be on repeat all Fall and Winter long for us!
These cupcakes are amazing! They were so moist. The frosting is the perfect pairing for these cupcakes too! My kids ate these up fast!
I’m so glad y’all enjoyed them! Thanks for being my first taste-testers! xoxo