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Spiced pumpkin cupcakes are so soft, moist, and flavorful. They pair perfectly with delicious homemade cinnamon cream cheese frosting!
When fall rolls around and you start making Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Cookies, don’t forget about these easy pumpkin cupcakes!! They are the only type of cupcake you’ll want to make this season.
easy Fall Cupcakes
Are you sick of the pumpkin recipes yet? I hope NOT!! Fall is just starting and we’re ready for all things pumpkin (Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Brownies, Pumpkin Cake – we’ve got it all!).
I’ve been wanting to make pumpkin cupcakes for years!! I’ve seen several recipes, but most required a TON of ingredients and time, and I just wasn’t up for it.
We went to the kitchen and created the perfect EASY pumpkin cupcake that we think you will LOVE! We decided that if we were going to make pumpkin cupcakes, we have to make a cinnamon cream cheese frosting to go with them, which is exactly what we did.
The family all agreed the frosting was their favorite part of the dessert!
Simple With the Help of a Box Mix
Because these pumpkin spice cupcakes are made with the help of a cake mix, they are very simple!
PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
BATTER. In a large bowl, prepare cake mix as directed on the box, but substitute the pumpkin puree for the water and add pumpkin pie spice. Add vanilla and cinnamon.
Pour batter into cupcake liners about ⅔ of the way full. (We use our large cookie scoop to fill the muffin pan with the batter.)
BAKE. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Let them cool on a wire rack before frosting.
See below for cinnamon cream cheese frosting!
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Cinnamon cream cheese frosting can pair well with other types of cakes and cupcakes, but it was the PERFECT match for these pumpkin spice cupcakes. A total match made in heaven.
And it’s nothing too fancy, in fact, it only takes 5 ingredients! Start with room-temperature ingredients for the best results.
- cream cheese
- butter
- vanilla
- powdered sugar
- cinnamon
COMBINE. Whisk ingredients for frosting in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. Be sure to scrape the side of the bowl.
Pipe or spread frosting on and top with a Candy Pumpkin if desired. ENJOY!
Decorating Tips
Use these tips for the best pumpkin cupcake decorating!
Frosting. I used a frosting tip to make these pretty swirls. If you don’t have a piping bag or tips you can make your own by cutting the tip off of a gallon Ziploc bag.
Snip a smaller portion off the tip for fine smooth swirls or snip a larger piece off the tip for thicker smooth swirls.
Decorations. We added a mallow pumpkin on top. Leave them off or top them with festive Autumn or Halloween sprinkles.
Use Vanilla Buttercream Frosting or Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for a flavor change.
recipe Tips
This pumpkin cupcake recipe uses a cake mix and pumpkin puree, use these tips to make the best cupcakes!
Pumpkin. Use a canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You will use the entire 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree and omit the amount of water listed on the box (usually it is about 1 cup of water).
Spice. Make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice using ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, and ground nutmeg.
Cake mix. A common-size box of yellow cake mix is 15.25 oz and will typically list ⅓-½ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, and 1 cup water.
Use the amount listed for the oil and eggs but Do Not add the water. The oil can be replaced with an equal amount of melted unsalted butter.
Variations. The box of yellow cake mix can be replaced with a box of white cake mix or spiced cake mix. Again, use the ingredients listed on the back of the box, but omit the water. If you are using a spiced cake mix you may also wish to reduce or omit the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
Mini cupcakes. Use this recipe to bake mini cupcakes. Use a mini muffin tin and bake for about 12 minutes.
How to Store
STORE. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Keep pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting at room temp for a few hours, but refrigerate for longer storage. Place them in an airtight container and they can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
FREEZE easy pumpkin cupcakes.
- Unfrosted cupcakes. The best way to freeze these pumpkin cupcakes with cake mix is unfrosted. Wrap each cupcake in plastic and store them together in a freezer container. Freeze the frosting separately. Thaw and decorate before serving.
- Frosted cupcakes. Stick the entire cupcake in the freezer until the frosting is solid. Wrap with plastic and store. Unwrap them before thawing. Cupcakes can be frozen for 3-6 months.
Recipe FAQ
I used a box of yellow cake mix to make these pumpkin cupcakes. Note that there are changes to the box directions so be sure to read through the recipe. If you wish, you can also use white cake mix or spiced cake mix.
Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature. Once you add the cream cheese frosting they can be kept at room temperature for a couple of hours, but for longer storage keep them in the refrigerator.
For More Pumpkin Recipes, Check Out:
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box Yellow Cake Mix, (plus ingredients listed on back minus the water)
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- candy pumpkins, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Prepare cake mix as directed on the box, but substitute the pumpkin puree for the water and add pumpkin pie spice. Add vanilla and cinnamon.
- Pour batter into cupcake liners about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
- Combine ingredients for frosting in a medium bowl and beat until smooth.
- Pipe or spread frosting on and top with a Candy Pumpkin if desired. ENJOY!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
loving these recipe ideas! Can’t wait to start cooking…first up..: pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!
Awesome! I’m excited for you! Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Hi, I’m a HUGE fan of yours, Kristyn! I am planning on making these and was wondering if I can make ahead and freeze?Thanks for your help! Steph
Absolutely!! Just let them thaw and add the cream cheese frosting when you’re ready to serve.
I a bit skeptical before trying this,because it seemed too easy to be good. I made these last night for a Halloween party and they were amazing! The only thing I did differently was I added more pumpkin spice seasoning than the recipe said to. I added closer to 1 tbsp, but if you don’t like a lot of the spices, the origional measurements would be good for you. Overall, I would absolutely make these again. very easy and delicious!
Great! I am so glad you tried them! Nothing wrong with adding more pumpkin! Thanks for sharing!
Can you make this recipe as a cake inStead of cup cakes?
I am sure you could. I have not tried, personally. You would need to bake longer.
Best RECIPE i’ve used, the cupcake HaD a great pUmpkin flavor, i doubled on the pumpkin spice and CINNAMON for mines. But the cupcake was moist and Delicious, everyone Ate Them up within a day.
Yay!! Love hearing this!! Thank you so much for sharing that!
I CHOSE to make the cake part from scratch.. followed the rest of the recipe as written but I’m a lover of really tasting my flavors so I decided to double the pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon both in the batter & frosting…. delicious!!! This recipe is a fall home run & I will be sharing it w/several friends!!! Thanks!!
Thanks for sharing it 🙂 A cake from scratch is perfect! Sounds delicious!
I can’t wait to make this recipe! It seems perfect for get-togethers since there are 24 cupcakes and not the 12-15 from a cake mix.
It really is!! Sure hope you like them as much as we do 🙂
Can you freeze the frosting?
I personally have not tried, so I can’t honestly tell you how it will turn out. It should be ok 🙂
What a perfect fall treat!
Awe, thank you so much!!
I received so many compliments from co-workers. They hunted me down to tell me how good this was. I made into a sheet cake. You definitely need to cook for the longest time if not a few minutes more for the sheet cake version.
Great idea!! I am glad everyone loved it! Thank you so much for letting me know!
I just made these with my daughter and they turned out beautifully and they were absolutely delicious! Thank you!
You’re welcome!! I’m so happy to hear they were a success. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!