These Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting are not only adorable but also have the best texture and flavour from real pumpkin and a blend of cozy spices in the recipe. Everyone will love these cute bite-sized cupcakes!
There are so many amazing pumpkin desserts to be made at this time of the year! Like my Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust or Homemade Pumpkin Pie. I love baking with pumpkin and these are some of my favourites, but these tiny cupcakes? They hold an extra special place in my heart!
I present the best simple dessert to bring to parties in the Fall! Or Thanksgiving. Or Christmas. Because of their adorable little size, these cupcakes are the perfect finish to a big meal or they are great for events where there will be other desserts as well. They are also fantastic to just have in the fridge at home for when you need a little pumpkin spice cupcake fix!
If you have extra pumpkin purée left over after making these cupcakes, be sure to try my Pumpkin Spice Scones!
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- They are adorable! Mini foods are just so cute and taste better, in my opinion.
- The ultimate cream cheese frosting recipe - Equal parts cream cheese and butter create a perfect pipe-able frosting for cupcakes.
- Pumpkin spice goodness! Canned pumpkin makes these cupcakes ultra moist and a comforting blend of spices makes them flavourful!
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these miniature pumpkin spice cupcakes and the frosting to go on top!
- White & Brown Sugar - A combination of both is used for texture and flavour.
- Oil - Neutral-flavoured vegetable oil works well.
- Eggs - Add structure to cupcakes.
- Pumpkin Purée - Make sure it is pumpkin purée, not pie filling.
- Flour - All-purpose flour works great for this recipe.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder - Both leavening agents work together to create a fluffy cupcake.
- Salt - Helps make flavours pop!
- Spices - We will use a tasty blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for these cupcakes.
- Salted Butter - Equal parts butter and cream cheese produce a cream cheese frosting that is thick, fluffy, and perfect for piping onto cupcakes.
- Cream Cheese - Softened to room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar - To make a smooth frosting.
- Vanilla - Brings flavour to the simple frosting.
- Milk - Whips into the frosting to loosen it up and cream a fluffy texture.
See the recipe card for measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Whisk together the white sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin purée.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the combined wet ingredients.
Step 4: Whisk just until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful to not overmix!
Step 5: Scoop the batter into mini muffin tins lined with mini cupcake liners.
Step 6: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 7: Blend together the softened butter and cream cheese before adding powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Step 8: Blend until smooth, adding milk as needed to form a smooth and fluffy frosting.
Step 9: Pipe onto the fully cooled cupcakes with your desired piping tip.
Hint: I like to use a small round piping tip to pipe blobs of frosting onto these mini cupcakes and finish with a sprinkle of nutmeg for a pretty garnish.
📝 Substitutions
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are integral to its success, therefore omitting or substituting ingredients may cause a compromised result. I have put together a list of some possible substitutes for when you don't have a particular ingredient.
- Brown Sugar - Make homemade brown sugar for this recipe by combining ½ cup of white sugar with 2 teaspoons of molasses.
- Spices - Rather than using each individual spice, simply use 1 tablespoon of blended pumpkin pie spice.
- Salted Butter - Unsalted butter may be substituted with the addition of ¼ teaspoon of salt.
❄️ Storage
Store frosted cupcakes covered in the refrigerator (the cream cheese frosting must be refrigerated). Unfrosted cupcakes may be stored covered at room temperature.
💡 Top tip
Don't overmix the batter!! Mix just until no streaks of flour remain, a few little lumps here and there are alright.
❓ FAQ
Though most cupcakes can be stored at room temperature, these cupcakes do need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free ingredients but let me know how it goes if you try it!
Yes! Simply use a regular-sized cupcake pan and liners and increase the baking time to 25-30 minutes.
🧁 More Cupcake Recipes
Looking for other must-try cupcake recipes? Here are some of my faves:
If you tried these Pumpkin Mini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Equipment
- mini muffin tin(s)
- mini cupcake liners
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
- whisk
- electric handheld mixer
- piping bag fitted with your desired tip
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon *
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger *
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg *
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves *
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
To make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line the mini muffin tin(s) with mini cupcake liners or grease with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the white sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin puree until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Add the flour mixture to the combined wet ingredients and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Fill each cupcake liner about half full of batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before topping with the frosting.
To make the Frosting:
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese using an electric handheld mixer on high speed. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing on low between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and milk and beat the frosting at high speed until fluffy.
- Frost the fully cooled cupcakes using a piping bag fitted with your desired tip. Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator but take out about 30 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to soften slightly. Enjoy!
Notes
- Rather than using each individual spice, simply use 1 tablespoon of a blended pumpkin pie spice.
Veronica
Can these frosted pumpkin gems be frozen?
Naomi Andres
Hi Veronica,
I haven’t tested freezing these cupcakes assembled but I’m pretty sure they would freeze well in an airtight container. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Naomi
Veronica
Just checking: the nutrition chart is per gem and not per dozen correct?
Naomi Andres
Hi Veronica,
The nutrition information given is per cupcake. Please note this is an estimate generated using a nutrition calculator, so the accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hope this helps!
Naomi
Veronica
Thank you so much!
kaylee dewar
I recently made these cupcakes and I do have to say that they are the best pumpkin cupcakes I have ever had! they were absolutely amazing! this recipe is truly a work of art as are all of the recipes by @kneadsomesweets. everything was perfect, even the amount of frosting was perfect (not to mention delicious:)! I am just so impressed with this recipe, I love everything about it. I simply can't say enough about how amazing these cupcakes are!
Naomi Andres
Thank you so much for the sweet review, Kaylee! I'm glad to hear that you loved this recipe!!
Naomi