Last updated on September 30th, 2024 at 05:19 am
I don’t know about you, but when fall rolls around, I can’t get enough of all things pumpkin! From pumpkin lattes to pumpkin pie, it’s the flavor of the season. But today, I’m sharing something even more adorable and delicious: Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with two amazing frosting options—Nutella and cream cheese.
These mini pumpkin cupcakes are moist, flavorful, and packed with all the warm spices that make fall baking irresistible. The Nutella frosting brings a rich, chocolate-hazelnut twist that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin spice base, while the cream cheese frosting adds a more traditional (but delicious!) flavor pairing for pumpkin. Whether you’re team Nutella or team cream cheese, there’s something for everyone with these cupcakes.
The best part? These cupcakes are super easy to make. If you’re looking for mini pumpkin desserts easy to whip up for any fall occasion, you’ve found it! So, let’s dive into these little pumpkin spice dreams!
Jump to Recipe
Ingredients
Before we get into how to make these pumpkin puree cupcakes, here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need:
For the Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup butter. softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
***Note: If you want BOTH frosting flavors, make half of each frosting recipe or double the cupcake batter
For Nutella Frosting:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (adjust for texture)
- Pinch of salt (optional, to balance sweetness)
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-3 teaspoons milk (optional, for texture)
Video – How to Make Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
How to Make Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Let’s get baking! These easy pumpkin cupcakes come together in no time, and I promise, the effort is minimal but the result is spectacular.
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a mini muffin tin with paper liners. This recipe makes about 24 mini cupcakes.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. These are the core dry ingredients that will give our cupcakes their structure and flavor.
Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
Then, add in the egg and vanilla, beating again until everything is smooth.
Step 4: Combine
Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix—this will keep your cupcakes light and fluffy. Once your batter is ready, scoop it into the lined mini cupcake tins, filling each about 2/3 full. You’ll need about 1 tablespoon of batter per mini cupcake.
Step 5: Bake
Pop your cupcakes into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan completely before frosting.
Step 6: Make the Frostings
While the cupcakes are cooling, it’s time to whip up the frostings.
**Note the frosting quantities above are for a full batch of each flavor of frosting. If you have 24 mini cupcakes and you want both flavors of frosting, make sure you half each of the frosting recipes or double your cupcake recipe.
For Nutella Frosting: Beat the softened butter until creamy, then add in the Nutella and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and fluffy, adding a little milk to reach your desired consistency. You can also add in a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness if you want to.
For Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until light and fluffy.You can add a bit of milk or heavy cream to adjust for texture if you need to, but be careful not to make your frosting too liquid-y (It can happy quickly with cream cheese frosting!).
Frost and Decorate
Once your mini cupcakes are completely cooled, it’s time to frost! You can either use a piping bag and a star tip to swirl on the frosting (I like the Wilton 1M tip for frosting cupcakes) or simply spread it with a spatula. Decorate some with Nutella frosting and others with cream cheese frosting to give your guests options.
Pro Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: Your egg, butter, and cream cheese should all be at room temperature for the best mixing results. This is especially true of the cream cheese frosting ingredients. I would let them sit out for about an hour before you mix your frosting.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Gently mix the dry and wet ingredients together for your cupcake batter so you don’t end up with dense, heavy cupcakes in the end.
- Frosting variety: If you’re feeling extra adventurous, why not swirl the Nutella and cream cheese frosting together for a marbled look? Just fill a piping bag with both frostings side by side and pipe away! Please note, the recipes for frosting included here will each give you enough frosting for 24 mini cupcakes. So, if you only made one batch of 24 cupcakes, make sure you half each of the frosting recipes so you don’t have tons of leftover frosting (not that that’s a bad thing!)
- Don’t add too, too much milk to your cream cheese frosting: I don’t know what exactly it is about cream cheese frosting. But it is so easy to make cream cheese frosting that’s either way too thick or way too watery (Maybe I’m the only one this happens to?). If you need to add some milk to your cream cheese frosting, make sure you add just a wee little bit at a time. That little bit will go a long way.
- Storage: These mini pumpkin cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just be sure to bring them to room temperature before serving.
FAQs
Can I make these mini pumpkin cupcakes gluten-free?
Absolutely! Simply substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend. Be sure it’s a 1:1 substitute to keep the texture and consistency just right.
Can I freeze these cupcakes?
Yes! You can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Just place them in an airtight container before placing them in the freezer. Allow them to thaw to room temperature before eating.
How many mini cupcakes does this make?
The cupcake recipe as written will give you 24 mini pumpkin cupcakes. Each of the frosting recipes will also give you enough to frost 24 mini cupcakes. So, if you want to have both Nutella and cream cheese frosted cupcakes, I would either double the cupcake recipe (because can you have too many cupcakes??) or half each of the frosting recipes.
Can I make these into regular-sized cupcakes?
Of course! Just increase the bake time to 18-20 minutes for standard-size cupcakes. Keep an eye on them, and use the toothpick test to check for doneness.
These mini pumpkin cupcakes with Nutella and cream cheese frostings are the ultimate fall treat. Whether you’re making them for a family gathering, a party, or just because you’re in the mood for some pumpkin cupcakes easy to whip up, you’ll fall in love with the flavors. Pumpkin, warm spices, and creamy frostings come together in a way that’s pure autumn bliss. Happy baking!
If You Liked these Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella and Cream Cheese Frosting, Check Out:
Pumpkin Bread with Nutella Filling
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Maple Pecan Crumble
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 3/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
= The below quantities are for 1 full batch of mini cupcakes each. If you want BOTH frosting flavors, make half of each frosting recipe or double the cupcake batter
Nutella Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream or milk adjust for texture
- 1 pinch salt optional, to offset the sweetnesss
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-3 tsp heavy cream or milk optional, for texture
Instructions
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a mini muffin tin with paper liners. This recipe makes about 24 mini cupcakes.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
- Then, add in the egg and vanilla, beating again until everything is smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Once your batter is ready, scoop it into the lined mini cupcake tins, filling each about 2/3 full. You’ll need about 1 tablespoon of batter per mini cupcake.
- Pop your cupcakes into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan completely before frosting.
Nutella Frosting
- Beat the softened butter until creamy, then add in the Nutella and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and fluffy, adding a little milk to reach your desired consistency.
- You can also add in a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness if you want to.
- Add frosting to a piping bag with a tip (I like the Wilton 1M tip) and pipe swirls onto your cooled mini cupcakes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until light and fluffy.
- You can add a bit of milk or heavy cream to adjust for texture if you need to, but be careful and add it slowly with just a teensy bit at a time.
- Add your frosting to a piping bag with a tip (I liked the Wilton 1M tip) and pipe swirls onto your cooled mini cupcakes
