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Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Pumpkin pie cupcakes with a tender spiced crumb and a cinnamon cream cheese frosting swirl. Baked in a muffin tin, then finished with caramel drizzle and mini graham crackers.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cupcakes
  • 1.75 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 0.33 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese Softened.
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter Softened.
  • 2.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
Caramel and decoration
  • 1 caramel For drizzling.
  • 1 mini graham crackers For topping.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, so the cups are ready to fill.
  2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until combined, then add the eggs and mix in until smooth.
  3. Mix in the pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla until the batter looks evenly colored.
  4. Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt just until no dry streaks remain.
  5. Spoon batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full for domed tops.
  6. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting, so the frosting stays thick and holds its swirl.
Make frosting and finish
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese and softened unsalted butter until smooth, then beat in powdered sugar until thick.
  2. Mix in vanilla and cinnamon until the frosting is evenly spiced and glossy.
  3. Pipe swirls onto each cooled cupcake using the frosting, creating visible ridges from the piping tip.
  4. Drizzle caramel over the tops and add a mini graham cracker for a crunchy finish.

Notes

Pro tip: fully cool the cupcakes (room temperature) before frosting so the cream cheese frosting doesn’t melt or slip. Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge for up to 3 days; freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and replace part of the powdered sugar with a small amount of additional powdered erythritol-sugar blend (for structure) while keeping the same technique.