I first created my pumpkin cupcakes as a Halloween treat for my then 4 year-old daughter. At the time she loved the idea of Halloween as long as there was nothing scary, bloody or in any way spooky. Fast forward 8 years and the needle has moved a great deal. We now prefer witches to unicorns, love the dark and make every effort to stay inside during daylight hours. If you're looking for a spookier treat to smash out, try my Halloween candy apples or black velvet cupcakes
Originally posted October 23, 2018. Updated September 21, 2022 with new process images and a revised recipe.
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Why You'll Love These Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
I could go on and on about these cupcakes. So I will...
Love pumpkin? You might like my healthier pumpkin muffins made with wholewheat flour. Or try more vegan cupcake flavours:
Soft, fluffy chocolate cupcakes that are perfect for birthdays and celebrations.
Light and fresh, pineapple and coconut cupcakes with coconut frosting are like a taste of summer all year-round.
Rich and dramatic, these black velvet cupcakes are made with black cocoa powder and are perfect for Halloween parties.
Simple, elegant and easy to make, these vegan vanilla cupcakes are perfectly fluffy and light.
Made without flour, nuts, eggs or milk, chocolate beetroot cakes are a tasty solution to low allergen baking. Top them with a decadent avocado chocolate frosting.
What You'll Need to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
The ingredient list is simple, and you may already have most of it in your pantry.
The basics. All-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Pumpkin. Pumpkin puree gives us that wonderful colour and sweet pumpkin taste. It also helps to bind the cupcake. I make my own because here in Australia, canned pumpkin is not readily available. If you are using canned pumpkin, use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
To make your own, cook up 2 cups of chopped pumpkin either in the oven or with a touch of water in the microwave until tender. Allow it to cool, then blend until smooth, adding a little water if needed to help it along.
Spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves give these cupcakes their classic warm, pumpkin-spice flavour.
Salt. I always add a little salt to my desserts, it lifts the flavour of everything it touches. Use a fine sea salt if you have it.
Sunflower Oil. Using a neutral-flavoured oil provides a soft, tender crumb. I generally use sunflower oil but you can use any neutral flavoured oil.
Sugar. A combination of caster sugar and brown sugar adds sweetness while giving the cupcakes a lovely texture and depth of flavour.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) convection or 150°C (305 °F) fan-forced.
Step 1. Combine the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together in a large bowl.
Step 2. Combine the wet ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, sugars and remaining wet ingredients until well combined. You can also use a stick blender for this.
Step 3. Make the batter
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Don't overmix the batter or the cupcakes can become dense.
What does "just combined" mean?
"Just combined" means mixing the batter only until the flour disappears. Stop as soon as there are no visible dry streaks and step away.
Step 4. Fill the cupcake pan
Line a 12-hole muffin or cupcake pan with paper liners. Divide the batter evenly between the liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
Step 5. Bake
Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.
Ta-da! Easy, right? I topped mine with my vegan cream cheese frosting and some very cute pumpkin toppers (thank you, Etsy). They're perfect for Halloween, but there's no reason to save these pumpkin cupcakes for October. They're just as good for any autumn or pumpkin-loving celebration.
Recipe Notes
Pumpkin. For this recipe I used fresh steamed Kent pumpkin, which I pureed in a food processor with a little water until smooth and silky.
Frosting. The cream cheese frosting in the recipe card makes more than enough, depending on how generously you like to frost your cupcakes.
FAQs
I wouldn't recommend freezing frosted cupcakes but you can bake these, allow them to cool completely, and then store them in a freezer proof container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw, allow them to gently thaw on your kitchen counter before frosting.
This recipe uses pumpkin puree, that's pure pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and will change the balance of your cupcakes completely.
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Make This Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup pureed pumpkin around 2 cups cooked pumpkin, pureed
- ½ cup raw caster sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup dairy-free milk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 226 grams vegan cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- 3½ - 4 cups confectioner's sugar (icing sugar) sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) convection or 150°C (305 °F) fan-forced and line a 12-pan cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- n a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, sugars, vanilla and dairy-free milk until well combined. You can also use a stick blender for this.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together until combined. Don't over mix; stop when the there are no visible flour streaks.
- Fill each cupcake pan ⅔ of the way up with the cake batter and bake in the oven for 18 - 22 minutes or until a skewer comes away clean from the centre of a cake.
- Remove the cakes from the oven to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- To make the cream cheese frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer of using a hand mixer until well combined and light.
- A cup at a time, add the sifted icing sugar and continue beating until well combined. After each cup is completely incorporated in to the frosting add the next cup until you have your desired sweetness and texture.
- Add the vanilla extract and continue beating until everything is combined and the frosting is thick and glossy.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag to pipe or simply apply it to the cakes with a palette knife.
Notes
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information is an estimate only and is automatically calculated using online tools. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Kat Varcoe-Cocks says
Just sooo yum and addictive. That icing is to die for!!
Thanks for another amazing recipe!!
xx
Mel says
What flour would you recommend to make this gluten free and still taste delicious?
Amanda says
Hi Mel,
You could buy Bob's Red Mill one to one flour baking but if you want to make your own I use this GF flour mix:
350 grams sorghum flour (or substitute gluten-free oat flour)
350 grams brown rice flour
75 grams arrowroot
75 grams potato starch
I use this for most cake and pancake-y type recipes. It works every time. Good luck!x
Lisa says
I made these for my family the other night, they did go down a treat, i had to sneak away a few for myself, i did forget about them until last night, i noticed they were sooooo fresh 2 days later, it was if i had just baked them, very delicious too, the family a big thumbs up..well done..they are amazing..
Amanda says
That's brilliant to hear! They do keep fresh, don't they? I was pretty surprised myself. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Natalie says
YUM! These cupcakes look so delicious and perfect for Fall.
Amanda says
Oh, thanks Natalie! I just checked out your blog. So many delicious baked goodies.