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These mini pumpkin spice cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting are a delicious fall sweet treat the whole family will enjoy. Made from scratch, still easy!
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Mini Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Mini pumpkin spice cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting are a delicious fall sweet treat the whole family will enjoy. Made from scratch, still easy!

Course Dessert, Snack
Keyword cupcakes, Pumpkin
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (makes enough for 2 batches of mini cupcakes)

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • pinch ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional for garnish)

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line 16-20 mini cupcake cups (see notes). Set aside.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, melted butter, sugar, maple syrup and egg until well blended.

  3. Sprinkle in flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir until just combined with no white streaks remaining.

  4. Using a kitchen scoop or spoon, transfer to cupcake pans (wells should be about ¾ full). Tap bottoms gently on kitchen counter to spread out evenly.

  5. Bake for 13-17 minutes (see notes) or until cupcakes spring back slightly when pressed lightly.

  6. Allow to cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

For the Frosting

  1. Mix the softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla, maple syrup and cinnamon on high speed in the bowl of your stand mixer (a hand-held mixer works for this job too).

  2. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition to make sure it's incorporated evenly.

  3. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe or spread the frosting on top.

  4. Optional- Sprinkle each cupcake top with toasted pecans.

Recipe Notes

The vintage Bake-Rite mini cupcake pans I used measure 2" wide by 1" deep. This recipe makes 16. Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Most mini cupcake pans sold today measure 1½" wide by ¾" deep. This recipe will make more cupcakes (about 20), with less baking time (13-15 minutes).