Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting are perfect for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving or anytime you want a light pumpkin treat.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin CupcakesMore festive pumpkin desserts I love are Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, Chocolate Spooky Spider Halloween Cupcakes, and Pumpkin Pie.
This recipe couldn’t be any easier. I used a box of Golden Vanilla cake mix, some canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and water. There is no oil, butter or eggs at all and the results were amazing!
These cupcakes are delicious naked, without frosting, but I thought creating a pumpkin spiced cream cheese frosting would be the perfect topping. If you want to get fancy and pipe it on like I did in the photos, you may have to make a little extra frosting, maybe 1 1/2 batches. But if you are making them for yourself and using spatula to smear some on, the amount listed here will be enough.
More Pumpkin or Halloween Desserts you might enjoy:
- Chocolate Mummy Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Shooters
- Meringue Ghost Cookies (great as cupcake toppers)
- Mummy Cake Balls
- Candy Corn Fruit Parfaits
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 18.25 oz Betty Crocker Golden Vanilla Super Moist Cake Mix*
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin
- 1 cup water
For the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz Philadelphia 1/3 fat cream cheese, do not use fat free
- 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin, canned is fine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 5 tbsp packed brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake wrappers.
- Combine cake mix and pumpkin spice in a large bowl.
- Add pumpkin puree and water, mix about 2 minutes.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake about 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Meanwhile for the frosting, combine the cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar until smooth.
- Once the cupcakes cool, use a spatula to ice the cupcakes or pipe them which may might require making more frosting.
Last Step:
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*Betty Crocker has reduced their cake mixes, so read the labels on your box. Dunkin Hines still carries 18.25 oz boxes.
These are amazing! I’ve made 3 pumpkin treats from skinnytaste , and this one is my favorite!! For me, this recipe made 14 cupcakes. I piped my frosting, and I didn’t need any extra. In fact, I had leftover frosting even with the regular amount of frosting. I love skinnytaste so much! It is so nice to eat food that taste good and is healthier for you. I love how the portions and calories are laid out for each dish.
Glad you enjoyed them!
This is probably the 10th time I have made these. I love how easy they are and they are just as good without the frosting.
I have made them for work also and they all loved them too@
Why is there NO confectionery sugar or really no sugar in the pumpkin cream cheese frosting? That’s not right.
Is anyone having trouble with them sticking to the cupcake cup? I cooked them longer maybe having trouble with my oven temperature.
Other than that they are wonderful tasting.
Are you supposed to follow the directions on the cake mix and add the eggs and oil? I did, hope it turns out.
The cupcake was delicious! The frosting was unfortunately thinner than the cake batter itself. I tried to save it by adding powdered sugar and cornstarch. It didn’t work out… I plan to just top with whipped cream.
I am confused as to whether you use puree in the mix or the frosting. The ingredients state one way and the directions the other 🙁
absolutely delicious! one tip for the frosting to help with the consistency: add 1-2 cups of confectioners sugar (powered) and some more cream cheese! the powered sugar helps thicken up the frosting so it’s not as gloopy and wet as some of the comments suggested. use a hand mixer on the highest setting for up to a minute, not a spoon/whisk! hope this helped make your delicious dessert even more delicious!
How many cupcakes does this make? I have a 12 cake muffin tin? And dies this affect the SP value?
Awesome! I was looking for a sugar-free cupcake recipe for my daughter’s 1 year birthday in October, and thought pumpkin would be cool, and found this! Cannot WAIT to try it !!!
Can the brown sugar be replaced with stevia? I am trying to figure out how to make these less points on WW.
I’ve used this recipe for years and everyone always loves them! My coworkers are really excited for me to bring them again. I could eat these every day!
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How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
This is my go-to recipe time and time again! I absolutely love it and always get so many compliments when I bring it to events! THANK YOU!!!
You’re welcome!
Any suggestions for making these ahead for a birthday party?
I wouldn’t frost til ready.
Can you make a Bundt Cake with this recipe instead of cupcakes?
Sure
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These look delish! Would anyone happen to know how many smart points the cupcakes are without the frosting? The recipe only shows “old points” and “points+” – Thanks so much!
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Y’all, do this with spice cake mix. ????????
It should work.
Do you think you would/shoud still add the pumpkin pie spice?
do you know how many SP the cupcakes are without the frosting. It's probably there and I am just not reading this correctly. Thank you!
110 calories per cupcake
1/24 of recipe
I just made these now. They are so good. I had a question. Could i substitute a gluten free cake mix and it turn out the same?
Yes that should work.
These sound incredibly yummy! Any plans on updating the recipe since an 18.25 ounce cake mix no longer exists?
I just tried it with 3/4 cup water instead (all other ingredients the same and using a 15.25 oz mix) because all the cake mixes are all smaller now. I think it worked better than it has when I’ve tried before with the small cake mix and original amounts for other ingredients 🙂
Gina how did you get 2pts. I used the 15.75oz box cake mix and used the "recipe builder" on WW and got 0pts. Please help!
I made these this morning. Really easy and good. Thank you for sharing!
Made these today, and WOW, they are SO delicious!
Everything tastes fantastic, but I had a lot of issues with the icing. I followed the measurements correctly, but my Icing looks nothing like it does in the photo, and it's about the same consistency as the cake batter.
I would try using cream cheese straight out of the fridge, don’t worry about softening it. I also put my icing in the fridge until I needed it. My icing had a great consistency when I put it on the cupcakes!
Wow, these look great! Im going to make them for my entire family on Thanksgiving. I love making cakes from scratch, would it be less calories if i used box cake mix, or less calories if i make a homemade cake, with your basic flour, baking soda, sugar. And also, if im using a homemade cake recipe, do i just omit any oil or egg and use the pumpkin?
Hi Gina! Your website has been a great find for me and friends doing Weight Watchers! We've enjoyed many recipes on your site! I am a bit of a novice in the kitchen so I'm embarrassed to ask this, but, is there a difference between the "pure pumpkin" listed as in ingredient in the cupcake mix vs the "pumpkin puree" for the frosting? Appreciate your help – or the help from anyone on the site!
It’s the same!
The Duncan Hines cake mix is now 16.5 oz, so I reduced water to 3/4 cup – and I got 23 cupcakes from this recipe. I added a little extra brown sugar to further sweeten the frosting, and there was more than enough for all the cupcakes. Great recipe, very easy & tasty!
I made these last night. I actually can eat them without the frosting because they are so moist and delicious. My husband absolutely LOVED them. He couldn't stop popping them in his mouth!! My three year old is also a fan!! His has frosting, of course!! Thanks for another great recipe!!
OMG!! This are so good!!!! Just made them and they taste like they should be more points. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Used the smaller size cake mix it, it was all I could find. I scantly decreased the water and pumpkin and it turned out wonderfutly (by maybe a Tbls.). These are yummy and I am so glad you posted this. Easy peasy and so good. My trainer even ate one and was impressed. The only problem I had was that my candy corn started melting, I pulled them all off and swirled the icing around and was able to save them. Yummo Thank you again!
Wow! Wow! Wow!! These are freakin' fantastic!!! I bought the Betty crocker mix, forgetting that it was the smaller box. i did the math and it works out to 1/6c less pumpkin and water. All I do is use a 1/3c measuring spoon and use it 2.5 times.
Next time I make them will be with the Betty Crocker gluten free mix. Gina, do I need to make any other adjustments for the GF mix?
Kim
What do I substitute the yellow cake mix for if I can't have gluten?
This might be the first time my cupcakes turned exactly like the pictures! The frosting was good (I stole a taste while making it) and I'm waiting on the cupcakes to cool, but my house smells like pumpkin!
I have made these twice and each time they are delicious, however I can't get the frosting thick enough. Each time it is super runny and goopy (although still delicious). Any suggestions on how to thicken it up?
I made these for Thanksgiving dinner's dessert today. We had some young kids in the group so I added a handful of chocolate chips, just a plain cream cheese frosting and then a pumpkin candy on top. They were a HUGE hit! So ridiculously moist. Problem is they're so addicting that I am tempted by the leftover ones tonight!
Hi Gina In the recipe, you said that you didn't use egg, oil, or butter. I was thinking of just making pumpkin cupcakes (your recipe above) and frosting it with vanilla frosting but don't know what would happen to them if I don't use oil, butter, or eggs.
Made these tonight and they were awesome! I did only use 1/2 cup water because Duncan Hines shrunk the package to 16.5oz. I added cinnamon chips to the batter and about 1 tablespoon of white sugar to the frosting. They cooked for 20 minutes and didn't stick to the cupcake liners. I made the decision to refrigerate the cupcakes and frosting and I will frost them tomorrow when I get to work. I hope everyone likes them as much as I did.
Do I have to refrigerate the cupcakes (no frosting being added yet), since it has puree?
So I tried this and it did not turn out well. I did it again and added 2 eggs and it turned out PERFECT! And I also made these into the mini-cupcakes so i'm not sure if that had something to do with it or not.
I made these yesterday as a test for my daughter's middle school cheer bake sale next week. We need to provide healthy treats – under 6g of fat. My 25 year old son wasn't a fan of them when I had them at home. I brought them with me at the end of cheer practice and the girls gobbled them up and we asking for more. This morning I had about 6 moms emailing me for the recipe. They will definitely be on the "make list" from now on.
Would the measurements be the same if I wanted to make it into just a cake?
Made these last night for my husband's birthday. He brought the rest to work and everyone loved them!
I went to 3 different stores and couldn't find the cake mix.. so I settled with French vanilla. I also couldn't find pureed pumpkin anywhere so I am going to have to use 100% pure pumpkin in place of it- where did you find these two things?
These are super delicious! I just finished making two batches for a birthday party and they are beyond yummy! But I do have a concern/question. After making these I noticed that the cupcakes stick to the paper cups more than they should. I've also made your pineapple bliss cupcakes and had the same issue. Any suggestions for making the cupcakes come out of the paper cleanly?
ack! Just realized my cake mix was not 18.25 but the smaller size of 16 something. Wondering if this recipe would still work?
Hi Gina, I would love to make this, but i was wondering if i can make it with Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and if so how much? I am looking for a way to avoid to much sugar in the recipe(Diabetic Boyfriend).
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These are to die for!!! I strongly recommend adding mini chocolate chips to the batter. I made these with the pumpkin frosting and I felt it was too much pumpkin. Instead I used lowfat cream cheese and powdered sugar with vanilla and sprinkled more chips on top. So so good. Also I made a chocolate ganache for the non cream cheese fans. I took them over for thanksgiving. They were gobbled up. Gina, Thanks for the recipe!
I found these to be too moist after the first day. They had a sticky, under baked texture. However they were quite tasty the first day. I was not a fan of the icing.
These are delicious! the only problem I had was the icing was a little too runny… im not sure if i accidently added too much pumpkin or vanilla. If I make them again and have the same issue of runny icing do you have any suggestions on how to make the icing thicker?
So, in this recipe I don't have to use the eggs and oil that the cake mix box calls for? Does the moisture in the canned pumpkin make up for all of those things?
Used a Banana Cake mix…it was awesome! And now my house smells absolutely wonderful! 😀
I make these cupcakes for a birthday and they were sooo good. I was lazy though and decided to use the new cool chip frosting in the creme cheese flavor. I'll makes these often! Thanks so much!
I made these today for a friend's birthday – YUM! I used the 15.25 oz box of Betty Crocker mix, 3/4 cup water, and 1 cup pumpkin to make 20 cupcakes (I doubled checked and they are still 2 points plus each.) I don't like cream cheese, so I used your Vanilla Icing recipe as a base to make a Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Icing – 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 3/4 c powdered sugar, and 1 T. boiling water. (Icing is enough for 24 cupcakes and is an additional 2 points plus.) They turned out amazing!!! Thank you so much Gina for all of your wonderful recipes!
I just made these and they weren't quite as sweet as I like so I added 1/8 of Stevia to the frosting and it was great. Stevia has 0 calories so I don't think it altered the nutritional value in anyway. Great recipe!
I made this into pumpkin cake balls for my 2 year olds Halloween party at school! They turned out GREAT! Thank you! 🙂
These are absolutely delicious! The only thing I did different was added a little more pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to the frosting and then sprinkled cinnamon on the top of the cupcake once they were frosted. They come out so moist, you would never know this is a low fat version!! I will be making these again and soon!!! Definitely a favorite!!!
Are you sure this is 3 points pluss????
Gina, I made these cupcakes for our family's Sunday dessert tonight, and everyone just loved them. They were so easy to make, and came out perfectly! Thank you for a great recipe. We really liked the frosting too!
thanks so much for this recipe! I'll be making them this upcoming week for my cousins birthday!
I made these the other night and the cupcakes pulled away from the cupcake wrappers, any reason why this would happen?
I made this recipe the other day and it was amazing! I would like a lighter frosting, but these have been a huge hit! I made this along with another "non-diet" pumpkin recipe and did a blind taste-test with a group of men who ::swear:: by fattening desserts. ALL of them picked this skinny recipe over the non-diet version and their jaws dropped when I told them the calorie count! I love it!
These were delicious, quick and easy! Great with or without frosting.
I just wanna say THANK You – – – finally a Pumpkin recipe that I can eat. I have an egg allergy and have been looking for something pumpkiny that I can eat. THANKS Again!!
My husband said these are the best cupcakes he's ever had, and he has never like pumpkin.
Another great recipe! Thanks Gina.
Gina, Cupcakes were awesome.. icing not so much!! But thanks anyway!! 🙂
I am so upset! I followed the recipe to the letter and my cupcakes aren't 'cupcakey' at all….very mushy and seem underbaked. I tried popping them back in the oven…now they are just burnedf on the bottom mushy cupcakes. The smell, however is divine…and my family is now craving something pumpkin. (The icing is awesome, wonder what I did wrong????)
LOVE this recipe! I am so glad I happened upon it while looking for a cup cake recipe for my 2 year old daughters birthday party! What a hit it was!! Thank you!! I did make it with the Duncan Hines 18.25oz box of French Vanilla. How would I alter the recipe for the future when using the new smaller sized box of Betty Crocker 15 something oz box? Thanks so much!!!
Nicole
Hello Gina,
I love this recipe and will make an attempt this coming weekend for a fundraiser, but I have a question. Will the frosting keep overnight? I want to make the cupcakes on Sunday, but frost them Monday morning. Do you have any suggestions? That would be most helpful. Thanks!
these are actually more delicious and satisfying with eaten frozen with the icing on. Makes a great treat for a last a long time, too.
these are actually even better and more satisfying IMO when frozen with the icing on. Makes a great treat last a long time.
yum!
These should be cooked through, please be sure to check your package and make sure it's 18.25 oz or they will be too wet. Many companies are making the cake boxes smaller.
I made these cupcakes last night. I baked them for 30 minutes. I stuck a fork I'm it (didn't have any toothpicks) and it came out dry. But yet when I bite into them they taste like they aren't cooked all the way. Is this how they are supposed to be? Everyone posts that they are "moist" but they just taste uncooked to me. The frosting was excellent though.
I just made these last night. The cupcake is wonderful 🙂 I am not a fan of the icing. So I am leaving that off. These were great heated up this morning for breakfast. Thank you Gina for all the great recipes.
I wanted to follow up, I think I left a post last year.. we LOVE these cupcakes. I made them once for my family and had to make them again! My husband even asked me to make these for a baking contest at his work. We did, then we gladly shared this recipe with anybody who asked! We used fresh pumpkin that we pureed ourselves insted of the canned pumpkin. Oh.. for the record, it won 2nd place. 🙂
These are fabulous… great job Gina! I made them with the spiced cake mix, and used brown sugar splenda in the frosting. The frosting was awesome! (I wasn't sure about the low fat cream cheese, but the rest of the fat isn't missed)
HI Gina, I was wondering if you follow the instructions on the box cake and then add the ingredients and instructions that you have provided or do you just follow the instructions you provide?
I made these today and the cupcakes turned out perfect. However, the frosting was very runny and never did set up. Not sure what happened, I followed the directions step by step.
Thanks for your recipes. Someone at a WW meeting turned me on to it, and I've loved baking and cooking from it. I made these today but only had white cake mix at home so I increased the amount of pumpkin pie spice to 3 tsp. They were delicious!
I made these the other day and wow they were so delicious. I had some of the icing left over and just spread it on some wheat bread and toasted in the oven for a while, amazing!
Gina,
Having problems finding the exact size cake mix in either brand. Any other suggestions or can you add an item in to make the differance up? Help Gina! I would lioe to try these….Thanks!
Gina,
Having trouble finding the 18.25 box of cake mix. Any subs for the cake mix for the size box. Betty Crocker did chande there size box and Dunkin Hines can not find in any local store. Is there anything you can add to the box of cake mix to make that size?????? Help Gina, love to try the cupcakes.
These were so incredibly delicious. Unfortunately I ate them like they were muffins fully knowing they were cupcakes 🙂
Uh oh. Didn't see that note about the cake mix size until after sticking te cupcakes in the oven. 🙁 If Betty Crocker doesn't carry it any more maybe it shouldn't be specified in the ingredients list.
How do you think this would be with spice cake mix instead of yellow cake? I'd omit the pumpkin pie spice.
Made these this week 🙂 YUM!! So delicious, even with out frosting! Together, my boyfriend and i have lost over 50#. Thank you for making eating light delicious and flavorful!! ps…we are addicted to your Pork Carnitas, too!!
Anyone know if this will work with the Betty Crocker gluten free cake mix? My son is GF (among other allergies.)
Hi Gina! Can this be made into Minis? would you cut everything in half for a 24 mini tin?
SO excited about these, but they were pretty bland and the cupcake really stuck to the wrapper, so I was disappointed.
Just made these, VERY YUMMY. Made a mess getting the cake/pumpkin purée mix into the cupcake liners though because the batter was so thick. Any tips?
If somebody already ask this I'm sorry.
Do you make the cake just like the box says or just pumpkin and water?
These are absolutely amazing. My entire family loved them and when I took them into college with me they were gone in a matter of minutes. They taste like my two favorite desserts(pumpkin bread and pumpkin cheesecake) only all combined into one. Thank you for posting. Keep on posting delicious recipes!
I cant find the 1/3 cream cheese… i can only find the 1/3 less fat cream cheese??? and you keep saying not to use the fat free… any input would be nice because i just love these…
OMG I made these today. They are DELISH!! I love anything with pumpkin or cinnamon in it so these were amazing!! Hubby and both picky kids loved them. Thank you! Off to pin!!
Beautiful. I was not aware that so beautiful cakes been prepared by Pumpkin. It is a greate learning for me.
YUMMY! Made with butter pecan mix because that is what I had on hand. More moist than when using oil and eggs. Will continue baking this way! No guilt with all the yum! Thanks!!!
Made these tonight for a group of women friends. Instead of cupcakes I made it in a 9×13 glass pan. It was awesome. I was concerned it would taste like "I'm on a diet cake, but this is almost as good as the real thing." It was the real thing. It was loved by all. It was moist and the frosting was as good as any cream cheese frosting. I'm going to try more things with pumpkin!
In the recips the cupcake portion calls for 100% canned pumpkin and the frosting calls for pumpkin puree and says canned is fine. Is the canned pumpkin in the cupcake portion the same as the pumpkin for the frosting portion of the recipe or do I need to buy 2 different versions of canned pumpkin?
I just made these for my coworkers for tomorrow and saved a few for myself. They are DELICIOUS! I can't believe these are only 2 points+ per cupcake!
Gina, I love your blog! I made these cupcakes in October and my roommates still ask me about them. They are so delicious I eat them without frosting (which I never do). Thank you so much for posting such delicious and health conscious recipes.
Excellent recipe! I love cupcakes. I share with you more recipes:http://cupcakefrostingrecipe.blogspot.com
they don't sell that size cake mix. Is there a variation with the 15oz cake mix. I also found 10oz cake mixes as well.
Made these today with spice cake mix. Did not add pumpkin pie spice or ice them. Just sprinkled with some cinnamon before putting in the oven. I'm looking forward to having one of these in the morning with a good hot cup of coffee. Thanks Gina for another yummy recipe!
OMG these look amazing, however finding canned pumpkin in australia would be impossible. I have no idea if it will work but I think I'll give pureeing some pumpkin a go and see if it works the same, don't suppose you know what kind of pumpkin the canned pumpkin would be.. ???
Got requests from my October babies – They want me to make them for their birthdays 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I make lots of variations of these using different types of cake mixes. Spice cake is my favorite, but carrot cake and pumpkin work well, and orange supreme cake with pumpkin, craisins and walnuts are good too.
Just wanted to say that these are fantastic!! They are super tasty and moist too! However, I bought some holiday candy corn and put them on top like you had and placed them in the fridge. Next morning I went to grab them and the Holiday corn melted completely and made my cupcakes look gross. Luckily we gave some to friend of ours that know that I am a good cook and were willing to try them. They are amazing though next time I will leave off the corn. 🙂
I used a chocolate cupcake and sprinkled ground candy canes on top.
Ran out of pumpkin so I made these using leftover pureed sweet potatoes–super moist and yummy!!
I used this recipe to make cake pops decorated like owls. They turned out fantastic! I made them just for fun but they were so cute that I took them to my baby shower and people loved them. They were surprised by the pumpkin cake in the middle but everyone loved how moist they were. Thanks for the great recipe.
Just tried making these instead of writing my term paper. Love the cake part but the frosting was not my favorite. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this recipe in a 13×9 with a sugar free cake mix and iced it with the pumpkin dip that I mixed with a block of cream cheese. It was the hit of the party!
This recipe was a huge hit at my Thanksgiving table yesterday! Thank you, times a thousand Gina!! So moist, and perfectly sweetened, I will definitely be making these as a Thanksgiving tradition.
Made these last night for Thanksgiving…they were a hit! I was worried about not adding eggs and oil but they were moist and wonderful. GOOD RECIPE!
These have become an absolute favorite to my family and everyone who has eaten them! The only thing I've done a little differently- regarding the icing- to make it a bit firmer for pretty piping, I put the pumpking in a hand strainer and put a paper towel under it for fifteen minutes or so to remove some of the liquid. Fabulous recipe- thanks for all that you do Gina!
It will be too runny with fat free.
Does anyone know why you can't use fat free cream cheese? It's all I have. Is there a way to make it work without me having to back to the grocery store?
Made these last night for 'gifts' for my friends that I am so Thankful for….so yummy. Everyone loved their gifts. The one thing I did learn though is that they stick badly to a cupcake liner! I should have known this though because any muffin or cupcake with no fat/oil will do the same. No matter…the taste and lack of fat calories was worth it!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Where can I find pureed pumpkin??
Yes, these come out perfect IF you follow the directions. Too much pumpkin, (like the whole can) or a smaller cake mix will not work.
I already had a pumpkin cupcake recipe that I've used for years, but the pumpkin cream cheese frosting I did I just didn't like. Just waaaay too sweet. This one, however, was just was the cupcake ordered. Not too sweet and so amazing. I doubled the recipe since I was piping for 1.5 dozen cakes, so the only thing I did different was instead of using 2 tsp of vanilla, I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1.5 tsp of orange extract. And that's only because I like the light citrus flavor with my pumpkin…not because I thought you'd gotten it wrong. This was OUTSTANDING. I'll be sure to try the cupcake recipe next time – how easy is that??? 5 stars.
In case you were thinking, like me, that those extra 3 ounces of cake mix wouldn't make a big difference- it does! The combination of an entire cup of water and an entire can of pumpkin with the 15 oz box (seriously, as a baker I should know to be more careful) created pumpkin cupcake mush. I've never ruined a dessert quite this badly!
use cooked ,mashed sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin in any recipe calling for pumpkin!!
Holy crap these are AMAZING! Better than any non-diet cupcake I've ever had. The pumpkin makes them so moist. You don't even need the frosting! I actully didn't care for the frosting (tasted too much like the cream cheese), so I'm going to try adding chocolate chips next time I make them for a little sweetness. SOOO GOOD! Can't wait to try more recipes!
I made these to take to work for a co-workers birthday as a low fat alternative to the pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes I made at her request. These disappeared before the other ones. I preferred them "naked" and might have eaten three the day I baked them. Thank you, again.
These look so yummy! Have you ever made pumpkin empanadas? been craving those lately…
Gina I love this recipe. I have made it twice now and both times a lot of my cake sticks to the cupcake liners and does not pop out clean. Any advice on how I can fix this? What am I doing wrong?
I made these over the weekend and the boyfriend and I didn't care for the frosting at all, but they were AMAZING without. nice little 3 point snacks, i tried to bring some into work to share but somehow they didn't quite make it in! 🙂
I made these for my roommates and everyone won't stop talking about how good they are! Someone even asked me how much butter was in them because of how moist and delicious they were! This is an AMAZING recipe 🙂
Just made these and while the cupcakes TASTE ok, they are way to "wet" and just crumble out of the wrapper. Made the frosting to the T and it tasted really bad, wasnt runny but just tasted awful!
I made this tonight and they were pretty good! Hubby and I did not like the frosting as you could mostly taste the cream cheese and not the other flavors, yuck! The cupcakes were so light and fluffy though.
I also used Betty Crocker French Vanilla cake mix as I couldn't find the Golden Vanilla.
I made these last week with my roommate. They were gone within 48 hours. The frosting was TO DIE FOR. I love that they were healthy, too. Keep it up 🙂
I have am baking these as I am typing. They smell delicious. Just have a question about the frosting—should the cream cheese be at room temperature or do I use it right out of the refrig? I can't wait to try one.
YUMMY! used a spice cake mix instead, since it's what i had on hand, it worked great!
I just made these tonight. I used a mini cupcake pan so that I could share them at a meeting. My husband said they are perfect for Thanksgiving! Thanks!
Has anyone tried this in a Bundt pan? If so, how long should I bake it for? Any suggestions?
Love these!! Yum, yum, yum! Especially the frosting! Thanks so much!
I am making these right now – so easy!! and my house smells so good!! I can't wait to pull them out of the oven and mmmmmmm!!!!!
I'm on ww, so these recipes are right up my ally. thanks!!!!
These are so delicious and a guilt free treat– Note: if you decide to put the candy corn or candy pumpkins to decorate on top of the frosting– wait to add them until the last minute before serving or they will "melt" on top of the cupcakes!
I am making another batch this week!
Gina- These cupcakes are delicious! My whole family loved them! Thank you! ~Amy 🙂
Yum!!!! I made this tonight for my anniversary… My husband said it was the best cakemhe ever had and proceeded to eat 4 pieces….. He had a hard time believing it was low in points…… Success…
I used Betty crocker white cake which was a smaller 15 oz box, used 1 cup pumpkin, 1 cup water, lots of cinnamon, lots of nutmeg… (forgot pumpkin
pie spice at store….) I made it in a bundt cake which I think needs glass rather than frosting so I made a low point glaze using 2 oz low fat cream cheese, 1 tbsp pumpkin, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and mixed in 3/4 cup powdered sugar…. I cut the cake into 12 pieces which worked out to 4 points and the glaze made 5 points total…. It wasna great sized cake and very satisfying…… Thanks for recipe…… I LOVE YOUR site!
I made these last night, SO good and so easy.
These are great- I am entering the ingredients into my file on Fitness pal- and i am getting considerably less calories?? like 37 calories with icing and i used duncan hines which has more calories than the Betty Crocker?? not sure why such a difference?
I have now made these 3 times. They are so good! Moist and flavorful! No one believes me that they are low fat/low calorie!
The pumpkin spice cupcakes were awesome. I had leftovers and sent them to work with my husband. He said they disappeared in a matter of minutes and all the comments were yummy.
I think adding more sugar to the frosting may fix the issue, and def don't use fat free cream cheese!
The tip: Wilton 1 M
What tip did you use to pipe the frosting?
This was my first time trying one of your recipes. I saw the comments about the frosting having too much of a cream cheese taste so I did half cream cheese and half whipped cream and it came out great. For the cupcakes, I think it had too much of a pumpkin taste (the frosting helped tone it down oddly) so if I make them again, I'll probably use half the amount. It could also be because used the mix that had 15.5 oz. Overall, it's a keeper and great for the fall.
Gina… I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE! I have already passed it along to several friends 🙂
And I just made these cupcakes yesterday, they were a hit!! So moist and pumpkiny…. Yummm…. Do you think I can substitute with 8 oz. of vegan cream cheese to make it vegan friendly?
I made these cupcakes for work last week and they were a huge hit! I had made a little extra frosting because I wanted to pipe it on. I didn't quite use it all up so I saved the frosting and used it as cream cheese spread on my bagel this morning! It was so good! I might just make the "frosting" for that purpose in the future! Thanks for all the great recipes! I've been on WW since January and down 38 pounds. Finding great recipes like yours is what keeps me going! I love to bake and cook and just because I'm on a journey to loose 100 pounds doesn't mean I have to stop doing those things. Thanks again- keep the recipes coming!
These were wonderful and I got good feedback from them. Some notes: I used the 15.25 oz box of cake mix and I had 24 rather small cupcakes. You won't get 24 cupcakes out of the smaller box size. And for those who don't bake often (or for those who don't normally put candy in the fridge – like myself), don't put cupcake with the candy corn decoration in the fridge. The candy corn melts. Live and learn!
These were a hit at my husbands work! A tip is to NOT add the candy corn/pumpkins until you're ready to serve them. I had frosted and topped them the night before and the candy had "melted" and run on the frosting by morning.
Made these on Sunday because I've been struggling to find low point desserts that I can eat! These were SO good and SO easy to make. I can't believe that they are only 3 points plus. My boyfriend is also on WW and liked them, but thought the icing tasted a little sour and needed sugar. He is not a fan of cream cheese, so I explained to him thats the normal taste of cream cheese. I will be making this for Thanksgiving!
Made these the other day and topped them with candy corns–so moist and flavorful! The frosting was a little runny so I added some white sugar, and they ended up great. I love your recipes 🙂
I am going to attempt to make MINI cupcakes with this recipe. Any tips or info. I should know before I start?
Thanks for any input 🙂
I made the cupcakes using my own cream cheese frosting recipe – LOVE!
I used the 15oz cake mix and 3/4 cup water as suggested by a previous commenter and they were perfect!
Thanks everyone!
The cupcake was perfect! I used a spice cake without the pumpkin in it. I used the pumpkin only in the frosting. I followed your icing recipe to a T. I had my 14 yr old taste test it. He said TOO much cream cheese. Not sweet enough. So I tweeked/played with it until he said perfect!
I didn't add pumpkin to the spice cake mix. I thought it would be overkill w/the pumpkin frosting. I was right..a good flavor balance..the spice cupcake w/the pumpkin cream cheese frosting..PERFECTION!
MANY thanks for this delish recipe!
I just made these. These were delish although I did add a few tsp. of white sugar to the frosting. It was just a bit too cream cheesy tasting without it. But overall fabulous and will be making these again….maybe with an icing drizzle instead.
MeliCan2
Wow Gina, these look awesome.
Harry Eastwood has an excellent recipe book of veggie based cakes and cookies (Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache). You should check it out, it's really interesting.
I reviewed it here -> http://thescoffingcow.blogspot.com/2011/03/vegetable-cupcakes-mis-cabbage-of.html
Stop by if you get chance.
SC x
We made these tonight and they're so incredible!! I had 3 :X Instead of canned pumpkin, we used fresh pumpkin. Oh man.. to die for!!
I made these tonight, and the frosting tasted too much like cream cheese and not sweet enough. any suggestions?? thanks!
I just made these and made the mistake of mixing the frosting with my hand mixer. 🙁 So disappointed. Next time i know to do it by hand. They still look good though, can't wait to have them for desert tonight.
this is the first time I've made one of your recipes (just found your site!) and they are AMAZING! I didn't have 1/3 fat cream cheese but when I used the recipe builder on WW the points still came out as 1 point for frosting…so I will be using the full fat for this one!
Just got done baking these and they are WONDERFUL!!! I made the icing and it came out exactly as it should, but I guess I am not a fan of cream cheese frosting!? It was a little to tart for me…but I know my mom is going to love them and they are for her birthday!! The cupcake was super moist and flavorful..oh I used a spice cake and left out the spices. Thanks Gina!
These cupcakes are to die for. They are so good!
I made these this weekend and they came out very dense. They also were stuck on to the cupcake liners. I am pretty sure I followed the recipe correctly. I did find the right size box but it was Pillsbury.
I don't know what I did wrong. I'm considering trying again and adding some apple sauce to keep them moist.
The frosting turned out great!
Do you have any suggestions as to maybe what happened? I doubt you made these and they are meant to be dense.
Thanks
Sonia
Made these this weekend and they were a hit!! Very delicious!
Hi Gina,
I can't tell you how grateful I am that I stumbled onto your website. I love, love, love that you post pictures with your recipes!
I loved the pumpkin cupcakes, but had a small problem with some of the dough sticking to the paper liner. Do you have any thoughts as to what may have happened there? Did I cook them too long? The part of the cupcake that did come off the liner was delish! Thanks!
Gina-Love this Blog. I made these for my daughter's 17th birthday. She took these to school with her and passed them out to her friends at lunch. Her friends all raved about them and said they tasted like they were from Williams Sonoma! I made an extra batch for us, as we didn't get to taste test them. P.S. We didn't tell anyone they were low fat/healthy.
OMG! I have wanted to make these since you originally posted the recipe, and I finally got the time today! They are delicious and so easy! My son wanted to know if someone was coming over for dinner since mom was making a special dessert! Thank you for another wonderful recipe, Gina!
Just made these today… SIMPLY AMAZING!!! They were sooooo light and fluffy and not too sweet! YOU ROCK GINA!
There are no eggs needed for this recipe at all? Also, I'm using a pie pumpkin and pureeing it, not in the can. Is that fine? AND no store in town had the Golden Vanilla so I just got regular French Vanilla. Moist of course..
Thanks for the recipe. I actually used your frosting recipe for the cupcakes I made and I thought the frosting wasn't sweet. Normal cream cheese frostings use 2 cups of sugar, but your used 5 tablespoons. Was this a mistake?
I am not sure if anyone else has addressed this, but for those of you that want a replacement for PUMPKIN PIE SPICE – to get 1 tsp, use 1/2 tsp cinnamin, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.
I just made these cupcakes without the frosting and they were WONDERFUL! My kids devoured their "pumpkin muffins". I used regular Dunkin Hines basic yellow cake mix and it worked perfectly (I did add a couple extra tablespoons of water to ensure moisture). Love that it is WW friendly although I could see me eating 3 at a sitting!
I just frosted and devoured my first cupcake and it was AMAZING! I've been eating a lot of pumpkin lately, so I thought I might be sick of it, but I am in love with these cupcakes. Perfect.
I made these and OH MY GOSH. So good! I made some with frosting and some without and made them into mini cupcakes (35 calories without/ 55 with frosting) and my fiance and I ate the up so fast! I sprinkled a little cinnamon on the top of the frosted ones for decoration and they were adorable! I definitely recommend these!
I am so thankful that Pinterest brought me here because I will be sticking around. These are totally happening in my kitchen tonight!
I made these tonight and they are awesome! So light and fluffy! I only left them in for 20 minutes and they were perfect! So few steps and ingredients! I can't say enough!
In the cake mix recipe you said use canned 100% pure pumpkin. And for the frosting you said use pureed pumpkin. But in directions telling what to do you say for cake mix use pumpkin puree. So i'm confused.
I never have cake mix in the house, I usually make homemade. I'm making cake pops for my daughter's baptism and a get together with friends this weekend and didn't feel like making 3 cakes from scratch so I bought a few cake mixes. As luck would have it, I have a half a large can of pumpkin in the fridge leftover from a pumpkin pie this weekend. Fate has intervened in my house today lol! As I read your recipe I knew it was meant to be. They are in the oven as I type, can't wait for them to be done!! How great that they're only 2 points! Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
Wow, what can I say? These look fabulous!! I have been on WW for three months now and have lost 20 pounds. Finding a great site like this that helps keep the fun in food is a key to my success. I am in it for life and so getting new recipes like the ones here is just a real blessing! Thank you!!!
THANK YOU for this recipe, these cupcakes are AMAZING and I don't feel guilty about eating them!!! I just made these for my fiance's birthday and our friends devoured them within one night. Now fiance is pouting about wanting more! This is also a great pumpkin icing recipe. Thank you again!
I made these over the weekend & they're a BIG hit at my house. I will definitely pipe the frosting next time instead of just spreading it with a knife. The cakes were super moist and delicious. I can't wait to make them again!!
Yesterday I made homemade vanilla cupcakes using your pumpkin pie cream cheese frosting (to not have too much pumpkin) and let me tell you they were a hit! Everyone loved the frosting and how good it went with vanilla cupcakes as well! And I used whipped cream cheese instead of the bar. Thank you for recipes! My husband loves everything I have made so far!
No oil or eggs.
So glad these were such a hit!!
I made these last week with my son. As SpongeBob would say… these are an absolute good! 🙂
do we actually make the cake mix with the eggs and oil and such?
Just made these and the house smells wonderful. I used cinnamon in place of thee pumpkin pie spice. I haven't made the frosting yet but plan to do so. For this batch, I made half with mini cinnamon chips. I need to see if it alters the points, as I didn't use enough per muffin / cupcake to equal 1 pp if counting them solo. Wow…so delish! Assuming I don't mess up the frosting, my plan is to take 6 to each of my neighbors during the next week or so. We just moved into a rural neighborhood earlier this summer and I figured taking yummies over would be a good way to meet them.
The frosting should be cold since it's made with cream cheese, I keep it refrigerated in the piping bag before I pipe it on.
My frosting was runny… what did I do wrong? I followed it perfectly.
Gina, I have tried several dishes off your site (carnitas, Cuban black beans, baked ziti, chicken taco chili), etc. Thank you, thank you for helping us get out of the healthy eating rut of grilled chicken and grilled fish! Hahaha! The variety has kept my husband and I from getting bored…and saved our waistlines. We just ate our pumpkin cupcakes, and my husband bit into his and said, "oh yeah…these are good.". Delicious! You. Are. Awesome.
ALL YOU VEGANS OUT THERE: You can definitely substitute Toffutti or any vegan cream cheese and they taste DIVINE! I have a dairy allergy and made these tonight with much success!!
DELICIOUS!! I made them over the weekend with a box of Martha White Cinnamon Streusel mix and the same ingredients – 1cup pumpkin, 1 cup water and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. They were even better because they were a little more set up – not so moist that they fell apart like the original recipe. Plus, we liked the cinnamon flavor coming out a little more in this one.
I made these this past weekend for Canadian Thanksgiving…they were a HUGE hit! My parents could not stop raving about them, and wanted the recipe to use again in the future. Thanks so much for posting such a great (and easy) recipe!!!
I've made these 5 times already!!! Needless to say they are amazing!!! They are the most moist cupcakes I have EVER baked!!! I was skeptical at first because all you do is add water and pumpkin….BUT I was sooo wrong…I just can't tell you how much I love these things!!! I will make these forever…lol! Definitely will be a Fall tradition in my house…thanks again Gina!!!
These are amazing! My frosting came out runny so I didn't use it, but I wish I wouldn't have even bothered because they are delicious plain! Even better the next day! Thank you so much for all your hard work! I just started WW again and your recipes have been so helpful for me stay on track. I use the recipe box and shopping list as well. I love your site! Thank you for helping me in my quest to get healthy!
I made these last week as mini pumpkin loaves to take to my neighborhood bunco group. Turned out great and I only made half the frosting. I sliced the loaf and smeared some frosting on the side of each slice. Made a pretty presentation. Two other people brought pumpkin bread, but only a few pieces of theirs was sampled – mine was gone!
Tomorrow I'm going to make as mini cupcakes, hoping for the same yumminess!
Loved the cupcake portion but wasn't the biggest fan of the icing. Seemed to tart (maybe too cream cheesy…) and not as firm as normal icing (used 1/3 less) – maybe i'll retry.
Is the frosting very light? It almost seemed like it was not thick and oozing down my cupcakes…not super sweet — but maybe that is because I am used to straight cream cheese frosting?
So so so good! I happened upon a can of pumpkin puree out here in the DR and had to give them a go… It was exactly what I was looking for to remind me of the changing leaves from home. (Everything is still lush and green here, as always!) Thanks again Gina!
I made these tonight and they may be the best cupcakes I have ever made. I did change the frosting and used powder sugar instead of brown sugar which changes the point value but it is so worth it. I have already eaten 1 and am seriously considering another!
how much frosting on each cupcake?
anyone please thank u .
My icing was horribly runny also. I even tried adding confectioner's sugar to stiffen it up, but no luck. Even after doing that, the icing was thinner than the cake batter itself. It's been in the fridge for an hour and no improvements. I'm disappointed in the icing. Wish I'd just used a basic cream cheese frosting recipe instead of this one.
Well… I must admit I was very eager to try this recipe after seeing your post. If I had to make a suggestion, I would skip the icing entirely. The cake part was delicious, but the icing was terrible. I followed the instructions exactly, so I didn't leave anything out, and prepared it correctly. I was thinking mabe this would have been better with a glaze rather than an icing. I didn't try it, but felt a little powdered sugar, skim milk, and a hint of cinnamon would have done the trick. Like I said, muffin part was delicious. Icing…. not so much. Thanks for sharing!
I love these cupcakes, Gina! So simple to whip up, pretty darn healthy, and DELICIOUS! And the bonus is that the recipe makes 24… enough for me and hubby to each bring some to the office, and a couple to enjoy at home. As an FYI, I made these right before going on vacation and didn't want the ones I had left to go bad so I popped them in the freezer (already frosted); thawed them on the counter on Sunday and they were as good as when first baked! Thanks!
Made these today.. and theres just one word for them: AMAZING.
the frosting was a little on the sweeter side for my taste, but the cake was fabulous!!! thanks for sharing :]
Not sure if I'm a fan of the frosting. It was a little too tart for the cupcake. But the cake was fantastic!
I don't know if i did something wrong or not, but the frosting came out really, really soupy. Almost cake batter like. The cupcakes themselves were AWESOME. I remade the frosting with just sugar and spices, no pumpkin and it was fine. Will have to make again to see if frosting comesout the same again.
I made these today, good, but i prefer the dunkin donuts muffin taste a wee bit better. I wasn't crazy about using the reg. vanilla boxed mix. In the past i used spiced mix. HAs anyone used this recipe with that. I may try that one instead. The cream cheese frosting was really good though so i saved some and am using that for bagels in the AM.
Made a double batch of the frosting with 1/3 less fat cream cheese, kept it in the fridg until I was ready to frost and eat, and it was still runny.
Gina, I was wondering if Namaste Foods brand gluten free Vanilla cake mix would work the same as the Betty Crocker mix? It is much healthier, as it has no hydrogenated oils, which I try to stay away from as much as possible. I greatly appreciate any response you have. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
I made these cupcakes the other day..they are AMAZING! So moist and yummy. I made without the frosting, but will definitely try again with the frosting! Definitely a must try!
Can u leave out after putting icing on them? Or do they have to go in frig,? Thank u
Where do u find pumpkin spice? And us that is what its called on the label? Thank u
Made these today came out FANTASTIC! I added about a 1/4 cup more water to the recipe because after mixing found a bit dry and the cupcakes came out so moist! the frosting was a nice touch too! keeping half the batch for my home and the rest for gifts to co-workers and mailman : )
I am making these as we speak!!! My kitchen smells SOOO yummy! My three year old twins helped me out, so they put some chocolate chips on top of the cupcakes..I had a lot left over so we have a loaf in the oven too! Thank you Gina SO much for your WONDERFUL recipes! I tell all of my friends about your site!!!
I made these after seeing my friend posted the recipe on her facebook, she made them and said they were fantastic. Just looking at your beautiful picture of the cupcake made me run to the store for the ingredients. Little snafu w/canned pumpkin not being readily available due to some flooding??? So, I quickly googled substitute for pumpkin puree and read that you can use squash puree, so I found it in the freezer section, got home and made it right away. After making the batter, I realized I only had mini muffin tins. It took some extra time b/c I had to do it in batches, but boy was it worth it! I think I actually prefer the mini bite! You are right that it does not need the frosting, but either way these are a winner. Thank you so much for posting and keep them coming!
Thanks, Gina! That's what I thought, but my WW leader thought that sounded too good to be true! 🙂
Its 2 pp without and 3 pp wIth.
Just wanted to make a comment here. I made these 2 weeks ago and, um, thought I followed the recipe correctly but the cakes were mushy. I looked again and realized that I needed 1 CUP, not 1 entire CAN of pumpkin for the cupcakes themselves. If anyone else had this problem, that may be why.
Oh and my frosting tastes weird, almost like the cream cheese is spoiled. 🙁
What better thing to make on October 1st? Just finished making these and oh my, are they delish!! My daughter and I split one with frosting and one without…they are both yummy! Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Gina!!
Just made this, but made it into a cake instead…my daughter wanted pumpkin cake for her birthday! Perfection!!! Love, love, love this site.
These look amazing and I can't wait to try them out!! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!!
I just discovered your blog yesterday. Oh.my.goodness! Your recipes look SOOOO good! And I'm thrilled that you have them low fat, etc. I already have the ingredients for these and plan to make them this weekend. Yum!
I do have one question on these muffins. I am on Weight Watchers (have lost 30 pounds since April) and was wondering, is it 3 PPV for the cupcake WITH the frosting? Or is it 3 PPV for just the frosting on each cupcake plus 2 PPV for the cupcake?
Just made these and they're fantastic!
I used Trader Joe's yellow cake mix and increased the pumpkin and water to a cup and a half as this mix is 28oz. It made 32 cup cakes. I'll definitely be making these again and next time I'm planing on using more pumpkin pie spice (I like my cakes very spicy) and some ground ginger.
My icing worked fine, I used trader joe's canned pumpkin and trader joes light cream cheese.
Can you tell I like trader joes? 🙂 I living in Chicago and don't own a car the only convenient market to me is trader joe's.
AMAZING!! I just made them and love that one small can of pumpkin is good for both recipes! DELISH!!
Gina-Can you tell me what number the tips that you used to decorate these are? I'm making these this weekend and want them to look exactly like your's! Thanks!
Gina, I found your site by accident a few days ago and I have to tell you – I'm obsessed! Thank you so much for helping make WW fun! After a while the same old thing is exactly that, old. Who would have thought I could eat this delicious cupcake without using ALL of my points!? Thanks much!!
Is it pure pumpkin in the Cake mix and pumpkin purée in the icing or the other way? In the ingredients for the cake it says pure pumpkin 1 cup but the instructions say add pumpkin
Purée
I didn't read all the comments, so someone may habe already said this, but I have made this in the past with spice cake mix – very good! Just pumpkind and spice cake mix – no additional spices! Very good flavor! Thank you so much for the amazing recipes! We have tried so many over the last couple of months and every one has been amazing!!!
Made these last night (as mini-cupcakes) and they taste great! It was a little hard to get the cooking time right – usually when I make mini-cupcakes, I bake them for 15-18 minutes. These little guys took at least 20-22, if not more – might be the pumpkin. My frosting was not as thick as I would have liked, and after reading the comments, I think it must be due to the extra moisture in the canned pumpkin. Next time I will try to "blot" it dry a little before mixing it in. I would suggest possibly adding that as a step in the recipe, and clarifying that canned = pureed. It's a bit confusing that the cake recipe calls for canned while the frosting calls for puree. But otherwise, these are a HUGE hit. Brought them to work and people are raving. I will definitely make them again, maybe adding a little more sugar to the frosting. Thanks, Gina!
Made these cupcakes this weekend, Its hard to believe you can have a cupcake with icing for 3 pts. That alone won me over! lol Plus the fact its fall and I'm craving pumpkin haha. These were wonderful. Shared with my family so I wouldnt eat 5 a day. They had no idea they were a low point recipe. Even my 15 year old son loved them. We love cheesecake so the pumpkin cheesecake recipe will be next! CyndiM
Pumpkin pie MIX is very different from canned pure pumpkin. I'm not sure if it can be substituted one for one, but if you do that, be aware that if you are counting WW points plus, the mix is at least twice the points as the canned pumpkin since it is already sweetened.
Suzanne
These are great! I think they taste amazing without the frosting, but the frosting is great too. We love sweets in our house and I'm always looking for a way to make it lower fat/cal/etc. and these are just so great! Perfect first fall dessert of the year! 🙂
I made these this past weekend and we gobbled them up! Even delicious without the frosting! I will definitely be making these again, loved the flavors.
Melissa
Yum Yum Yum!! I have made these twice already and have had nothing but compliments!!! I added cinnamon and nut meg as well as a bit more pumpkin pie spice. DELICIOUS!!!
I actually dug through some boxes at my local shoprite and found 5 in the golden vanilla 18.25, so I purchased them all. LOL
diane
Thanks Gina for posting about BETTY CROCKER reducing their cake mix sizes. Yes I saw that Duncan hines still is 18.25 although I cant find a golden vanilla flavor in their brand.
Just made the cupcakes. fabulous thanks.
Diane
Hi Gina, love your blog! So many good things on here!! I just had a couple of quick questions about this recipe… I'm in Australia, and we don't have canned pumpkin or pumpkin spice here. Can you tell me what is in pumpkin spice so I can make my own spice mix? Also, would I be able to just boil and mash my own pumpkin to make a pumpkin puree as a substitute for the canned pumpkin you've used? Cheers!
I made these today! They are so good I brought some of them to a new mom I was bringing dinner to anyway instead of my usual brownies, they don't taste "diet" at all!
My daughter and I just made these and they were DELICIOUS!! The only thing is that I didn't find the frosting quite sweet enough and I preferred the cupcakes without the frosting (which NEVER happens) because they were so moist. Thanks!
Just had to post a follow up to my first comment. I did remake the frosting and followed the directions this time (LOL, oops, learned my lesson that fat free cream cheese is NOT the same as the light version!) and it turned out PERFECT! Thank you again, Gina, for such wonderful recipes! I can't say enough how much you inspire me and have helped me discover the joys of homemade cooking and the extra fun of keeping it light without losing taste! I lost over 50 pounds last year and you have been such a godsend in helping me keep it off as I NEVER feel deprived!
I made these with a gluten-free Betty Crocker yellow cake mix. It was the 15 oz, but they don't carry a larger box. They still turned out though and they are AMAZING! I absolutely love them, the frosting is to die for. My mother-in-law makes pumpkin rolls that are a huge hit during the holidays, and the frosting reminds me so much of those! So so SO good! Thanks for the recipe–your site is incredible!!!
Gina- thank you for another fabulous recipe!!! love the taste and note to self…don't use dark brown sugar as it makes the frosting brown rather than orange : ) still a mighty tasty treat though!!! also, this recipe is easily converted to a gluten-free recipe using a gluten-free cake mix and just adding the spice and pumpkin (still using the box requirements as well). my dad LOVED THEM! thank you again
one quick question- how do i keep my cupcakes from sticking to the paper? am i using cheap paper or ????
Help! I tried repeatedly to print off this recipe, using the PDF print mechanism on the page, and the only thing showing up to be printed are the comments. I'd love to be able to print the recipe….Could you please check to see if something has been disabled in the recipe printing? Thanks much!
Gina,
I love your recipes. I made these tonight for my friends and they absolutely loved them. One of my friends suggested I make it into a loaf..would take longer or just 20-25 minutes like the cupcakes? Thanks
I made these with Duncan Hines super moist cake mix since it was an 18.25 oz box. They were too moist and kind of mushy. They tasted good though.
I had the same problem. Mine really stuck to the wrapper and just fell apart.
Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same. sorry if I confused you!
Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened which is different.
I like the idea of the cream cheese frosting with brown sugar!
OMG, these cupcakes are AMAZING! I usually haven't cared for the lo-fat dessert recipes I've found elsewhere, but you can't even tell that these ARE lo-fat!! and they were so easy! The only thing I might do differently would be to whip the cream cheese before adding the other frosting ingredients—I had some cream cheese lumps in the frosting. In all, FABULOUS recipe, a keeper!!!
Help! LOL! There is a difference between pumpkin pie filling, 100% pure pumpkin, and pureed pumpkin correct? Can I substitute the pureed pumpkin in the frosting with canned pure pumpkin? This question sounds funny but I can't find canned pureed pumpkin…only canned pumpkin pie filling and 100% pure pumpkin…and I know there is a big difference between the two. Thanks Gina!
I made these last weekend because I love pumpkin anything! I thought the cupcakes were great without the frosting. I think I was the only one in my family that didn't care for the frosting though! If I make these again, I will omit the pumpkin from the icing and just use cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and the spices. I'd love to see more apple recipes on here too–tis the season!
Husband just said "these are the best muffins I've ever had." Which made us both laugh when I pointed out they were cupcakes. Very tastey… Just wish I had the cream cheese for the frosting!
If anyone is have problems with the cupcakes being mushy, MAKE SURE YOUR CAKE MIX IS 18.25 OZ. Betty Crocker has reduced her cake mixes, Duncan Hines still carries the same weight.
Also, FAT FREE cream cheese will not work in the frosting. It will be to wet. Refrigerate icing so that it is cold before you pipe.
Gina – i can't find an 18.25 oz. box of cake mix. Should I add something else to the mix (Flour/oats??) or just use less water and pumpkin?
Just made these for hubby's birthday…L.O.V.E them! Thinking of using the frosting as a filler…yum! I have found so many amazing recipes on this site. Usually new recipes turn out to be flops in my house. So far, everything has been amazing and my husband even asks for me to make them again. I even made the Black & White Chocolate Chip Clouds for a school potluck and had many requests for the recipe :). Thanks Skinny Taste!!
I made these last night, first time experimenting with cake mix + canned pumpkin. Not too shabby. They are very sweet and the texture is very tender/soft, but delicious plain. My frosting had a bit of a gooey texture to it and seemed too thin, so I added some powdered sugar, thinking it would thicken it. Don't. It made it "wetter." So instead we had cupcakes with creamy pumpkin spread! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
These did not turn out for me…a bit mushy and the spice taste was a bit off for the icing. I didn't like…but I do like everything else of yours I have tried.
No no, dont add oil, eggs, or anything else.
I have a silly question, it says combine cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, water and pumpkin for the cupcakes … Do you also add the water and vegetable oil that the cake mix calls for?
I love cream cheese frosting, but you could always add more sugar to it if it's not sweet enough, or you can just use cream cheese, sugar to taste and pumpkin spice and leave out the pumpkin.
Do NOT use fat free cream cheese, it will be runny!!
And check the size of the box, if it's smaller, use less water as others mentioned.
oh and i made the mistake of using canned pumpkin for the frosting. it overpowered the cream cheese flavor.
Perhaps that's why my cupcakes came out too moist? I had used the kind of canned pumpkin that is use for the pie filling. i had two cans of it from last thanksgiving.
i made these for a church tag sale and one thing though. do NOT putt too much pumpkin in it. use the exact amount or else it will be too moist to where it tasted uncooked. Also it will help if you spray the cupcake liners with non stick spray. My cupcakes stuck to them :o(
The frosting was good as well!! But it is a MUST to follow the amount of ingredients or else you will get pumpkin overkill.
*to
Just made these. Delicious! The frosting is on the thinner side, but definitely not runny. It is not sweet in the way regular frosting is, but on these cupcakes it is perfect. I don't think I would even like a traditional frosting on these.
I've made many of your recipes since joining WW, but not too many desserts yet. Now with Fall beginning, I want to try some healthier desserts for school lunches and after-school snacks for the kids. Can't wait too surprise them with these later today.
Thanks for this great website!
i didn't have any issues with the frosting being runny, it is true you just need to keep it in the fridge.
i just looked at your recipe for the skinny red velvet cupcakes — you made the cream cheese frosting differently. I'm wondering if i just did that and added the pumpkin spice it would taste better (since it contains a whole cup of powdered sugar)?? my big issue with the frosting is it tastes too cream cheesey…hmm.
by the way, the man just got home and HE LOVES THE CUPCAKES. frosting and all. WIN. he usually hates desserts!!
Made these tonight and the cupcakes are AMAZING and perfect! I too could only find the 15.25 box, so cut the water down to 3/4th with everything else the same. I messed up the frosting though, it was runny and rather nasty tasting, lol, but I just saw your tips and I did everything wrong! OOPS! SO I'll be remaking the frosting for sure! 🙂 I had used fat free cream cheese as I already had it on hand and my canned pumpkin was VERY runny, so will definitely use your tip for that too! Thank you again so much for the amazing recipes! I live off your recipes and just LOVE them! Thank you!
made these tonight! the frosting does taste WAAAAAY cream-cheesy. i actually only frosted 6 cupcakes and threw the rest away. should i try making it again using less cream cheese and more of the other ingredients? i promised, i followed the measurements EXACTLY, but the frosting is just not sweet enough.
the cake is REALLY good though.
@Gina
Yeah come to think of it, I think it was a smaller box.
No pumpkin spice use nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon instead.
Susan, good for you 🙂
Frosting: Maybe your pumpkin puree was too wet? I would put it on a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture. Make sure you DONT use fat free cream cheese, that would be very watery and could be the problem.
It needs to be cold, refrigerated before you pipe it. I kept it in the fridge till I was ready.
I made these and took them to work, and they got gobbled up! One question, though. I couldn't get the frosting to set up right. It was way too thin and runny – more like a glaze than a frosting. What did I do wrong?
The cake part was amazing, though 🙂
I'm not a huge pumpkin fan, but I'm making these! 3 PPV with icing…YES!
I made these last night – wow! they are sooo good! Thanks for posting! I can't believe they are so few point plus for something so yummy! – Oh, and my frosting came out perfect!
I apparently followed the advise online last year about there being a pumpkin shortage – because I found 7 cans of pumpkin in the pantry! I'll be making your pumpkin butter and swirled cheesecakes later this week. Keep those pumpkin recipes coming! :o)
I made these over the weekend and they were very good. I had the same problem that others are mentioning with the frosting though. It was SO runny. I tried to pipe it on and it just came running out of the bag. I ended up having to just spread it on with a butter knife and then refrigerate the cupcakes to get them to set up a little. They were very delicious, but I am leery to make them again because of the icing issue-any suggestions?
I'm so excited to try this. I love pumpkin!!! But everything that I love…I feel so guilty about. YAY for almost guilt free pumpkin cupcakes!!
P.S. I used Duncan Hines Butter Yellow as the ounces were the same as posted in the recipe. Turned out great!
These are fantastic! I think I like them better without the frosting, which is saying a lot. (However, I am pregnant again and my taste buds are doing crazy things!!!) My husband was convinced they were not "diet food". He even took some to work today to share. Thanks, Gina!
These look amazingly delicious and simple!
BETTY CROCKER HAS CHANGED THE OUNCES IN THE BOXED CAKE MIXES…SURELY IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE OUTCOME…
ALL CAKE MIXES HAVE BEEN DOWN SIZED…
DIANE
These are really good, i actually like them better w/o the icing…who ever thought a cupcake could be awesome even without frosting!?!
Wonderful! Though I did fill the cups a little more than two-thirds, so it yielded 19 instead of 24 cupcakes. Oops! But I ended up with a lot of extra frosting. So that balances out to 3 PointsPlus still, right? 😉
just made these and they are great! I used white cake mix though, and maybe would use a spice mix or a butter pecan cake mix next time for more flavor!
I made these tonight with my son! They are delicious!!!
Can't wait to make these!! I am having a hard time finding pumpkin though.. Went to 4 stores today and no pumpkin.. Gonna hit walmart otherwise I am trying them with sweet potatoes..
Debi
Jenny: Maybe you could use cinnamon and nutmeg?
How would it taste without the pumpkin pie spice?!?! I don't have any, can't run to the store..and want to make them right now!! 🙂 I do have the pumpkin and cake batter..
Kim, how many oz was the box of cake mix?
I cannot figure out how you get 24 cupcakes.
I stretched this as far as I could and made 16.
Had they been any smaller they would not have filled the muffin liners and they would have been "mini" sized.
What did I do wrong?
OMG so very good! I love frosting and can't believe I am saying this….thes were GREAT without it! Great with it too. Made many of your recipes and I always love them!!
Absolutely amazing as always Gina…love these plain and with the icing. Even my 3.5 year old loved them…he was eating the batter! 🙂
My 6 year old son wants me to make these for his Birthday Party next month! Pumpkin is one of his favorites and when he saw these on the screen, he knew they would be perfect! Thanks for the recipe, I cannot wait to make them.
I made these with the 15.25oz box of cake mix, which worked just fine! Very moist and such a hit!!
I just made these and they are delicious! Would you please publish a cookbook? I keep using up a lot of paper printing all your recipes.
I just made a batch of these too- YUM! And as happy as I am that they are healthy, I can't thank you enough for the cupcake ideas without eggs- my daughter has an egg allergy so most cupcakes are off-limits for her. She has eaten 2 of these already and I'm pretty sure she's going to be begging for a third 🙂
Just made these and they are so delicious no one even knew they where healthier, thanks for all your recipes they are helpful in the ww department
Anyone try making these with Betty Crocker Vanilla GLUTEN FREE cake mix? dying to try these but would have to be gluten free. My mouth is watering!
Made these on friday – SO MOIST and delish! I actually preferred them without the icing, and better on points! YUM!
My family loved these. Much better than a previous recipe I used. I must have done something wrong on the icing. Didn't care for it.
Thanks for posting such a great and simple recipe.
Great cupcakes! Thank you, my family loves them!
I made these yesterday and they turned out awesome! My hubby doesn't like cream cheese, so instead of icing I threw in some chocolate chips. So good!
WOW made these last night! I have seriously never ever made any "cake" formula that was this moist.. had to use a little extra brown sugar as the amount called for was a little too cream cheese tasting.. DELISH!!!
These came out heavenly! I can not believe there is no oil in them. I decided to be bold and used a spice cake mix and they came out perfect. My daughter couldn't stop raving about them. She especially adored the icing. I have said it before–YOU are a cooking goddess. Th