It’s that time of year when all things pumpkin abound, and I’m not mad about it. In fact, I’m bringing pumpkin and pumpkin spice with today’s recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like pumpkin pie or cupcakes, and combining them sounds divine. That’s not even the best part. Okay, it’s the best part, but this is also pretty good: they’re topped with whipped cream, not buttercream frosting. That’s right, cupcakes without a topping made from multiple sticks of butter. They’re practically healthy! Okay, maybe healthier than your typical cupcake, but I’m betting they’ll be every bit as tasty.
If you are a fan of pumpkin pie, you will find these Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes to be a perfect spin on the traditional dessert. Pumpkin pie in the form of a cupcake. All the same great flavors just without the crust. Just add on a dollop of whipped cream for a perfect individual fall dessert.
The Ingredients
I have to admit that this isn’t an ordinary cupcake recipe. The first thing I noticed was the relatively short list of ingredients. That meant I had most everything on hand, and all I had to shop for was the eggs, evaporated milk, and pumpkin puree.
The other thing that struck me was there is not a trace of butter in this recipe. Baked goods without butter?! I have heard of using applesauce as a substitute for butter in low-fat baking recipes, so perhaps the pumpkin puree will do the same here.
The Process
I have to say that these were the easiest cupcakes I’ve ever made! They had fewer ingredients than most recipes, and the steps were broken down nicely. There were no ‘what do I do now?’ moments at all.
Plus not having to make buttercream frosting meant no stand mixer or hand mixer was needed, just a plain old wooden spoon and a little elbow grease.
Making these Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes went so smoothly, but I did have a moment of doubt. It happened when I removed the muffin pan from the oven. I did the toothpick test on the center cupcake, and the toothpick came back coated in batter.
My first impulse was to bake them a bit longer, but the recipe was very specific so I decided to follow it to the letter since things had gone so well. I let them cool, and they were solid enough when I turned them out of the pan. I took that as a good sign and continued on, chilling them in the refrigerator.
One thing I did was top these cupcakes as I served them. Whipped cream has a tendency to melt if left for very long, and I didn’t want that to happen. But spooning a dab onto a cupcake or two and sprinkling on a little more pumpkin spice was easy enough.
Here’s the breakdown of my time:
- 11 minutes to prep
- 20 minutes to bake
- 15 minutes to cool in the pan
- 30 minutes to chill in the refrigerator
- 1 hour 16 minutes total
