Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cupcakes are the perfect fall treat! They are a delicious combination of two classic fall flavors- pumpkin and cinnamon. They are fluffy, moist, and made with a pumpkin puree then topped with cinnamon sugar frosting. They're perfect for a Halloween party or any other fall gathering.

I've always been a huge fan of the delicious cinnamon and sugar mixture. Growing up, my family would sprinkle it on toast spread with melted butter for a quick afternoon snack. I think it's because of this that I love cinnamon recipes. From Snickerdoodle Blondies to Cinnamon Cupcakes to Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Muffins, I just can't get enough!

If you like pumpkin and snickerdoodle-flavored goodies, then these cupcakes are for you. They have a light and fluffy pumpkin cake base with a cinnamon sugar topping, just like a traditional snickerdoodle cookie. These cupcakes are perfect for all holiday gatherings or as an after-school treat.

I get so excited when it's fall because I associate this season with pumpkins. With Halloween around the corner, you can make these Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls with brown sugar cream cheese frosting and Pumpkin Flan Cake with all the excess pumpkins.

Watch the video below to see how we made these cupcakes!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THESE CUPCAKES

• It's super easy and quick to make. The addition of pumpkin results in moist snickerdoodle cupcakes!
• Delicious- the homemade cream cheese frosting is a melt-in-your-mouth moment
• This easy recipe does not need special equipment
• A perfect way to incorporate vegetables into treats. Yes, I do know that pumpkins are technically a fruit.

INGREDIENTS LIST AND NOTES

Detailed measurements of ingredients are in the full recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Granulated Sugar: This is typically all-purpose sugar but please make sure not to use it in frosting.
• Vegetable oil: This will make the cake moist, and fluffy and plays a role in keeping the cupcakes moist even under cold temperatures like in a freezer or fridge.
• Eggs: Four large eggs at room temperature
• Pumpkin puree: You can use a store-bought can of pumpkin puree or a homemade one. Just make sure to not use pumpkin pie filling.
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and Baking Soda: A lot of people get confused with the two, they are both leavening agents. Baking soda gives immediate leavening effects while baking powder keeps reacting to the heat, therefore, giving a leavening boost throughout the baking phase.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Enhance the pumpkin cupcakes flavor with this spice containing cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Salt: Balance those flavors with a little bit of salt.
• Cinnamon and Sugar- because this classic cookie upgrade is so much better with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar!

CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Powdered sugar
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Cream cheese: Bring this to room temperature. Makes beating with a hand mixer easier.
• Unsalted butter: Room temperature as well

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

Make these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle cupcakes low-carb and keto friendly.

Replace the following ingredients:

• All-purpose flour with almond flour
• Vegetable oil with olive oil on a one-to-one ratio or coconut oil.
• Sugar can be replaced with keto-friendly sweeteners like Erythritol, stevia, and xylitol.
• For powdered sugar, there are powdered sugar alternatives available as well.
• Try this recipe with a cinnamon buttercream frosting by replacing the cream cheese with butter.
• Make your Pumpkin Snickerdoodle cupcakes more Snickerdoodle-y by crushing Snickerdoodle cookies to use the crumbs as a finishing topping.
• Swap out the pumpkin- If you're not making this during the fall, or don't have pumpkin available, used mashed bananas instead!

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

•  Muffin pan
•  Electric mixer 
•  Piping bag
• Small and large mixing bowl

How to make Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, beat together oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time and beat until fully incorporated.
4. Beat in pumpkin, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
5. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Please sift your dry ingredients to remove any clumps.
6. Gradually stir flour into the sugar/egg mixture.
7. In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar.
8. Fill cupcake liners ⅔ way full and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
9. Bake cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a knife or toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Don't open the oven door during baking.
10. Allow them to cool thoroughly on a wire rack before frosting.

To make cinnamon cream cheese frosting

1. Beat all ingredients on low for about 2 minutes.
2. Once the ingredients have been completely incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar.

PRO TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS

• When mixing the ingredients, don't over mix the batter. Beat the granulated sugar with vegetable oil until fluffy then add your eggs, from here you will want to use a rubber spatula to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
• Do not fill up your cupcake liners otherwise, you will end up with mushroom-like cupcakes and I'm sure you don't want that. Rather have little than more.
• Over beating the frosting might end up giving you a runny frosting. Be sure to stay within the advised time of up to 2 minutes on low speed.
• Add a bit of extra cinnamon if you're a fan!

PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLE CUPCAKES FAQs

Can I use this recipe to bake a cake instead of cupcakes? 

Yes absolutely. You will have to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the cake. Depending on how big you want your cake to be, you can double the measurements and adjust accordingly.

How many cups will this recipe make?

This recipe makes 2 dozen frosted cupcakes. You may have a bit of leftover frosting depending on how you frost the tops of the cupcakes.

My cupcakes rose but sank afterward. What could be the cause of this?

Different factors can cause this:

• They could be underbaked, so check the time and oven temperature.
• Over Mixing the batter results in too much air in the batter causing it to sink once cooled down.
• A runny batter due to a high content of liquid ingredients. This will create steam which will evaporate leaving your cupcakes sunken.

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree? 

Yes, you can use homemade puree and it's so easy to make. Just bake the pumpkin with seeds removed then once fully cooked, scoop it out if it was baked with skin then blend that till it's smooth.

What causes my cupcakes to overflow?

Too often the culprit will be a leavening agent. If the recipe provides scale weight then try to follow as per the recipe guide. Another reason could just be that you filled up the cupcake liners more than the recommendation of ½ to ⅔.

Storage Tips

These cupcakes will stay in the fridge for up to 3 days. Put them in an airtight container cause they can easily absorb the smell of other foods in the fridge.

You can freeze the cupcake but without the frosting. Put them on a baking sheet then only when they are frozen you can transfer them to a ziplock bag. So ideally when you are baking for a function that is a few days away, you can bake the cupcakes and then allow them to cool completely before putting them in the freezer. The frosting will have to be done on the same day or you can store it separately in the fridge.

If you loved these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cupcakes you might want to try these Cupcake recipes as well.

• Beer cupcakes: Show the men in your life how special they are with these beer cupcakes that were specially crafted for them.
• Indulge in this Strawberry cheesecake in a cup size topped with cheesecake frosting and fresh strawberries.
• Celebrate in style with these Pink Champagne Cupcakes, they will match your pink champagne too.