Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes Recipe

It goes without saying that fall is certainly the time of year for all things pumpkin. Everything from drinks and desserts to even savory dishes feature this favorite ingredient as the star. And it certainly continues on from the beginning of fall all the way through Thanksgiving.

That popularity has to do with pumpkin being such a wildly versatile ingredient, pairing well with sweet and savory applications. From apples and caramel to browned butter and sage, it's delicious in anything. Another great flavor pairing? Pumpkin and pecans.

These cupcakes bring together two classic fall flavors for the perfect bite. The cupcakes are soft and moist, with great texture added from chopped pecans. They're topped with a luscious, tangy cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of chopped pecans to create the ultimate fall treat. And even better? There's no need for store-bought treats here. You can pull off making them from scratch at home in under 30 minutes.

To get started on these delicious treats, grab your ingredients first. For this pumpkin pecan cupcakes recipe, you'll need flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, one egg, oil, canned pumpkin, and milk.

To make the cream cheese frosting, you'll also need unsalted softened butter, one brick of softened cream cheese, and powdered sugar. And of course, you'll need pecans to round it out.

To get started on baking the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. This step will allow the oven to heat up to the proper temperature while you make your pumpkin cupcake batter. 

In a mixing bowl, add in all of the dry ingredients. Add in the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and mix to combine. Be sure the dry mixture is free of any large clumps before moving on.

With the dry ingredients ready, it's time to finish the batter with the wet ingredients. First up add in the egg and the oil and mix. Next, mix in the milk, and then mix in the pumpkin until the batter forms. Be sure not to overmix the batter at this step. Overmixing will cause the gluten to overdevelop, resulting in a drier cupcake.

Once the batter is ready, mix in the chopped pecans. 

Once the batter is ready, it's time to bake! Line a cupcake pan with paper liners to prevent the cupcakes from sticking while baking. Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake wells, filling halfway full. Place the cupcake pan in the oven and bake the cupcakes for 18 to 20 minutes. Once the cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and set them aside to fully cool before adding cream cheese frosting.

To make the cream cheese frosting, grab a mixing bowl. Add in the softened butter and softened cream cheese and mix the two ingredients with a hand mixer until fluffy. Next, add in two cups of the powdered sugar and the milk and mix. Gradually add the remaining powdered sugar to the mixture until the frosting comes together.

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, frost them with the cream cheese frosting. Garnish each cupcake with additional crushed pecans if desired.