Pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin frosting? Yes, please!
These pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin Greek yogurt frosting are a delicious pumpkin dessert for fall, with the tangy frosting adding more amazing flavors to the already decadent cinnamon-y treat.
The cupcakes are a lot lighter as well, which I absolutely love, since we’re skipping the usual cream cheese-butter combo.
The key to this recipe is the frosting, so PLEASE take the time to read the instructions in the ‘How-To’ section below. It’s super important that you prepare the frosting correctly so it sets thick and creamy!
What You’ll Need
- The cupcakes are made with flour, butter, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, warm spices, and eggs.
- For the frosting, you’ll need drained Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- For serving, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over the cupcakes to make them look festive and smell even more amazing.
How to Make These Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Frosting
IMPORTANT INFORMATION! DON’T MISS THIS SECTION!
While I usually start a baking recipe with instructions for how to make the baked dessert, this one is a little different.
I was very excited when I found this Greek yogurt frosting recipe because I was tired of the same old heavy butter-cream cheese combo on everything. But because we’re not using butter or much fat at all, we need to work a little harder to achieve a frosting that sets well and doesn’t slip off the cupcakes.
For that, we need to drain the Greek yogurt of as much water as possible, and this step takes a minimum of 6 hours, ideally 12 hours or more. In a perfect world, you’ll do this step the night before baking your cupcakes.
So you see why I need you to start the cupcakes recipe with the frosting?
To drain the Greek yogurt from water, measure it out and place it in a mesh sieve or paper coffee filter set inside a sieve over a bowl. The sieve needs to sit higher so that the water can drip off the yogurt and not just sit at the bottom of the bowl, soaking it all back up again.
If your pumpkin puree is very watery, you should let it drain the same way or cook it down briefly on the stove to evaporate any extra moisture. Let the puree cool down completely before using.
Once again, this step is essential for a thick frosting that holds up!
Now it’s time to make the cupcakes. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium-sized bowl.
In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla together (ideally by using a hand mixer) until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
If you don’t have a hand mixture, don’t worry – you can still do this step manually; it’ll just take a bit more time and effort!
Next, beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times as you go on.
Then, mix in half of the pumpkin puree until just combined, then add half of the dry ingredients and mix again until smooth.
Repeat with the remaining pumpkin and flour mix – first, add in the pumpkin puree and mix until just incorporated, then add the flour and continue mixing until completely smooth.
Line your muffin tray with cupcake/muffin liners, then divide the batter between your muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake at 325°F for 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or the tops spring back when you gently press into them.
Cool the cupcakes completely before filling.
Now that the Greek yogurt and pumpkin puree have drained, it’s time to make the frosting.
Beat the yogurt, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Chill the frosting in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Finally, you can use a piping bag or spread the frosting over the cupcakes using a spatula. Once they’re frosted, you would ideally let them sit in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to let the frosting firm up even more.
But because the consistency of the frosting comes out quite thick if you’ve done everything correctly, you can definitely serve the cupcakes right away; the frosting will just be a little softer.
Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving and store in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy this delicious pumpkin dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The frosting is my favorite part, as it’s SO much lighter than regular cream cheese frosting. The Greek yogurt keeps everything perfectly creamy but helps ditch the calories.
- Pumpkin on pumpkin on pumpkin spice: This recipe has triple the seasonal flavor!
- It’s the perfect fall party recipe. The pumpkin puree in the frosting adds beautiful fall colors, so these cupcakes will look amazing on a Thanksgiving or Halloween dessert table.
- It’s beginner-friendly: The recipe is super easy to follow, even if you’ve never made cupcakes before!
- The cupcakes actually taste the best when made ahead, so it’s an excellent no-rush recipe! Prepare everything for the frosting and bake the cupcakes the night before, then make the icing and frost them the next day, and chill again until serving.
Tips for Success
- DO NOT SKIP THE STEP OF DRAINING THE GREEK YOGURT (and pumpkin if needed). The more liquid you remove from the yogurt and pumpkin, the thicker the frosting will be. See more here!
- Cool cupcakes completely before frosting to avoid melting. They taste the best the next day anyway!
- Chill frosting before using if it feels too soft – this will help firm it up and will actually remove even more excess water.
- Use full-fat Greek yogurt for the creamiest texture.
- Store the cupcakes in the fridge since the frosting is dairy-based.
📌 Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Frosting (Recipe Card)
Ingredients (Makes 12 cupcakes)
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Frosting
- 4 cups plain Greek yogurt, drained overnight
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, drained
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (or sweetener)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon, for topping
Equipment
- Muffin tin + liners
- Sieve + coffee filters/cheesecloth
- Mixing bowls
- Hand or stand mixer
- Piping bag (optional)
Instructions
- Drain Greek yogurt in coffee filters set over a sieve for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain pumpkin puree if watery, or cook down briefly to remove excess moisture. This step should ideally be done the day before – please refer to the ‘How-To’ section above.
- To make the cupcake batter, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy (a hand mixer helps, but you can do it by hand with some effort!).
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl as go along.
- Gently mix in half of the pumpkin purée until just combined, then half of the dry ingredients.
- Repeat with the remaining pumpkin and flour mixture in the same way, mixing gently just until the pumpkin puree is incorporated, then adding the flour and giving it a final round until everything is smooth.
- Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners and fill each about ¾ full with batter.
- Bake at 325°F for 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or the tops spring back when gently pressed. Cool completely before filling.
- To make the pumpkin Greek yogurt frosting, beat drained yogurt, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Chill until you’re ready to use it.
- Pipe or spread the frosting onto each cupcake using a piping bag or a spatula. For best results, let the cupcakes chill in the fridge for 30–60 minutes to help the frosting firm up.
- If you feel your frosting is thick enough, you can serve them right away – just expect a softer, creamier top.
- Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon before serving.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
