Name: Low Sugar Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: ⅔ cup butter (softened); ½ cup+1tbsp sugar; 1⅓ cups+1tsp all-purpose/plain flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 3 large eggs (room temperature); 4 tablespoons milk (room temperature); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ⅙ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1⅕ teaspoon cinnamon; ⅔ teaspoon ground ginger; ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves (each); 1⅓ cups cream cheese; 2 tablespoons butter (softened); 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar/icing sugar (unsifted); Zest of 1½ lemon

Jump to Recipe

These low sugar Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes come with an easy cream cheese lemon frosting and take just minutes to put together. They make a delicious treat, perfect for the holiday season.

Cupcakes with white frosting in brown paper cases with saucer and white cup with coffee in background.

These delicious Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are fluffy, moist and made without pumpkin. While many other cupcake recipes feature the frosting as the main ingredient these cupcakes are different. These deliciously spiced cupcakes are the star of the show in this recipe while the frosting complements the flavours adding zest.

These cupcakes contain approx. 30% less sugar as well as fat than typical cupcakes (this includes the cream cheese frosting). One pumpkin spiced cupcake contains approx. 250 calories.

What is pumpkin spice

If you are not sure what pumpkin spice actually is, well first of all there is no pumpkin in it! It is a combination of spices used for making various autumnal desserts which may or may not also contain pumpkin. These spices typically include:

Cinnamon

Ginger

Allspice

Cloves

Nutmeg

For this recipe I made my own pumpkin spice mixture but if you prefer to use readymade pumpkin spice that's absolutely fine. Simply omit the spices in the recipe and use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice.

Other pumpkin spice recipes you might like include this easy pumpkin cake, Polish gingerbread cake and gingerbread muffins.

Pumpkin spice cupcakes ingredients and substitutions

Pumpkin spice cupcakes ingredients in individual dishes. — Pumpkin spice cupcakes ingredients.

The cupcakes

All-purpose/plain flour.
Baking powder.
Spices: use either individual spices as per Instructions or pumpkin spice/UK mixed spice.
Eggs: ensure they are at room temperature.
Butter: softened.
Sugar: regular sugar is fine but you can use caster sugar instead if you like.
Vanilla extract: complements the spices.
Milk: ensures the cupcakes have the right consistency.

The frosting

Cream cheese: use a full fat or reduced fat variety.
Butter: adds firmness and helps make the frosting creamier.
Confectioners'/icing sugar: I used a moderate amount, but you can adjust it to suit your taste.
Lemon zest: you could replace it with lime or orange zest if preferred.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C (170 C fan)/ gas mark 4. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper cases and set aside.

Place all the cupcake ingredients (including the spices) in a large bowl.

3 eggs, butter, spices, sugar and flour in large white bowl, with electric mixer ends.

2. Beat on low speed until all the ingredients have been incorporated and the mixture is creamy. Do not overmix.

Pumpkin spice cupcake batter in large white bowl with electric mixer ends.

3. Spoon the mixture into your paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes.

Cupcake batter in 12 brown liners in muffin pan.

4. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes then place the cupcakes on a rack to cool completely.

5. To make the frosting beat all the ingredients until fluffy, for a minute or so. Cool your pumpkin spice cupcakes completely before decorating.

Serving suggestions

I love these easy pumpkin spice cupcakes with the cream cheese lemon frosting, but you can drizzle them lightly with melted dark chocolate or orange/lemon glaze instead if you prefer. You could also omit the lemon zest in the frosting and stir in dark chocolate flakes instead or scatter these over the frosting.

Top tips

Ensure your oven temperature is not too high. If you are using a regular oven bake these cupcakes in the centre at 180 C/ gas mark 4. For fan assisted ovens the temperature should be a little lower - 170 C/ gas mark 3. The right temperature will produce perfect, evenly risen (as well as moist) cupcakes without high peaks.
Use readymade pumpkin spice (2 tsp) instead of individual spices if preferred.
Ensure your butter is quite soft (for both the cupcakes and the frosting) so it's easy to mix in with the other ingredients.
Do NOT overmix the batter.
Store your cupcakes with pumpkin spice, once completely cooled, in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Keep the frosting covered, refrigerated (for up to 3 days) and decorate the cupcakes just before serving.
Freeze the cupcakes (without the frosting) for up to 3 months.

Top down view of cupcakes with white frosting and cup of coffee on white saucer.

More fall desserts to try

Why not check out ALL my healthier dessert ideas!

Keep in touch!

If you make this pumpkin spiced cupcakes recipe with cream cheese frosting I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Low Sugar Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes