The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes are everything I want in a fall dessert. You get a soft and spiced pumpkin cupcake, a buttery graham cracker crust, pumpkin cheesecake filling, and a whipped cream cheese frosting, covered with extra crisp graham cracker crumbles.
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The graham cracker crust adds a little crunch underneath the soft pumpkin cupcake, while the pumpkin cheesecake filling gives these cupcakes a cheesecake flavor without having to actually bake a cheesecake. Finish them with graham cracker crumbs around the sides, and you have the cutest little fall cupcake.
If you love PUMPKIN, you need to make my small batch pumpkin cream cheese muffins, famous pumpkin rolls, pumpkin snickerdoodles.
Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes
Pumpkin flavor: Pumpkin cupcake and pumpkin cheesecake filling is that pumpkiny enough?
Not too sweet: The whipped cream cheese frosting pairs so well with the cupcake, it's not overly sweet.
The textures are so good together. Soft pumpkin cake, cheesecake filling, whipped cream cheese frosting, and crunchy graham crackers
They're perfect for fall. Whether you're making them for Thanksgiving, a fall gathering, or just because you're craving pumpkin, these cupcakes are an easy way to bring all those classic fall flavors together.
Pumpkin Cheesecake cupcakes Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cupcakes structure while keeping them soft and tender.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Help the cupcakes rise and give them a light texture.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and flavors.
Pumpkin Puree: Adds moisture. Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling.
Oil: Keeps the cupcakes moist and soft. Use vegetable, canola or even avocado oil.
Pumpkin Spice: My favorite pumpkin spice is from burlap and barrel.
Eggs: Use large sized eggs
Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and the molasses flavor, while granulated sugar provides sweetness and helps create a tender cupcake.
Graham Cracker Crust/crumble:
Graham Cracker Crumbs: Use Honey maid honey graham crackers.
Granulated Sugar: Adds a little sweetness to the crust.
Melted Butter: Binds everything together
Cinnamon:
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
Cream Cheese: Use Room temperature, full fat cream cheese
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the filling and dissolves easily
Pumpkin Puree: Adds extra pumpkin flavor
Vanilla Extract:
Heavy Cream: Whipped into the filling to make it lighter, fluffier
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese: Gives the frosting its signature tangy cheesecake flavor and creamy texture.
Heavy Cream: Whips up light and fluffy, making the frosting softer and less dense than traditional cream cheese frosting.
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the frosting, granulated can also be used here but it has to be added with the cream cheese in the beginning.
Vanilla Extract: I use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the beautiful speckles in the frosting
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes
Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat Oven to 350F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated.
Add 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture to the bottom of each cupcake liner. Gently press it down into an even layer.
Pour the remaining graham cracker mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 325 for 10 minutes. The edges should just be golden brown. Allow it to fully cool and then set to the side until needed.
Make the Pumpkin Cupcakes
In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
With a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
Divide the batter evenly between the graham cracker crust cupcakes.
Bake until the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
While the cupcakes cool, prepare the pumpkin cheesecake filling.
Mix the room temperature cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy, then add the pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract. Add the heavy cream and mix until thickened. Don't overmix!
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside.
Place the softened cream cheese to the mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and whip until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then mix until just combined.
Add the whipped cream and mix on low until everything is just combined and the frosting is light and fluffy. Be careful not to overmix.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcake Assembly
Cut a small hole into the center of each cooled cupcake. Pipe the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the center, being careful not to overfill.
Transfer the whipped cream cheese frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a round piping tip. Pipe the frosting over the top of each cupcake, covering the cheesecake filling.
For the finishing touch, gently press graham cracker crumbs onto the sides of the frosting. The crumbs add the perfect little bit of crunch to every bite.
Jen's Tips
Don't fill the cupcakes while they're warm. Let the pumpkin cupcakes cool completely before adding the cheesecake filling. Otherwise, the filling and frosting can become soft and difficult to work with.
Don't overmix the cupcake batter. Mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing can make your cupcakes dense instead of soft and tender.
Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, which can change the flavor and texture of the cupcakes.
Chill before serving. Since these cupcakes contain cream cheese, I recommend chilling them before serving. They're especially delicious cold!
Moist Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust/Crumble
- 1 ½ cup Graham cracker crumbs one sleeve
- 6 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoon Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¾ cup Pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup Oil
- 2 teaspoon Pumpkin spice
- 2 large Eggs
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 4 ounces Cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon Pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Heavy cream
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces Cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract Vanilla Bean
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat Oven to 350F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture to the bottom of each cupcake liner. Gently press it down into an even layer.
- Pour the remaining graham cracker mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 325 for 10 minutes. The edges should just be golden brown. Allow it to fully cool and then set to the side until needed.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- With a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the graham cracker crust cupcakes.
- Bake until the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the cupcakes cool, prepare the pumpkin cheesecake filling.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Mix the room temperature cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy, then add the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and sugar. Add the heavy cream and mix until thickened. Don't overmix!
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside.
- Place the softened cream cheese to the mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and whip until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then mix until just combined.
- Add the whipped cream and mix on low until everything is just combined and the frosting is light and fluffy. Be careful not to overmix.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcake Assembly
- Cut a small hole into the center of each cooled cupcake. Pipe the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the center, being careful not to overfill.
- Transfer the whipped cream cheese frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a round piping tip. Pipe the frosting over the top of each cupcake, covering the cheesecake filling.
- For the finishing touch, gently press graham cracker crumbs onto the sides of the frosting. The crumbs add the perfect little bit of crunch to every bite.
