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These pumpkin snickerdoodle cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are perfect for fall gatherings. They start out with a cake mix, and couldn’t be easier! 

pumpkin snickerdoocle cupcakes 2024

Hello everyone! Elizabeth here, and today I’m welcoming you into my kitchen! For those of you who might not know, I’m Ann’s daughter, and I occasionally visit my mom’s blog to share a recipe, or something I’ve done around my house. I love all things snickerdoodle, and all things pumpkin, and these cupcakes are the perfect combination of both. They are also extremely moist, and have just the right amount of spice.

Ingredient Notes + Variations

  • Using a box cake mix and canned pumpkin is such a time-saver, and these cupcakes taste like they are made from scratch.
  • This recipe can also be made into a pumpkin cinnamon chip cake. Prepare a bundt pan, pour in the batter, and bake according to the directions on the cake box.
  • If you don’t want to make the cream cheese frosting for your bundt cake, here are two other options.
    • Heat a container of store-bought vanilla frosting in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Stir in one teaspoon of cinnamon. Drizzle over the cooled bundt cake. 
    • Or simply dust the bundt cake with powdered sugar.
pumpkin snickerdoodle cupcake batter in bowl 2024

About the Cinnamon Chips

Hershey’s cinnamon chips can be found in the baking aisle of your grocery store. They usually appear in September, and disappear after Thanksgiving. If you can’t find them, you can order them online, or just leave them out. These pumpkin snickerdoodle cupcakes are still very tasty! A reader left a comment below saying that she used butterscotch chips, and that they were delicious.

pumpkin snickerdoodle cupcakes batter in muffin pan 2024

How to Make

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Put first six ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl.
  • Beat according to directions on cake box.
  • Add cinnamon chips. Mix until combined.
  • Place cupcake liners in the vessels of a muffin pan or spray each vessel with Baker’s Joy.
  • Using a large scoop, fill vessels with batter.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
  • Add the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon to the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • Mix on medium-high until well combined.
  • Add half the bag of powdered sugar. Mix well. Keep adding powdered sugar until the frosting is the desired consistency. You will have about 1/4 of the bag left.
  • Top cupcakes with frosting. Store in an airtight container.
  • Refrigerate leftover frosting for up to 2 weeks.
pumpkin snickerdoodle cupcakes with cream cheese frosting 2024

Perfectly Sized Cupcakes

To get the perfect size for your cupcakes, and one that looks beautiful with the frosting, use a large scoop. The scoop should not be overfilled. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting that goes on these cupcakes is delicious…and it really adds so much flavor.

piping bag with pumpkin snickerdoodle cupcakes 2024 cream cheese frosting

How to Pipe a Cupcake

  • Using a spatula, fill your piping bag (fitted with a tip) about ¾ of the way full with frosting.
  • Squeeze the frosting down towards the tip of the bag, and then twist the open end to close it. It’s important to make sure that there is no air inside.
  • Hold your bag with the tip in the middle of the cupcake.
  • Squeeze your bag, and move the tip in a circular motion around the cupcake – I like to move clockwise.
  • Once you’ve piped a complete circle, continue to pipe smaller circles on top until you have your desired amount of frosting on the cupcake.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cupcakes Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Cupcakes full of pumpkin and cinnamon topped with a cream cheese frosting. Perfect for fall family gatherings or after-school snacks.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Time to Frost 15 minutes
Servings 24 cupcakes
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Ingredients
 

For the cupcakes

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 can 100% pure pumpkin (15 oz.)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup Hershey Cinnamon Chips (or Nestle Pumpkin Spice Morsels)

For the frosting

  • 2 lb. bag powdered sugar
  • 3 sticks butter softened (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1 tablespoon Cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Put first six ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl.
  • Beat according to directions on cake box.
  • Add cinnamon chips. Mix until combined.
  • Place cupcake liners in the vessels of a muffin pan or spray each vessel with Baker’s Joy.
  • Using a large scoop, fill vessels with batter.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
  • Add the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon to the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • Mix on medium-high until well combined.
  • Add half the bag of powdered sugar. Mix well. Keep adding powdered sugar until the frosting is the desired consistency. You will have about 1/4 of the bag left.
  • Top cupcakes with frosting. Store in an airtight container.
  • Refrigerate leftover frosting for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Ann Drake
Like this recipe?Follow me at @onsuttonplace

If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!

There is nothing better than the smell of pumpkin combined with cinnamon baking in the oven. If you are in the mood to bake, I highly recommend these pumpkin snickerdoodle cupcakes. They will definitely put you in the mood for Fall!

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9 Comments

  1. Could this recipe be made without the pumpkin? What would you use in place of the pumpkin?

  2. Lea Kagel says:

    King Arthur’s baking catalog sells cinnamon chips!

    1. Ann Drake says:

      Thank you so much…I will include that in the post!

  3. I used the butterscotch chips – wonderful!

  4. I made these to serve on my Christmas Eve birthday. Everyone loved them and wanted the recipe. I made it gluten free simply by using King Arthur gluten free yellow cake mix. Delicious!

  5. OH yum . It’s going to be on the cool side here this week & having friends over for afternoon coffee these will be perfect.Thanks for sharing.

  6. I have made these twice. They are absolutely delicious. Very easy to make. My family loves them. Friends love them. Bible study ladies love them. When I made the frosting, I froze the leftovers and got it out when I made the cupcakes the second time! I don’t know what else to say, you need to try this recipe!

    1. Ann Drake says:

      Great idea to freeze the frosting so it’s ready for the second batch…thank you!