Espresso and pumpkin spice come together to create warm and comforting flavors in these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes.
Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes are a delicious fall treat that combines the flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with the rich and creamy taste of a warm latte. These cupcakes are a perfect way to celebrate the season and enjoy the cozy flavors of fall with friends and family.
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Fall Favorite Starbucks Drink
Pumpkin spice is a fall favorite blend of spices and it's easy to make at home using your everyday pantry spices. It's also one of Starbucks ' most desired drinks when the cooler weather begins to set in. This Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte copycat pairs deliciously with these pumpkin spice cupcakes.
Cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves blend together to create a flavorful homemade version of pumpkin pie spice.
Another fall favorite is pumpkin and either a homemade puree or store-bought canned pumpkin works for this recipe. If purchasing the canned variety, make sure to buy 100% Pure Pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie mix variety.
RELATED: Pumpkin Gingerbread Cupcakes
What Ingredients Are in Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes?
- Butter - Unsalted and softened
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs - Room temperature is best
- Pumpkin Puree - Pure Pumpkin is best
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - Cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda - leavening agents
- Buttermilk - Creates a light and fluffy texture
- Espresso powder and coffee
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese- room temperature
- Confectioner's sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Cream - to create a light whipped texture
Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Heavy Cream
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Iced Pumpkin Spice Loaf
How to Make Starbucks Inspired Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes
Prepare the oven and muffin tins- Preheat the oven to 350° and line muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.
Combine the wet ingredients- Cream together the softened butter and the granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time until light and fluffy. Finally, beat in the pumpkin.
Combine the dry ingredients- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Make the coffee espresso mix- Warm ¼ cup of coffee add 2 tablespoon of espresso and mix well.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Alternate with the buttermilk and the coffee to avoid overmixing. You want the batter to be moistened and not overmixed which will result in a dense dry cupcake.
Fill the liners- Equally, fill 24 muffin liners with the cupcake batter.
Bake the Cupcakes- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are done before removing them from the oven. All the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Start with room temperature ingredients- Beat together the room temperature cream cheese and the confectioner's sugar until smooth.
Add in the liquids- Beat in the vanilla extract and beat in the heavy cream until the frosting becomes thick and peaks begin to form.
Decorate and store- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes using a cupcake decorating piping bag and a piping tip. Drizzle with homemade salted caramel sauce.
Making Pumpkin Cupcakes
To create a light and fluffy cupcake one of the most important things to do is to not overbeat the mix.
Buttermilk also plays another roll in this recipe as it creates a moist and soft cupcake. If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can substitute the buttermilk for a combination of milk and lemon juice.
To make the substitute, combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 cup of milk. Allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes before combining it with other ingredients.
Room temperature eggs are important as well. That way they beat easier and quicker than using cold eggs.
I use canned pumpkin because of the convenience. I purchase canned pure pumpkin versus pumpkin pie mix. The pumpkin pie mix has a blend of spices that can throw off your baking - canned pure pumpkin is simply just a blend of winter squashes.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
Inspired by the Starbucks Drink - Espresso and pumpkin spice come together to create warm and comforting flavors in these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 15 oz pure canned pure pumpkin
- ¾ cup butter, unsalted & softened
- 3 eggs
- 2 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk*
- ¼ cup coffee + 2 tablespoon espresso
Homemade Pumpkin Spice
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups heavy cream
- Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line muffin tins with 24 liners.
- Cream together the softened butter and the granulated sugar.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the pumpkin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Warm ¼ cup of coffee and add 2 tablespoon of espresso and mix well.
- Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Alternate with the buttermilk and the coffee.
- Beat until just combined, do not over mix.
- Equally fill 24 muffin liners with the cupcake batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are done before removing from the oven.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cook completely.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat together the room temperature cream cheese and the confectioner's sugar until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla extract.
- Beat in the heavy cream and beat until frosting becomes thick and peaks form.
- Decorate cupcakes and top with drizzled caramel sauce if desired.
- Store in refrigerator.
Notes
*Substitute buttermilk with 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe. Use ¾ cup of mixture and discard the rest.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 323Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 187mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 4g
Nutrition calculation is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the cooking technique and the exact ingredients used. For informational purposes only.
Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
Sondra Barker says
YUM! OK this looks SO good. I need to try this. Thanks for the recipe!!
Dana says
Enjoy!! 🙂
Chandice Probst says
OK these are not only gorgeous but they are so fun and full of fall flavors! Thank you so much!
Monica says
Do I have to use esspeso powder or can I just use the brewed espresso shots?
Dana says
Yes, you can use those. 🙂
Alyssa Burton says
What type of coffee do use? Non coffee drinker here 💙
Dana says
Instant coffee would work just fine. You can get it in small packets 🙂
Alyssa Burton says
@Dana, thanks so much I used black coffee from Starbucks worked great. But my icing came out so watery. Is it 2 3/4 cups and two cups? It never came together I ended up having to add so much more sugar for it to thicken up