Begin with a box of spice cake mix, blend in pumpkin and eggs, and finish with cream cheese frosting for three ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes that taste like fall in every bite!

Cream cheese frosting on top of three ingredient pumpkin spice latte flavored cupcakes on a wooden board on a plaid napkin.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Recipe

Using a box of spice cake mix means the popular fall flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice are already included. Add a can of pureed pumpkin and the pumpkin spice latte flavors really shine through these cupcakes.

Starting with our Pumpkin Carrot Cake and converting the recipe into cupcakes was a great way to serve individual fall desserts to volunteers at a recent luncheon.

People went out of their way to complement this recipe. One attendee shared she was going to pass on dessert until she saw how much others were enjoying these pumpkins spice cupcakes with cake mix.

Cream cheese frosting coating pumpkin spice dessert with a fork that took a bite on a red, yellow and orange plaid napkin.

We have a variety of wonderful pumpkin treats from our Pumpkin Cream Puff Cake, Betty Crocker Pumpkin Bars, and Pumpkin Spice Bread that are all fall favorites, but none are as easy as these cupcakes.

Only 3 Ingredients Needed

Box of Spice Cake Mix – carrot cake mix works as a similar substitute.
Canned Pumpkin – we like the regular sized (not large can) of 100% pure pumpkin instead of pumpkin pie filling, but both can work.
Eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting is optional!

Ingredients to make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are a can of pure pumpkin, a box of spice cake mix, eggs and a can of cream cheese frosting on a wooden counter top.

Serve as Cupcakes or Muffins

Add a layer of frosting on top and have four ingredient pumpkin cupcakes. Or serve in a basket without liners and people will think you have three ingredient pumpkin spice muffins.

My kids like to eat these without frosting for a breakfast treat.

Step By Step Instructions

Mix together the cake mix, pumpkin and two eggs. Mix well.

Box of spice cake mix in a silver mixing bowl with a can of pureed pumpkin and eggs ready to mix in.

We have a scoop that hold 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of batter and this is the perfect amount to filled a lined muffin tin about 2/3 full.

The muffins on the left that were dropped with several small scoops of spice cake batter into the liners baked unevenly and were rough on top.

Using a consistent, single scoop formed the the muffins on the right that baked with a smooth top to create a more aesthetic appeal.

Pumpkin cupcake batter dropped sloppily in liners in a muffin tin.

Ice cream scoop used to drop smooth spoonfuls of spiced pumpkin cupcake batter into a muffin with with liners.

These cupcakes take about 18 – 20 minutes to bake.

When a toothpick inserted in the center comes our almost clean remove them and let rest on top of the oven. They will keep baking for a few minutes.

Pumpkin spice cupcake with the liner pulled down around the edges and a fork taking a bite out showing how moist and flavorful the box mix pumpkin spice dessert is with more cupcakes in the background.

As the pumpkin spice dessert cools the wrapper will more easily peel off the edges of the cupcakes.

Frost with cream cheese icing as desired.

Bite taken out of a delightful pumpkin spice cupcake that's returned to rest on a liner on a white plate with a fork and the rest of the cupcakes in the recipe in the background.

More Wonderful Fall Recipes

Close up pumpkin spice cupcake with a layer of cream cheese frosting on top on a wooden board.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Created by Jennifer Osterholt

Servings: cupcakes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 18

Total Time: 28

Begin with a box of spice cake mix, blend in pumpkin and eggs, and finish with cream cheese frosting for three ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes that taste like fall in every bite!

Ingredients

▢ 15.25 ounce box spice cake mix
▢ 15 ounce can pureed pumpkin
▢ 2 eggs
▢ 16 ounces cream cheese frosting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Add 16 liners to a cupcake pan.
Mix together the box of cake mix, pumpkin and eggs.
15.25 ounce box spice cake mix, 15 ounce can pureed pumpkin, 2 eggs
Use large scoop (slightly bigger than 1/4 cup) to form smooth balls or use a spoon to fill liners about 2/3 full. Batter is thick, keep as smooth as possible so cupcakes bake with a smooth top.
Bake for 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool and frost with cream cheese frosting if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 241mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 1gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 4167IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg

“Plowing Through Life” is not a dietitian or nutrition professional. Any nutritional information shared is an estimate and can vary greatly depending on specific products are used. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator of your choice.