If you’ve ever tried to make a pumpkin roll, you know how frustrating they can be. Just when you think you have it, boom. The little sucker breaks and you’re left with a cream cheese filled mess you try to cover with powdered sugar. It’s just sad. Instead of all that, take on these pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese filling. All the same flavors, and none of that pumpkin roll headache.
Pumpkin rolls are like time bombs (go look at mine–it has a crack in it). Bake that thing even one minute longer than you should and it will give you fits when you try to roll it. The next thing you know your face is flaming red, your sweating and telling yourself there’s a reason why you don’t cook.
But thank goodness for better options. A pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese filling is the exact same flavor without all that struggle. Because I struggle enough to remember where I left my car keys or if I unplugged the iron before I left the house. I don’t need any more to think about.
Soft, warm and totally soothing right from the oven, you can make these in just a few minutes. If you really, really wanted to cheat, you could use a spice cake mix from the store, add the cream cheese and crumble topping and bake them. They wouldn’t be pumpkin, but they’d still be good. Sometimes winners have to cheat.
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes–the softest, spongiest, most moist little bits of sweet heaven you’ve put in your mouth this week. Well, maybe not but you can just keep your personal stories to yourself. This is a family blog people.
So go make yourself a big batch. Share them with someone you love or eat the whole pan by yourself–it doesn’t matter to me. They freeze well too so it’s fine to cool them and drop them in to a ziplock bag for storing. You can warm them in the oven when another craving (or last minute potluck) leaves you hanging.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
For the muffins:
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups pumpkin puree or one 15 ounce can
- 1¼ cups vegetable oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
For the crumble:
- ½ cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- In a small bowl beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the eggs, oil, pumpkin, and sugar. Set aside.
- Then in another bowl mix the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. No need to sift.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
- Line or spray a muffin tin.
- Add about a tablespoon of batter to the bottom of the muffin tin.
- Scoop about a teaspoon of filling into the center of each muffin cup (or an amount a little larger than a quarter)
- Cover with batter, about ¾ of the way up the muffin tin.
To make the crumble:
- In a medium bowl, cut the cinnamon, sugar, flour and butter together with your fingers, a pastry cutter, or two knives until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over each muffin. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Lorie
Wednesday 18th of November 2020
@Rachel Ballard, AAAAMEN! You go Girl..... with some people it's always someone else's fault.... If you're any kind of a Seasoned Baker or Cook....You use common sense??.
Judy Maron
Sunday 15th of November 2020
Found this pumpkin cupcake recipe yesterday and yummy yummy! I did find that timing for baking cupcakes takes 25 minutes not 15 minutes. Other than that go make these cupcakes & enjoy.
Jana
Friday 18th of October 2019
Absolutely delicious! All the flavors are balanced so nicely. I accidentally whipped the cream cheese, so I had some batter left over. Thanks for a great recipe!
Rachel Ballard
Friday 18th of October 2019
You're welcome Jana! So glad you like them! --Rachel
Joyce Hogan
Friday 21st of December 2018
How do I go about storing these for about 1 week?
Rachel Ballard
Friday 21st of December 2018
Hi Joyce,
My best suggestion would be to freeze them Joyce. Cupcakes can't really hold out any other way. A couple of days--maybe up to three in an air tight container in the fridge might work but not a week. :/ --Rachel
Kathleen West
Monday 29th of October 2018
How many cupcakes does this make?
Rachel Ballard
Monday 29th of October 2018
It makes 24 Kathleen.