Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

These pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes are the ULTIMATE fall cupcakes. They have a cinnamon graham cracker crust, a fluffy pumpkin cupcake filled with creamy vanilla cheesecake batter and topped with a tangy sour cream frosting. 

Welcome, my new favorite cupcake, pumpkin cheesecake. She is the definition of fall in a little muffin tin. The graham cracker crust, the cheesecake filling, the sour cream frosting, everything about these cupcakes is unique but so familiar at the same time. 

For more of my favs, I love a good classic vanilla cupcake but for fall, these apple cider cupcakes are *fire emoji* and these cinnamon cupcakes are so underestimated. I also have chocolate caramel pumpkin cupcakes or download my maple pumpkin cupcakes with the form below. 

Why you’ll love these cupcakes

• Unique idea but super familiar and nostalgic flavors at the same time
• The graham cracker crust adds a lovely crisp texture balanced by the sweet and creamy cheesecake filling.
• I used a sour cream frosting to play off the flavors of tangy cheesecake and to make sure these cupcakes weren’t too sweet. 
• Can be made well in advance without drying out. 
• They’re super good even without the frosting at all. 

Ingredients

• Flour: I use all purpose flour in most of my recipes and I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as flour is so often over measured.
  • If you want to make these a little healthier, you can swap half the flour for whole wheat flour or all of the flour for white whole wheat flour. 
  • 1:1 Gluten-free flour substitutes also work. 
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: We’re going to need both here, recipes with pumpkin/banana, etc. usually need a little more than normal leavening. 
• Sugar: I used dark brown sugar and granulated in the cupcake batter, dark brown sugar in the crust, granulated sugar in the cheesecake filling and powdered sugar in the frosting. You could also keep it simple and use light brown sugar in all the components except the frosting. 
• Oil: I recommend a neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil. Olive oil will also work but may impart some flavor. 
• Eggs: I use room temperature, large eggs. Pop them in hot water for a few minutes if they’re cold.
• Pumpkin: I usually use Libby’s pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). I’ve also used Kroger brand or Whole Foods 365 brand. 
• Spices: I make my own pumpkin pie spice at home or you can just buy some. It’s just a combination of spices with a higher ratio of cinnamon. 
• Cream Cheese: I recommend full-fat cream cheese here. Make sure to warm it up slightly or leave it to soften at room temperature so it can mix well with the sugar.
• Butter: I use unsalted butter for my buttercreams and then add a tiny pinch of salt. If you like salted butter, feel free to use that instead. Make sure it’s at room temperature, not too cold and not greasy, when making the buttercream.
• Sour Cream: I recommend full fat sour cream as it contains a lower water content and emulsifies better with the butter. Make sure to leave it out at room temperature for at least an hour before using or just microwave it for 10 seconds or so. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the crust by combining crushed graham crackers with dark brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.

Step 2: Add 1 Tbsp of crust to the bottom of each cupcake liner and use a cup or your fingers to press it down to form a crust.

Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients – whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin really well until the batter is completely smooth.

Step 5: Add the dry ingredients –  whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt into the wet ingredients until they’re completely combined.

Step 6: Fill the cupcake tins only about ⅔-¾ full. You should have enough for exactly 24 cupcakes. 

Step 7: Combine the cheesecake filling – whisk together the softened cream cheese with the sugar and pipe it into the center of each cupcake. 

NOTE: Make sure to insert the piping tip into the center of the cupcake, so the tip is covered. Apple some pressure until you see the pumpkin cupcake batter rise a bit. Then release pressure before removing the piping bag from the cupcake. This will ensure that cheesecake filling is inside the cupcake and not on top of the cupcake. 

Step 8: Bake for 22 minutes and allow to cool before making the frosting.

Step 9: Make the frosting by beating the room temperature butter with half of the powdered sugar. Then add the sour cream and the other half of the sugar. Mix until it’s completely smooth then use a rubber spatula to press out any huge air bubbles. 

Step 10: Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcake and top with graham cracker crumbs. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How to store these pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes

I place the cupcakes under a cake dome or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. You want to make sure to always refrigerate anything with cream cheese. They can be served cold or at room temperature.

 If it’s longer you can freeze them and defrost a few hours before serving.

How to freeze cupcakes

Bakes stay more fresh when they’re frozen. Place cupcakes in an airtight container and then place the container in a freezer bag. 

You can also wrap each one individually in plastic wrap (after it’s chilled so you don’t ruin the frosting) and then place those in a freezer bag so you can easily remove one at a time.

Freeze for up to a couple of months. Bring back to room temperature before serving. 

Thanks so much for reading today’s post, if you have any questions just comment down below. Make sure to leave it in the comment section because I can’t answer in the rating section.

If you make these delicious pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes, I’d love it if you left a star rating for me. If it’s less than five stars, please leave a comment with the rating so I know why! ?

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B