These easy pumpkin cupcakes get a burst of flavor from your favorite pumpkin ale! Topped with maple frosting for the perfect fall cupcake.
Hands up if you love pumpkin season (this girl! right here!)
I've never been one to jump on the whole Pumpkin Spice Latte thing, but pumpkin CUPCAKES? Pumpkin cupcakes are a whooooooole other story.
These pumpkin cupcakes are one of the first recipes I reach for every fall.
We're keeping it suuuuper simple with some classic fall spices (cinnamon! cloves! ahhhhhh) and a big ol' scoop of pumpkin purée. You can roast your own fresh pumpkin and purée it up yourself if you like, but canned pumpkin works just as well (just be sure to get plain canned pumpkin puree for these cupcakes - NOT pumpkin pie mix!)
Fun (ok...random and useless) fact: I actually tried to grow a pumpkin patch once. It was the most beautiful pumpkin patch there ever was. And then our landlord forgot it existed and ran over it with a lawnmower (cue violins).
BUT WHATEVER. I'M TOTALLY OVER IT. AND DEFINITELY NOT STILL ANGRY FIVE YEARS LATER.
These pumpkin cupcakes are perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving, and (BONUS POINTS!) they make the house smell amaaaaaaaaazing.
PS - Looking to level up your homemade cupcakes? Check out our best tips for baking cupcakes.
Our favorite maple frosting!
I'm also sharing my VERY FAVORITE maple fudge frosting. It's the perfect pairing for these pumpkin cupcakes, and it has the best fudge-y, creamy texture.
This maple frosting starts with melted butter and maple extract (and some more pumpkin beer! If that's how you're rollin'), plenty of powdered sugar, and - drumrolllllllll - HOT WATER. The melted butter will start to thicken back up as the frosting cools, so the hot water keeps everything melty and spread-able as you frost the cupcakes.
Using water in this frosting also takes out some of the richness that would come with milk, cream, or extra butter, so you get a great consistency without feeling like a bunch of sugar is reaching up to punch you in the face. Once the maple frosting cools on the cupcakes, you're left with a layer of thick, creamy maple fudge that really brings out the pumpkin in the cupcakes.
As far as toppings go, my favorite way to decorate these pumpkin cupcakes is just to crumble up some extra cupcake and throw it on top! Since I'm usually making these around the holidays (which, um, I don't need to be doing some elaborate cupcake sugar sculpture because WE ARE BUSY ENOUGH THANK YOU VERY MUCH) it's usually the fastest way to go - and it gives your cupcakes a little extra pizzazz! If you store your cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter, the cupcake topping will stay soft for 3-4 days before it starts to dry out.
Hungry for more? Try our easy pumpkin bread recipe next →
(VIDEO) HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN ALE CUPCAKES:
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Ale Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16-18 Cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin ale and a maple fudge frosting.
Ingredients
FOR THE PUMPKIN CUPCAKES:
- ⅔ cup pumpkin purée
- ½ cup pumpkin ale
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (coconut oil in its liquid form - you can also use canola/vegetable oil or melted butter)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ¾ cups flour (measured correctly by scooping and leveling)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE MAPLE FROSTING:
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons pumpkin ale (optional - leave this out and use extra hot water if you prefer)
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar (you may need a little more or a little less)
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup hot (nearly boiling!) water (you may not use it all)
Instructions
FOR THE PUMPKIN CUPCAKES:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine pumpkin purée, pumpkin ale, melted coconut oil, eggs, and sugar. Stir or whisk to combine.
- Add the rest of your cupcake ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla. Mix until ingredients are just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop (I like this one) to scoop batter into cupcake liners. (If you don't have a scoop, put 3-4 Tablespoons of batter into each liner, until they're about ⅔ of the way full).
- Bake cupcakes at 375 degrees F for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove cooked cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely (usually 30 minutes or so) then top with Maple Pumpkin Ale Frosting (recipe below!)
FOR THE MAPLE FROSTING (MAKE THIS ONCE PUMPKIN CUPCAKES HAVE COOLED):
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the melted butter, pumpkin ale (optional), and maple extract.
- Stir in the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. The sugar will quickly absorb the liquid and will begin to clump - this is what you want!
- Add hot water (I heat it in my electric tea kettle - the hot water will help keep the butter nice and melty so you can stir everything together) a Tablespoon at a time, stirring in between each addition, until frosting reaches a fudge-like consistency. If you add a little too much water, don't worry - just add a bit more powdered sugar to even it out. The frosting will thicken as it cools, so it's best to work quickly here.
- Spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes. To make the swirls like you see in these photos, spoon a dollop of frosting onto your cupcake and use the back of a spoon to gently swirl it into shape, applying more pressure at the center to create an indent. We also topped these cupcakes with some extra cupcake we crumbled up.
Notes
To melt coconut oil into its liquid form, scoop ¼ cup of solid, room-temperature coconut oil into a microwave-safe glass measuring cup, then microwave for 15-20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until it's in its liquid form. Give it a stir and then check the measurement - you may need to add a little more coconut oil or pour a bit out to bring the liquid to the correct amount. Melted butter and liquid coconut oil can be used interchangeably in this recipe - use what you have on hand! We've used unrefined virgin coconut oil from 365/Whole Foods, Nutiva, and Carrington Farms and like them all.
Use a pumpkin beer that you enjoy drinking! We've been baking these with a Southern Tier Pumking lately. Something deep and rich will lend the most flavor to these cupcakes. If you'd like to omit the beer, you can certainly leave it out and make some adjustments like increasing coconut oil and reducing flour, but the texture will vary and they may not taste as good - so if you're looking for plain pumpkin cupcakes, I recommend checking out some of the great beer-free recipes available online!
No pumpkin beer available? We've had great luck making these pumpkin cupcakes with Sam Adams Boston Lager! The final flavor is VERY similar (and just as delicious!)
If your frosting thickens too quickly, zap it in the microwave for a few seconds or stir in a splash more hot water to bring it back to a spreadable consistency. The frosting will thicken as it cools, resulting in a rich and fudgy topping. These cupcakes are also great with cream cheese frosting or vanilla (or maple!) buttercream.
No maple extract? You can use pure maple syrup instead if you like - it won't have quite as intense of a maple flavor and will lend quite a bit of sweetness, so you may want to add a bit of extra maple syrup and an extra pinch of salt. You can also add ¼ cup or so of cream cheese to your frosting to help balance out the sweetness if you like - just taste and add more powdered sugar as you need it to get to the right consistency.
Ingredients and Equipment. We used this Cookie Scoop to scoop our batter, a Cake Tester to check for doneness, and our favorite Muffin Tin and Cupcake Liners from Wilton! The flavor and color of Maple Extract will vary by brand - we tend to like this Maple Extract from McCormick or Mapeleine.
For directions on storing and freezing cupcakes, make sure to check out our guide to freezing cupcakes!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 266
- Sugar: 50.3 g
- Sodium: 278.7 mg
- Fat: 5.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.5 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 25.8 mg
Keywords: pumpkin, fall, thanksgiving
Tara
I love how you made these cupcakes with pumpkin ale! They look absolutely fantastic. Definitely the perfect treat for fall.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
We hope you love making these cupcakes!
Janessa
Such a unique idea to use pumpkin ale in cupcakes! I'll definitely be trying these out this fall.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
The perfect fall treat!
nancy
i never thought to add pumpkin ale to my cupcakes. it turned out so well!! EVERYONE loved it
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
WAHOO! We're so glad these cupcakes were a hit for everyone!
Suja md
This recipe tasted great and we were pleasantly surprised on how easy it was, will make it again for sure!
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
YAY! We're so glad you enjoyed making them!
kushigalu
These pumpkin cupcakes look fantastic. Perfect fall treat. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
We hope you love them!
Laurie
Made these for an adult Halloween party last nite, big hit! They were so yummy !
Jessie
I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out!
Kelly
I've never left a comment on a food blog (or any blog for that matter), but I tried these cupcakes and knew I had to leave my praises! I halved the recipe because I wasn't sure how they would turn out, or if my husband or I would love it- well they turned out beautifully delicious! My husband even said I've outdone myself, and when he makes comments like that it means the recipe is a winner! One small change I made was that I substituted a tiny bit of maple syrup for the maple extract since that was all I had- also I didn't have quite enough powdered sugar so the frosting was a little thinner than it would have been, but it was still super tasty. Thanks for a great recipe- this will definitely be a keeper 🙂
Jessie
I'm so, so happy to hear that you both liked them! These cupcakes have become one of my favorite fall treats 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how they turned out!
Meg
I know I'm a wee bit too late (or early?) to be talking about pumpkins, but these look absolutely awesome! I'm a pumpkin freak and am already looking forward to the return of my favorite seasonal beverages and eats. 🙂 Saving this recipe for October!
Melissa
Does the beer need to be room temperature for the cake? I know when using butter this is essential to prevent curdling but would cold beer work with canola oil?
Jessie
I rarely bother to bring ingredients to room temperature when I bake with them. For this recipe, my beer, eggs, and pumpkin puree were all straight out of the refrigerator. I've never had a problem baking this way. You're right about butter, though - if you're going to cream it it definitely has to be at room temperature so that the mixture will be smooth. For these cupcakes, though, I left the butter out in favor of the pumpkin and canola oil, so cold beer shouldn't give you any problems! (Plus, if it's cold, you can enjoy drinking the leftovers more! And that's always very important in my kitchen.)
Jenny
I didn't frost them but they are so delicious! Thank you!
Jessie
I'm so glad you liked them!