Archive Recipe of the Week: Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

This is a fairly quick and simple recipe to tide you over. Because you know you want pumpkin pie. Now. Not in 17 days when it’s Thanksgiving. But can you justify pumpkin pie, even though it’s actually relatively simple as desserts go, right now? Will the Thanksgiving pie be as special if you sneaked in another one earlier in the month?

Well, all that is up to you, of course. I, personally, like to save the expected pie for Thanksgiving and use the rest of November (and also October and perhaps part of September) to try other pumpkin recipes. I also like the idea of throwing these cupcakes, which are almost like crustless mini pumpkin pies, together to stave off cravings when necessary. (Even though I can’t remember if I’ve made them again since I originally posted the recipe.)

 

These cupcakes, which don’t rise up much when baked and sink down in the middle when cooled, really are more like pumpkin pie filling than like a cake in texture. They also really are better served chilled with a nice garnish of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

 

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes might not exactly fill the niche of your favorite pumpkin pie, but they don’t need to. They just need to tide you over. And they’re so quick to make that you can mix up the batter, bake them, cool them, and hide them in the freezer to keep them all for yourself before anyone else is the wiser.

 

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Adapted from the blog Baking Bites

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1 ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 large eggs
3/4 cup half and half
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (or use homemade pumpkin puree)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Whisk together to mix well and ensure there are no lumps. Set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the half and half and beat well. Add the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well-combined and very smooth.

3. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk together until smooth.

4. Line a 12-cup muffin/cupcake pan with paper liners. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each lined cup. Bake at 350 F 20-25 minutes or until the top and edges appear well set. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. They will sink in the middle as they cool. When the cupcakes are cool, cover and chill. Serve cold with sweetened whipped cream.

Makes 12 servings. Can be frozen by wrapping and sealing in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.

Other recipes like this one: Grandmama's Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Waffles, Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins, Pumpkin Oatmeal Quick Bread with Dates and Pecans, Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting