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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes with warm pumpkin spice flavor and dark chocolate chips in every bite. Baked until domed and tender, then finished with a silky chocolate cream cheese frosting swirl and extra chips.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin cupcakes
  • 1.75 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup pumpkin canned pumpkin purée
  • 0.33 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips fold in
For chocolate cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup butter softened
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.33 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 extra chocolate chips for topping
  • 1 chocolate drizzle

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the pumpkin cupcakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin with liners (visual cue: tins ready for batter).
  2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth, then add the eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla (visual cue: glossy, fully combined batter).
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture (visual cue: no large dry pockets).
  4. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed (visual cue: chocolate chips speckled throughout the batter).
  5. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full (visual cue: batter mounds).
  6. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F, until the tops spring back lightly (visual cue: edges look set and centers are baked).
  7. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting (visual cue: cups are room temperature to the touch).
Frost and finish
  1. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk until the frosting is thick and spreadable (visual cue: smooth chocolate frosting with no lumps).
  2. Pipe chocolate cream cheese frosting swirls onto each cooled cupcake (visual cue: raised swirls on top).
  3. Top with extra chocolate chips and finish with a chocolate drizzle (visual cue: chips scattered over a shiny drizzle).

Notes

For the smoothest frosting and best piping, use softened cream cheese and butter, and cool cupcakes fully so the frosting doesn’t melt. Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost). For a simple swap, use gluten-free 1:1 flour to make them gluten-free while keeping the rest of the method the same.