Amazing Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
These adorable, delicious, little crustless pumpkin pie cupcakes are exactly what pumpkin pie should taste like.
These. These adorable, delicious, little crustless pumpkin pie cupcake-thingies are exactly what I’ve always wanted pumpkin pie to taste like…but it never really does.
I’m not a pumpkin pie hater, necessarily, it’s just not at the top of the list of things I’d want to eat for the rest of forever and eating a piece of it at Thanksgiving always leaves me feeling a bit disappointed.
Like, I should have opted for the double chocolate stuffed cheesecake or whatever else was offered (although I should stop complaining this very second since nothing has ever stopped me from indulging in more than one dessert at Thanksgiving).
But these pumpkin pie cupcakes have changed how I feel about pumpkin pie forever, even if they aren’t really a pie. And not really a cupcake either. They are living between both worlds.
While, they are baked in a muffin tin and they kind of look like a cupcake, the texture isn’t cakey and crumbly. No, it’s more creamy and rich and silky and decadent. Pumpkin pie with a little bit more structure and oomph (and without the crust, which is just fine by me).
All other descriptors aside, they are completely irresistible. If there’s been one recipe in the last while that I want to shout at you to make immediately, it would be these. PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE MAKE THEM! Consider yourself nicely shouted at.
Move on over pumpkin pie, these mini pumpkin pie cupcakes are well-deserving of the Thanksgiving table (and quite honestly, probably all year round, especially if we all stock up on our canned pumpkin now that an official shortage has been declared – which coincidentally seems to happen every year around this time).
One Year Ago: Creamy Tomato-Potato Basil Soup
Two Years Ago: Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon
Three Years Ago: Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla Pie
Individual Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter:
- 1 (15-ounce) can (425 g) pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup milk, 1% or above
- ⅔ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see note for substitution)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Garnish:
- Sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly grease the bottom and sides of the liners with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and egg yolk, vanilla, cream, and milk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and whisk to blend until well-combined (don’t overmix too vigorously with an electric mixer or the cupcakes will crack on top).
- Fill the muffin liners evenly with the batter – the muffin cups will be fairly full. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 20-30 minutes. They will fall a bit as they cool so don’t panic.
- Refrigerate the cupcakes for at least an hour before serving. For the sweetened whipped cream, combine all the ingredients in a blender (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or in a bowl using a handheld electric mixer) and whip until thick and creamy.
- Dollop a bit of the whipped cream in the center of each cupcake. Dust with a light sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg (optional). Serve chilled.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from this recipe at Baking Bites after my sister Em highly recommended it several years ago
These were very good! So easy- no crust, no pie pans necessary for dropping off to friends, individual servings for breakfasts (hehe) I substituted evaporated milk since that is all I had and it worked well. I only like Libby’s pumpkin pie spice ratio of cinnamon, ginger and cloves for the spice mix since that is what I grew up with.
Has anyone tried to make this with GF flour?? I know a few people mentioned they were going to try. My mother has celiac and was looking for something instead of a no crust pumpkin pie…
Hey Lauren – someone commented on my FB page that gluten free flour works great in this recipe!
Made them last night and we loved them! I roasted several pumpkins and since I had so much puree, I wanted to experiment. What a fun way to enjoy pumpkin pie. Super easy and absolutely delicious.
Do you think I could freeze just the batter? I made a double batch and still was able to do way more minis than I had anticipated! 🙂 I would love to freeze the batter and make them again in a couple weeks or so?
I haven’t tried that but I think it might work just fine.
Hi Mel, can I make a sheet cake with this recipe?
I haven’t tried that so I don’t know…but I don’t know if this would convert well to a sheet cake. Good luck if you try it!
Hi – do you think I could use whole milk instead of whipping cream in the cupcake?
The texture of the cupcakes might be different but you could experiment.
So I’m eating dairy free as my nursing son seems intolerant. I just found out that full fat coconut milk can be whipped like whipped cream! Check it out! https://www.mypcoskitchen.com/dairy-free-whipped-cream/
What did you use to replace whipping cream in the cupcakes? The coconut milk/solids? I’ve tried coconut milk whipped cream and the coconut didn’t mesh well with my other flavors, so I’m always a little hesitant.
I made these yesterday and they are so good! I used parchment paper cups and did’t spray them. Unfortunately they stuck to the paper. So I froze them and was able to easily peel off the paper. They were very good after defrosting a little while on the counter. Thanks for the great recipe.
Mel, can these be frozen and thawed a couple at a time?
Yes!
I made these as written for my family, they loved them. So I made them for myself using Truvia Blend, I also did not have milk or cream so I used same amount of evaporated milk for mine. Came out perfect. Thank you, its a keeper.
The recipe doesn’t say how many this makes?
The yield is right above the recipe title. It makes 12 cupcakes.
Has anyone made this recipe with gluten free flour?
I’m going to make it today with gluten free flour. I’ll use KAF cup for cup. I believe I made these in the past with gf oat flour. I found with pumpkin it’s a very easy to substitute flour. The flavor stays amazing but you sometimes need a pinch more baking powder or soda to help with rising so the middle doesn’t fall.
Can you make the whipped cream ahead of time?
Yes, probably a couple hours. I’ve found that if made longer than that (say, overnight), the whipped cream can deflate and get liquidy.
Love this recipe! I followed the recipe and I feel like I need more than 20 minutes because they seemed a little to wet/gooey on top. I let them sit for 30 minutes before putting them in the fridge. And 30 min later they were still gooey on top. Is that normal?
A lot will depend on your oven – is it gas or electric? Did you bake on convection or normal bake? Some oven temperatures can vary by over 25-50 degrees (crazy, I know!) so next time you might be able to bump up the temperature 25 degrees.
I made these or a big family gathering tonight and they got rave reviews! Everyone totally loved them. My cousin said, “this is a $5 cupcake.” He talked them up so much to the other guys in the family they all had to go try one, and the report was that he had not over-hyped them. My grandma said she doesn’t usually care for pumpkin pie but these were absolutely delicious. Thank you for making me the Sunday dinner rockstar!
So glad you loved these, Tomi…and that they were such a hit with the fam!
Do you know if it’s okay to not refrigerate them? Our fridge is full of Thanksgiving foods!
I’d try as hard as you can to get them in the fridge – I think they need to be refrigerated. 🙂
If people want a crust, I put a store bought ginger snap in the bottom of the muffin liner. Vanilla wafers work great too!
Genius!
Another recipe I just made for our Thanksgiving (Canadian). I did make these a week ahead and freeze them, and they were just fine. Great texture, and so simple to serve. Yum!
That makes me so happy, Sarah! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hey Mel- love your website- you make me look good!! Could I use pie filling instead? I don’t have any nutmeg- and I live far from a store in the country. Do you know if it’ll make a difference? Thanks!
Hi Hayley – I think pumpkin pie filling would mess up the consistency of the cupcakes…I haven’t tried it to be able to give you a good idea, sorry! If you don’t have nutmeg, you can just leave it out
These are so tasty!! I also love your pumpkin cheesecake crumble bars. Those are absolutely, unbelievably, undeniably delicious! I am not ashamed of making pumpkin recipes in March or almost any other month 🙂
I haven’t tried these yet, but the picture makes my mouth water. Those look and sound scrumptious! I am making a trip tonthengroceey store today
Pumpkin perfection! I made it exactly as written except for subbing egg nog for the milk. Thank you Mel!
These are amazing! So much better than pumpkin pie! I made them in mini muffin tins and they made about 44 minis. I tried some with foil liners and some with no liner and I liked the ones in the liners better. I piped the whipped cream and they were so cute. The leftovers kept for 24 hours, even the piped cream! They were perfect bite-sized pies to go with our thanksgiving dessert. Thanks Mel!
I’m having a hard time getting these out of the cupcake liners. Does that mean I didn’t cook them long enough? Thanks in advance.
Did you grease the liners, Suni? It could be the type/brand of liners used or I suppose cooking time although if you followed the recipe, it should be long enough. Someone in the comment thread mentioned they had better luck using the foil liners although I’ve always been fine using the white Reynolds everyday cupcake liners (but greasing them well before filling).
my 12 year old wants this on her birthday instead of cake- These were amazing! So fast compared to pumpkin pie too! We ate them hot with icecream! I’ll try them cold tomorrow morning with cream for breakfast 🙂
Help please! I’ve tried baking these twice, both times with the same result. The cakes take at least 35 minutes and are still a little raw inside. The tops seemed to be done, but the bottom had a mushy texture. Any thoughts? Bake them longer?
Hi Lisa, these little treats don’t have the same texture as a cupcake, they are much less cakey and more wet inside. Does that make sense? Do you think you could be making them right? If you want them a little firmer, try adding a bit more flour and maybe even bake at a little higher temp? Just suggestions. Good luck!
My mini-pumpkin pie muffins took 11-12 minutes. Thanks Mel, these are a hit every time I have made them thus far. And yes, will be making again for big turkey day.
OMG! These were amazing! I’m in love. Seriously. I did however cheat a little and used redi whip instead of making the whipped cream….i know, i’m lazy. Even with my cheat these are so good. 🙂
My friend made these and they are truly fantastic. Wondering if anyone has tried a gluten free flour with these and how they turned out? Trying to make dessert work for everyone on Thanksgiving.
I am wondering the same thing! Did you ever try it?
These were wonderful!! I didn’t have cupcake liners, so I just sprayed my muffin tin with cooking spray and they came out of the pan just fine once cool. Also, I made this to go along with a dinner I took to my neighbor (your slow cooker creamy chicken and wild rice soup) and I was worried about how the whipped cream topping would hold up while transporting them…so I frosted them with cream cheese frosting instead of the whipped cream and they were amazing!! My husband and I don’t actually like real pumpkin pie because there is too much custard/pudding texture, but he snitched a taste of one of these before I took them to my neighbor and he was completely wowed and asked me to make them again for our Sunday dinner dessert. Thanks again, Mel!
Have you tried baking them in just a greased and floured muffin tin? I don’t like the look of the sides when the paper is peeled away in your photo. Wondering if they don’t release well without paper. Guess I’ll give it a go with out lining.
Also have you watched “the great British baking show”? Season 1 is on Netflix streaming. I love it!
I haven’t but another commenter just reported back that she did and it worked great. I haven’t seen that show – looks like I need to check it out!
I doubled the recipe and used a can of evaporated milk instead if cream. I think it may have made them more custard consistency like the pie. – but definitely lower fat. And I baked some in regular and mini with liners and without. Think I preferred no liner. I also used a cream cheese frosting I already had on hand. Yummy!
Mel thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe! I made these last night for a church activity and they were INHALED in moments! So much better than pumpkin pie! Definitely making this for the Turkey Dinner. Thanks again!
Mel thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe! I made these last night for a church activity and they were INHALED in moments! So much better than pumpkin pie! Definitely making this for the Turkey Dinner.
I made these tonight and they were very tasty! However, they did stick to the paper muffin liners. Did anyone else have this problem? I’m wondering if foil liners would work better?
Susan
I always find that the foil give me far better results every time. In my book, they are worth the extra money. 🙂
Did you grease the paper liners, Susan? If you did and they still stick you might try a different type of liner (like the foil ones as you suggested).
Ahhhh! Don’t know how I missed that in the directions – will make sure to do this next time! Thank you!
I also had this problem!! I even greased the liners, but when I took them out, it looked like it had seeped through and was sitting in the bottom of the tin. I will try foil next time!
Mel, is that enough baking powder to make them rise?
Hi Janet, yes, this is enough baking powder.
You’re my most pinned on pinterest…love your recipes…that you use all natural ingredients is wonderful.
Confession: I’ve never made a pumpkin pie. Gasp! I know! So, I’m making these, and they look wet on the top,like they’re not set up fully/cooked all the way. Do I take them out anyway? It’s been over 20 min. They’re still gooey on the top. Any tips?
They have a completely different texture than cupcakes – when I’ve made them, I don’t recall thinking they were wet on top, necessarily, but if they’ve been baking that long, I’d take them out. Have they puffed?
They did puff, and then they sunk, like you said. I did take them out after about 25 min. And still kinda wet/unset/wrinkly looking on the top in the middle. The sides of the top looked more like a cupcake would when done.
But they are delicious, even with my funky wet tops! Takes a lot of self control to eat just one! Loved the whipped cream too. Perfect complement for them!
Any chance when you make them again you could post a picture of what your tops looked like?
I think that’s pretty normal for these, Mel. They have a totally different texture than cupcakes. Glad you liked them!
Mel, do you think these would work in the mini muffin tin? We already have desserts planned for thanksgiving but my husband wants something pumpkin-y and we aren’t pie fans….but I thought a little bite sized one might be great with what we are serving.
I have the exact same question! I am bringing dessert for my son’s first grade Thanksgiving feast and bite size ones would be perfect!
Sure! And they’d be adorable so you’d definitely get points for that. I’d cut down the baking time to 7-8 minutes and check closely after that.
Yum! We have been making these for a few years and they are the perfect thing when you need a pumpkin fix without spending too much time baking.
Pumpkin pie will forever be my favorite November dessert! These cupcakes look fabulous!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Anyone know if these freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing them so I’m not sure, but I definitely think it’s worth a try (without topping them with whipped cream first).
Hi Mel,
I’m on my way to the kitchen to make this with my wee one…will keep you posted on the outcome – but you are always spot on and never disappoint!! Thanks for the yummy looking recipe!
Since I’ll be using fresh pumpkin puree instead of canned, how much should I use? I do not have a food scale to weigh.
About 2 cups.
I always want pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and I’m always a little disappointed. It tastes better in my imagination than it does in real life. I’ll definitely be trying these this year. But I do love pie crust, so I guess I’ll have to have a little slice of another kind of pie too. Oh, darn.
Oh my gracious!!!! These are outstanding!!! My kiddos are off of school today (teacher workday) so we whipped up a batch of these “muffins” for breakfast!!! They are sooo delicious!! I have a feeling these will be made A LOT around here!!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!
I use your website almost everyday!! Thank you so very much for all you do to make my life easier. We always love your food. I can’t wait to these Yummies for FHE tonight 🙂
These are regular size right? Not minis?
Yep, regular muffin size. I refer to them as little or mini in the post since they are smaller than a big ol’ pumpkin pie. 🙂
Thanks Mel. Just whipped up a batch. Mine were wet at 20 minutes, but 25 was just right. How many days before an event do you think I can get away with? Can’t wait to try them tonight though. And I am also curious about the freezability. Of course, not sure if I can freeze these since my freezer is still full of the addictive no bake cookies. OMG – have made so many batches. Huge hit and better even straight out of the freezer FYI.
Awesome about the freezer no-bake cookies, Julie! I think these pumpkin treats stand a good chance of freezing well (without the whipped cream) but I haven’t tried it. I think they could easily be made two days in advance before serving and just refrigerated (I’d top them with whipped cream right before serving).
Hi Julie. I’m sitting here waiting for my pumpkin pie cupcakes to get done so I’m looking through the comments and see you mentioned something about no bake cookies I’d really like to try that recipe!!! Do u have it
That’s great because these are fabulous. You are so right that these taste the way you want a pumpkin pie to taste. Excellent!
My family goes crazy over pumpkin pie. Sometimes I make a crustless pie at other times of the year so we can get our “fix” in without the extra crust calories. But this hybrid pie/cupcake idea has me anxious to try it. The texture sounds wonderful and it looks so good!
The texture of these cupcakes looks amazing, and I love that they’re topped with whipped cream! I’d be happy with one of these pumpkin pie cupcakes as my Thanksgiving dessert!
The website work you do is incredible. What a recipe to look forward making to wow family and friends!