Description
These Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Pecan Frosting are moist, flavorful, and perfect for fall or any celebration. Made with canned pumpkin puree and warm spices, these cupcakes are topped with a creamy vegan butter frosting sweetened with pure maple syrup and toasted pecans for added crunch and richness.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- tiny pinch of cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
Maple Pecan Frosting
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened but not melted
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Lightly spray the liners with oil to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the canned pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, melted coconut oil, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, cloves, and salt to the wet ingredients. Stir gently with a large spoon just until combined; be careful not to overmix.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Fill each cupcake liner about halfway with the batter.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed.
- Cool the Cupcakes: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Toast Pecans: Chop the pecans into small pieces. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350°F for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Let the pecans cool completely before using. You may speed up cooling by placing them in the fridge or freezer.
- Make Frosting: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter for a few minutes until creamy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and the pure maple syrup, then mix until fully combined. Add additional powdered sugar as needed to achieve your preferred frosting consistency.
- Add Pecans to Frosting: Once the toasted pecans have cooled, fold them into the frosting and beat briefly to combine evenly.
- Frost the Cupcakes: Use a piping bag fitted with a large tip to pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, making sure pecan pieces do not clog the tip. Alternatively, spread the frosting on with a butter knife. Optionally, top each cupcake with a whole pecan. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten Free: Use a gluten-free flour blend as a substitute; this has not been tested but should work well.
- Nut Free: Omit pecans entirely for a simple maple frosting variation.
- Oil Substitution: You may substitute the coconut oil with canola oil or melted vegan butter if desired.
- Spice Variation: Substitute the individual spices with 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice mix for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
