Two Ingredient Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Sharing our favorite pumpkin cupcakes today! These Two Ingredient Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes could not be simpler and are perfect for Fall baking.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Can’t wait for you to try my simple pumpkin cupcake recipe! Not kidding when I say two ingredients. Take your favorite box mix plus a 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree. Done and done.

Try my Yummy Fall Cupcakes too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Can you handle the difficulty of this?! One cake mix and one can of pumpkin.

How To Make 2 Ingredient Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line 18 cupcake cups with liners.
  2. Beat cake mix and can of pumpkin puree in a stand mixer until well combined. Mixture will be thick. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with cupcake batter.
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

We got so many compliments on these. Such a great cupcake to make when you are in a time crunch!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

To prepare the frosting beat your brown butter with a softened stick of butter along with pumpkin and spices.

How To Brown Butter

  1. Place butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Swirl and melt completely. Butter will boil. Continue to swirl and cook until butter turns golden brown and brown bits start forming on bottom of pan. Once butter has a nutty scent and is deep golden brown, remove from heat and transfer to a heat proof bowl. Make sure you spoon out all little black bits from the saucepan. Let brown butter cool at least 15 minutes before using in a cookie recipe.

How To Make Brown Butter Frosting

  1. To prepare frosting, Place 2 sticks of butter into a small saucepan over medium low heat. Once butter is melted, swirl pan occasionally checking color. Once butter is browned, it will smell nutty and be a deep golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool completely to room temperature.
  2. Place remaining stick of softened butter into stand mixer, beating until creamy. Add brown sugar, beating to combine then slowly beat in browned butter until combined. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and slowly add powdered sugar until thick and desired consistency. You can add tablespoons of milk to thin if desired.
  3. Store in an airtight container until ready to frost.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Add your powdered sugar and beat until nice and thick.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I used a medium cookie scoop to place dollops of frosting on top of my cooled cupcakes. I am LOVING it!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Two Ingredient Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

These chocolate pumpkin cupcakes are so perfectly soft, moist....and only two ingredients in the cupcake portion! Topped with a delicious sweet pumpkin spice frosting.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 18
Calories: 322kcal
Author: Jenny
Cost: 5
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 1 Chocolate cake mix of your choice
  • 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
  • Pumpkin Spice Brown Butter Frosting
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter divided
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 pound bag powdered sugar plus 2 cups

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 18 cupcake cups with liners.
  • Beat cake mix and can of pumpkin puree in a stand mixer until well combined. Mixture will be thick. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with cupcake batter and bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely.
  • To prepare frosting, Place 2 sticks of butter into a small saucepan over medium low heat. Once butter is melted, swirl pan occasionally checking color. Once butter is browned, it will smell nutty and be a deep golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool completely to room temperature.
  • Place remaining stick of softened butter into stand mixer, beating until creamy. Add brown sugar, beating to combine then slowly beat in browned butter until combined. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and slowly add powdered sugar until thick and desired consistency. You can add tablespoons of milk to thin if desired.
  • Store in an airtight container until ready to frost.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 4740IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords: best chocolate cupcake recipe, best pumpkin recipes, chocolate cupcake recipe, chocolate cupcakes, easy pumpkin dessert, pumpkin cupcake recipe, pumpkin cupcakes, two ingredient chocolate cupcakes, two ingredient pumpkin cupcakes

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62 Responses
  1. Chels R.

    Jenny, these look so cute! I’m loving how easy this is! I wish I would of thought it up! 😉

  2. Shaina

    Loving the ice cream scoop-like frosting. So cute, and the trick with the mix and can of pumpkin is fantastic!

  3. Maegan @ The BakerMama

    I’m obsessed with the scoops of frosting on these super easy cupcakes! They’re perfect!

  4. Jeanine

    I am putting these on my next-to-bake list! One thing- you wrote brown butter instead of brown sugar in the pictured directions. Thanks for sharing!!

  5. Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain

    Bring on the pumpkin! I can’t wait to try out that frosting. Hello fall heaven!

  6. Cookbook Queen

    Love simple recipes like this! That scoop of frosting is the perfect finish 🙂

  7. naomi

    OMG- that has to be the fastest cupcake ever. I love it!! The frosting sounds delish too. Great combo and awesome recipe.

  8. Madison

    I was so excited about the idea of only two ingredients that I tried these right away. They did “work” but I wouldn’t really say they were a big success. The frosting was totally yummy, but the cake was pretty dense and took on a gummy mouth feel after a couple bites.

      1. Pam

        Since all the cake mixes I find are now 15.25 ounces (the one in the photo was 18.5) I cut back on the pumpkin (12.35 ounces). They turned out great!!

    1. Amanda

      I had the same issue, I think it was the cake mix I used– I find that this particular brands’ mixes in general turn out kind of gummy, I don’t know why I grabbed that brand :/ My cupcakes looked more like dog poo than cute cupcakes (would make a great gag though!) Going to try these again using the Duncan Hines mix used in this recipe. Keeping my fingers crossed!

    2. Cath

      I wouldn’t normally post a negative comment but I think readers should be aware of various people’s results with this recipe. I agree that it is a super simple recipe. I had hoped it would be one my son in college could make in a hurry. But I have to agree with Madison–they’re unpleasantly gummy. I tried two different brands of cake mix, and two different cans of pumpkin (because some are rather watery). The Duncan Heinz mix had a slightly better flavor, but was still gummy. I even tried mixing in raisins in some, chocolate chips in some, and a baked-on “frosting” of cream cheese and sugar. Nothing makes up for the gummy texture. They’re fast, they’re edible, but I wouldn’t make them again because they pale in comparison to a made-from-scratch muffin. Even making cupcakes with the cake mix makes more sense. Sorry, I have to give these a thumbs down.

  9. beth @ bethcakes

    These look wonderful! Chocolate + pumpkin is definitely my favorite fall flavor combination. 🙂

  10. shelly (cookies and cups)

    2 ingredient is my favorite! Love these… and that frosting looks TO DIE!

  11. Stephanie @ PlainChicken

    I love these cupcakes. Can’t wait to try the brown butter frosting with them.

  12. Megan {Country Cleaver}

    No way!! Two ingredients? Those are some FLUFFY cupcakes!! Yeah, I’m totally making these!

  13. Ali | Gimme Some Oven

    I adore the pumpkin scoop frosting technique! Too cute!!!

    And 2 ingredients (and yummy ones at that?) — brilliant! 🙂

  14. Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg

    Love this! I’m going to make this for a cake walk game coming up next month at our church. Thanks!

  15. Emily

    I was already in love with your pumpkin spice brown butter frosting but this is just fabulous and so simple! Can’t wait to try it 🙂

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