Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting…autumn in a sweet cupcake, and so good. Extra pumpkiny, chai-spiced pumpkin cake cupcakes made with warming spices and brown sugar. Each cake is generously frosted with the most delicious creamy cinnamon brown sugar frosting, and finished off with a sprinkling of chai sugar. Sooo much to love here! You can’t beat these cute little latte cupcakes.
I’ve been waiting to share these cupcakes for weeks…and weeks. Originally, I was going to share a version of this cupcake back in September. The first version didn’t include any pumpkin. But then, me being me, I began to play with the addition of potential ingredients in my head. I started to wonder about adding pumpkin to my chai cupcakes. Once the idea of a pumpkin chai latte cupcake was in my head, there was no going back.
It sounded way too good and way too perfect for fall. I had to make these cupcakes.
But not in September, because we all know how I feel…apples in September, pumpkin in October and November. So, here we are today in mid-October. We have a couple of weeks left before Halloween and about a month and a half before Thanksgiving. It’s the heart of fall and the perfect time for the sweetest little chai pumpkin latte cupcakes. Or at least that’s my thought, I hope you guys are all on the same page!
And really, it’s Friday (whoop, whoop). Fridays need something sweet, and today that something is going to be these cupcakes. I couldn’t love them more. If you could see me, I am smiling ear to ear. Something about these cupcakes, they’re just fun and make ya feel good…cheesy, but true.
To make these Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes…
You need pumpkin, vanilla, and a good amount of warming autumn spices. Plus butter…lots of butter.
For the cupcakes, I knew I really wanted the pumpkin flavor to shine. To achieve this, I used a whole lot of pumpkin, and a whole lot of chai spice. The chai spice highlights the sweet flavor of the pumpkin, while also adding that extra special touch that makes these little pumpkin cakes better than any other. And if you’re curious about the inspiration to mix pumpkin with chai? Well, of course…Starbucks.
We all love their pumpkin spice latte and we all also love their chai latte. Combine the two and you get the very best of both.
Before you start the cupcake batter, make the chai spice mix. It’s a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, and the tiniest bit of black pepper. You’ll be using half of the spice mix in the cupcake batter and the other half is mixed in with the sugar to make a chai sugar. The chai sugar is used for topping each cupcake.
Now, make the batter, it comes together in no time. This is a one-bowl kind of cupcake batter. Once poured into molds just bake and wait patiently. The smells coming from the oven will have you so excited. It’s like Thanksgiving, with cozy scents of pumpkin mixed with hints of sweet sugar wafting throughout your kitchen.
Each cupcake is incredibly moist, so soft, and perfectly sweetened. The secret is truly in all that pumpkin. It makes for the best sweets.
On to the frosting…
This frosting is everything and has to be one of my favorites. I drew inspiration from a few of my older recipes, but especially from these sweet brown sugar cookies and also these butter pecan frosted fudge brownies.
There are two simple secrets to this frosting.
One, use a mix of brown sugar and powdered sugar. Powdered sugar adds practically zero flavor. The brown sugar adds hints of warm molasses and really deepens the flavor to create a frosting that’s perfectly rich and sweet.
The second secret, vanilla and cinnamon swirled throughout. SO GOOD. Think creamy, buttery, and hinted with brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Honestly? It’s addicting, and you should slather on more than you think your cupcakes will actually need. Because people always want more.
It’s the perfect pairing with the warming chai spices.
Now, frost, decorate…and eat.
I didn’t do anything fancy here. I simply dolloped a generous swirl of the brown sugar frosting, then sprinkled with that sweet chai sugar. Finish off each cupcake with a cinnamon stick (my favorite fall decoration has got to be cinnamon sticks) to mimic our favorite fall beverage…that pumpkin spice latte.
And that’s it. Honestly, these are really pretty simple to put together. The frosting is a little annoying because you do need to melt the brown sugar on the stove, then let it cool before using, but it’s all still very easy.
And so very good. Each bite is filled with sweet pumpkin and light, fluffy frosting. Best kind of autumn weekend cupcake.
I know it’s hard to believe, but Halloween is two weeks from Saturday and Thanksgiving is only getting that much closer. I’m thinking ahead and already planning to include these on my Thanksgiving menu.
My recommendation? Bake these cupcakes this weekend, then again on Halloween. Then one more time in November. Yes, these cupcakes will be perfect for Thanksgiving too! Fall is always such a short season, live it up while it’s here and enjoy every sweet minute of it…preferably with a cupcake in hand!
Looking for other chai and or pumpkin sweets? Here are a few ideas:
Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Butter Bread
Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Pumpkin Pie
Chai Spiced Maple Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting
Lastly, if you make these Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting
Servings: 16 cupcakes
Calories Per Serving: 300 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Chai Spice
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (melted butter or canola can be used)
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Brown Sugar Frosting
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1. To make the chai spice. In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, and pepper. Divide the mix in half. Mix one half of the spice blend with the granulated sugar and set aside for topping the cupcakes. Reserve the remaining chai spice blend for the cupcake batter. 2. To make the cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 16 cupcake molds with paper liners. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining chai spice. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain in the batter.4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pan. Transfer to the oven and bake 18-22 minutes, until the tops are just set, and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool. 5. To make the frosting, melt together 2 tablespoons butter, the cream, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl in the freezer (or fridge for longer) for 15-20 minutes or until cool to touch.6. Grab the cooled butter mixture from the freezer and add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter, the vanilla, cinnamon and the powdered sugar to the bowl. Beat together until well combined. 7. Frost each cupcake and sprinkle with chai sugar. Add cinnamon sticks, if desired.
This is THE most requested item at my family’s Thanksgiving dessert table and is a new staple of ours! To get a perfect swirl I found it easiest to use a ziplock/piping bag. Highly recommend these cupcakes, they are worth the effort!!
Hey Rachel,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
These are delicious cupcakes! My question is…would they make a suitable birthday cake? Maybe using 2 round 8″ pans with the icing between the layers?
Hey Anna,
Thanks so much!! Unfortunately, I would not recommend this as a layer cake, the frosting is too soft, but you could do as a sheet cake in a 9×13 pan. I hope this helps! xx
Hello! I haven’t made these yet, but I’m wondering how I should store them. I am making them today and taking them to an event tomorrow. Should I put them in the fridge or leave them out, and will they stay fresh? Thanks!
Hey there,
You can store these in an airtight container on the counter. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
These cupcakes were delicious! I made these for a baking competition at school and got 2nd place!! The cupcakes themselves are not very sweet but the frosting adds that sweetness that really makes the cupcake. I was a little nervous about the frosting because the comments said that the recipe didn’t yield enough frosting but I had the perfect amount. You just have to whip the frosting for a couple of minutes. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hey Milana,
Happy Friday!!❄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xx
AMAZINGGGGGG! These are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made
Hey Shelby,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:)
hello! i would love to try these cupcakes, but i only have a 12 cupcake pan and can’t seem to find a 16 cupcake one. how should i adjust my measurements accordingly?
thanks!
Hey Panni,
You can follow the recipe as written and then just make a second batch when the first is done baking:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Taste is spectacular, i just find the cake to be too dense. Wish it was a bit lighter of a batter
Hey Kara,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
These are great! The cupcakes came out moist and very flavorful, taste more chai spice than pumpkin but delicious. I didn’t have cardamom so just increased all the other spices slightly to make the right amount. Next time I’ll will make ½ the amount of chai spice and skip topping the cupcakes with it, it was just too much for my preferences. I did see a few reviews saying there wasn’t enough frosting so I did 1.5x the frosting and it was way more than enough, I had quite a bit leftover even after I laid it on thick! Pretty clear that the other reviews were not whipping the frosting long enough. The recipe is just right!
Hey Erin,
Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Hi, I made these cupcakes and there where amazing. I would like to make this as a two tier cake what measurements and cooking time would you recommend?
Hi Melanie,
Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! Sorry, I would not suggest this as a layer cake, the frosting is too soft. xT
These were so delicious! I have made two double batches within two weeks, and they GO FAST! My frosting job does not look as beautiful as the model, would love any tips and tricks 🙂 I imagine I will bringing these to some gatherings throughout the season.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hey Jess,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
Hi Tieghan,
Can I use creme fraiche for the frosting?
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Karen,
Are you wanting to use the creme fraiche in place of the heavy cream? You could give it a try, but I haven’t tested it! I hope this recipe turns out well for you:) xT
Hi, the conversion from US Customary to Metric does not seem to be working correctly. E.g., the amount of butter for 16 cupcakes in US Customary is 8 T, but when I change to metric (I prefer grams when possible) it changes the butter to 6 T. Thanks, Delia
Hi Delia,
Thanks for pointing this out, so sorry for any confusion! Unfortunately, you may want to use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
So moist and delicious. Frosting is not overly sweat. Perfect fall cupcake. Thank you!
Hey there,
Happy Monday! 👻 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Happy Halloween! 🎃
ABSOLUTE BEST CUPCAKES I HAVE EVER TASTED!! They are so moist and fluffy and the frosting is so good it is not too sweet. They are delicious and beautiful!!
Lol thanks so much Kaedyn!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making them:) xx
Best cupcakes love the spice,pumpkin,icing
Thank you so much Helen!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! 🎃
I love these cupcakes! The measurements are way off though. Not enough frosting and waaay too much sugar and cinnamon topping. Next time I’d 1.5x the frosting and probably put 3/4 of the chai spice into the cupcakes and save the rest for topping.
Hi Elizabeth,
Happy Sunday! 🎃 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your feedback! Sorry you feel the measurements are off, let me know if there is anything that I can help with. xx