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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 for dessert.
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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 post was originally published on October 16, 2020
Thanks for the great sharing.
Thanks Lily!
The cinnamon brown sugar frosting was DELICIOUS, one of the best frosting flavors I’ve ever had. The cupcake itself was also very good and moist. Next time I make it I’ll probably make a little more frosting since I like a lot of frosting and was running out towards the end (was probably 2 cupcakes short). Next time I’ll also whip the frosting for longer, probably closer to 5 minutes to make it fluffier!
Hey Aisling,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
These cupcakes were so easy to make and sooooo delicious! I had never made my own frosting before, and I was surprised how easy it was. This frosting could be used on so many flavors of cupcake. I will definitely be making these over and over again until my family tells me they are sick of them. ?
Hey Alexandra,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan
Hi! Is it possible to leave the pumpkin out and make vanilla chai cupcakes? Would I need to add or take anything out if I omit the pumpkin?
Hi Bee! Try using 2 sticks of melted butter (1 cup total) and then a 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt in place of the pumpkin. I think that could work well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made these at the request of a friend for her birthday… holy cow, they were AMAZING!!! I did 1/2 the recipe as is, and 1/2 I made gluten free, and they still turned out great. Also, that frosting is by far the best frosting I have ever had! I’m not a huge frosting person, and I could have eaten the whole bowl! People were literally licking the cupcake wrapper trying to get as much as possible! These will definitely be a go-to for a fall treat in the future (although, they sound perfect for winter too!)!!
Hey Jenelle,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Oh my gosh. How are these that good??? I’m dead. They are so moist and the spice is a perfect blend. Will definitely be making these again and again. Very easy and quick to whip up!
Hey Grace,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. That is so great the recipe was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hiya! I just tried these, and while the flavors were delicious, my cupcake texture was off. It was kind of hard on the top and really wet on the inside, and wouldn’t release from the wrapper without leaving half the cupcake in it. Do you have any idea where I went wrong Teighan? Would love to try these again if you may have a suggestion. I followed the recipe really closely!
Hey Kori,
So sorry you had issues with the texture of the cupcake. Was there anything you may have adjusted? Let me know how I can help! Happy New Year! xTieghan
These are unreal!!! Made them once 2 weeks ago and making agin! Would you recommend prepping this the night before? If so, how?
Hey Brooke,
Yes, you can make these the night before and store covered in an airtight container. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Tieghan, these are perfection! I made them twice! Once for Thanksgiving, and once more for…Tuesday? Basically when it gets cold and cloudy in Denver I use that as a reason to make these. They’re incredible, especially that frosting! The first time I made them the frosting came out thick and difficult to spread but I managed (and just ate the leftovers straight out of the piping bag), the second time it was light and fluffy and beautiful and almost looked like your picture (though not as white, but maybe it’s my vanilla?). The first time I made them I made some brown sugar-maple-cinnamon-butter-delicious nuts and spinkled those on top as well.
Thank you for your genius creativity!
Hey LeeAnn,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi! These look amazing
How far in advance can the topping be made ?
Thank you !
Hey Emily,
For best results, I would make these no more than 2 days in advance. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are incredibly delicious!! I love anything chai and these cupcakes don’t disappoint. I have loved everything I’ve made from your website! I am getting one of your cookbooks for Christmas and can’t wait.
Hey Julie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad they worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
The cupcake itself was incredible, but the frosting was way way way WAYYYY too sweet
A bit of a shame I felt it ruined the delish cake! Recommend making them just as muffins 😉
Hey Tina,
So sorry you did not enjoy the sweetness of the frosting, is there something I can help with? Let me know! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Oooh look amazing! How much in advance can I make the frosting?
Hey Emily,
I would make the frosting no more than a day in advance. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I don’t think the proportions are correct because I definitely had way more than 16 cupcakes. Additionally, after baking for 22 minutes, I still had to put them back in the oven as the center did not cook. The frosting is great, I did not have heavy cream, so used milk and I think it turned out pretty good, may need to chill in freezer a bit longer. It looks really good, and the recipe is easy to follow, but did not have the same results.
Hey Yoges,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, was there anything you adjusted here? I haven’t had anyone with this review so I am wondering if you needed to use bigger scoops. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
If I could rate these a 10, I totally would. I have made these about 6 times since you posted this recipe! I usually make a double batch to share with friends and fam. My 7 year old said these are his favorite!
Hey Michelle,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan