30 Thanksgiving Cupcakes

Pie gets all the attention in November, but not everyone wants a slice. Cupcakes solve that. They need no knife, no plates, and nobody fights over the last piece of crust.

These 30 Thanksgiving cupcakes cover the whole dessert table. You’ll find pumpkin, pecan pie, apple cider, sweet potato, maple, cranberry, and chai flavors, plus a handful of decorated turkey, pilgrim hat, acorn, and pumpkin patch cupcakes the kids can help finish.

Most bake in under 25 minutes, and plenty can be made a day ahead.

1. Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft, light, and topped with a tall swirl of cream cheese frosting. This is the classic the rest of the list builds on, made from pantry staples.

The batter is oil-based with a full cup of pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix the wet and dry bowls just until combined, since overmixing makes them dense.

Twelve cupcakes bake for 17 to 22 minutes. The frosting is just cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla, piped with a 1M tip.

Source details: livewellbakeoften.com

2. Turkey Cupcakes

Reese’s Pieces fan out as tail feathers on these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. Work from the outside in, one color at a time, and tilt the candies up so they all fit.

The face is a Hershey’s Kiss with its tip dipped in orange-tinted white chocolate for a beak. A red mini M&M becomes the wattle, and two dots of white chocolate pressed with mini M&Ms make the eyes.

Peanut allergy at the table? Swap in candy corn. The recipe decorates 20 to 24 cupcakes.

Source details: yourcupofcake.com

3. Pecan Pie Cupcakes

Cake or pie? These let you skip the choice. A boxed spice cake mix gets doctored with butter, whole milk, and extra eggs, then baked for about 21 minutes.

While they bake, a real pecan pie filling of brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and chopped pecans boils on the stove, then chills for an hour. Each cupcake is cored and stuffed with it.

Cinnamon buttercream goes on top with more pecans and a cinnamon sugar pie crust leaf baked from store-bought dough. The batch makes 22.

Source details: 4sonrus.com

4. Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes

Two full cups of sweet potato puree go into these, with only 2/3 cup of flour. That ratio is why they eat like a creamy slice of pie rather than a fluffy cake.

Cinnamon and nutmeg season the batter, and the 12 cupcakes bake for 20 to 25 minutes until set. They cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then chill for an hour.

Right before serving, pile on cinnamon whipped cream. Spray the liners first, or the custardy cupcakes will stick.

Source details: sweetandsavorymeals.com

5. Apple Cider Cupcakes

Real cider flavor starts with a reduction. Three cups of apple cider simmer down to half a cup, which takes around 20 minutes.

Half of that syrup goes into a buttermilk batter spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The other half gets drizzled over the finished cupcakes.

Cream cheese frosting sits in between, made by whipping butter for five minutes before beating in cold cream cheese. Twelve cupcakes bake for 17 to 19 minutes.

Source details: inbloombakery.com

6. Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

There is an actual pie crust hiding under each of these. Refrigerated dough is cut into 24 circles, brushed with milk, sprinkled with sugar, and parbaked for five minutes before going into the bottom of every liner.

Pumpkin spice batter bakes on top for 25 to 27 minutes. Once cool, each cupcake is cored with an apple corer and filled with sweet pumpkin pie filling.

The recipe warns not to push the corer all the way through, or you’ll hit the crust. Pumpkin spice buttercream finishes them.

Source details: simplystacie.net

7. Pilgrim Hat Cupcakes

Each hat is a fudge stripe cookie with a snack-size Reese’s Cup glued upside down on top. An orange and a yellow Reese’s Pieces form the buckle.

Underneath sits a from-scratch chocolate cupcake made with cocoa, oil, milk, and water. The buttercream gets split in two bowls and tinted yellow and orange before piping.

Kids can assemble the hats while you frost. The recipe makes 36 cupcakes in about an hour and 15 minutes, and a boxed mix is fine if you’re short on time.

Source details: rufflesandrainboots.com

8. Maple Cupcakes With Maple Buttercream

Three sweeteners share the batter here: light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and real maple syrup. Buttermilk and a couple of tablespoons of oil keep the crumb fluffy, while cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth.

Prep takes about 15 minutes, and the 12 cupcakes bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden.

The frosting is a simple American buttercream sweetened with even more maple syrup and loosened with heavy cream. Pipe it with a 1M tip and scatter crushed pecans over the top.

Source details: alpineella.com

9. Easy Decorate Turkey Cupcakes

Source details: ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com

10. Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Two tablespoons of espresso powder dissolved in warm coffee make the difference. The recipe is clear that it doesn’t taste like coffee. It just makes the pumpkin and spices taste deeper.

A full 15-ounce can of pumpkin goes into the buttermilk batter with cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. The 24 cupcakes bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

On top, a whipped cream cheese frosting stands in for the latte’s whipped cream. A drizzle of homemade salted caramel finishes the coffee shop effect.

Source details: mamaneedscake.com

11. Brown Butter Pecan Cupcakes

Butter pecan ice cream, reimagined as a cupcake. Brown butter goes into both the cake flour batter and the frosting, so the recipe suggests browning one big batch the night before to let it cool.

Pecan halves get tossed with softened brown butter and flaky salt, toasted for 10 minutes, and chopped. Half fold into the batter and the rest go on top.

A touch of almond extract plays off the nutty flavor. The 12 cupcakes bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

Source details: barleyandsage.com

12. Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Apple pie filling hides in the middle of these. The cupcake is a buttery white cake flavored with caramel extract, baked for 23 to 25 minutes and then scooped out with a spoon.

Diced apples from a can of pie filling go into each hole. A caramel buttercream made with half and half and more caramel extract gets piped on top.

A spoonful of reserved filling and a drizzle of caramel sauce finish each one. They keep in the fridge for four to five days. The batch makes 12.

Source details: simplystacie.net

13. Chocolate Almond Acorn Cupcakes

Those little acorns are a mini vanilla wafer, an almond Hershey’s Kiss, and a mini chocolate chip stem, held together with dabs of frosting. Chopped almonds sprinkled around them finish the woodland look.

The cupcake underneath is a rich chocolate base made with melted semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa, buttermilk, and sour cream. Almond extract runs through both the cake and the buttercream.

Fifteen cupcakes bake for 17 to 20 minutes, with the whole project taking about 45 minutes. Plain Kisses work too if almonds are off the table.

Source details: garnishandglaze.com

14. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Source details: justsotasty.com

15. Spice Cake Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Spice cake is usually dense. This version uses cake flour plus a mix of buttermilk and sour cream so the crumb stays soft and delicate while keeping that moist, brown sugar flavor.

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves season the batter, and 14 cupcakes bake for 16 to 18 minutes.

The frosting is the author’s favorite part. Brick-style cream cheese, butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon make it tangy and less sweet than standard buttercream. The whole recipe takes about an hour.

Source details: ohsweetbasil.com

16. White Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes

Tart filling, rich frosting, and a sparkly top. Two cups of fresh cranberries cook down with sugar for about 10 minutes into a thick filling that goes inside vanilla cupcakes made with both butter and oil.

For the frosting, white chocolate chips and heavy cream melt into a quick ganache that gets blended into buttercream.

Sugared cranberries and a sprig of rosemary finish each one. The recipe makes 24 and takes a little over an hour, with the cupcakes baking for just 14 to 16 minutes.

Source details: xoxobella.com

17. Harvest Swirl Cupcakes

Four colors of buttercream stack into one tall autumn swirl. The frosting is divided into red, orange, gold, and white portions, with exact Wilton Color Right drop counts given for each shade.

Each color goes into its own bag with a 1M star tip. Red circles the outside first, then orange, gold, and white pile up in smaller rings toward the center.

The cupcakes are chocolate from a box mix, though vanilla works too. One batch of frosting covers 12, so double it for the full 18.

Source details: twosisterscrafting.com

18. Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Source details: cremedelacombe.com

19. Sweet Potato Cupcakes With Marshmallow Frosting

No eggs in these. Vinegar reacts with baking soda to give the batter its lift, the same way the volcano science experiment works.

Half a cup of sweet potato puree, cinnamon, and optional ginger flavor the cupcakes, which work with spelt, white, or gluten-free flour. Nine cupcakes bake for 18 minutes, and the recipe says they taste even better the next day.

Marshmallow frosting goes on top. For extra fun, stuff them with marshmallow fluff or cranberry jelly after baking.

Source details: chocolatecoveredkatie.com

20. Apple Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Half cinnamon roll, half cupcake, and ready in under 30 minutes. A sheet of refrigerated crescent dough gets brushed with melted butter, covered in cinnamon sugar, and scattered with a diced apple.

Roll it into a log, slice into eight pieces, and set each one in a paper liner. They bake for about 15 minutes until golden, with foil tented on top if they brown too fast.

A maple glaze of powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk gets spooned over while they’re warm. They pass as breakfast too.

Source details: omgchocolatedesserts.com

21. Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

A rich chocolate cupcake base, piped to look like a little pumpkin sitting in the patch. The batter uses cocoa, buttermilk, hot water, and a teaspoon of instant coffee to deepen the chocolate.

Vanilla buttercream tinted orange gets piped into pumpkin ridges with a Wilton 4 tip, then green vines go on with a Wilton 2 tip. A pretzel stick stands in for the stem.

The 24 cupcakes bake for 17 to 19 minutes. They look best the day they’re made, so bake ahead and decorate before serving.

Source details: thefirstyearblog.com

22. Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes With Bourbon Caramel

Make the bourbon caramel first so it has time to thicken. Sugar and water cook to amber, then heavy cream, butter, two tablespoons of bourbon, and vanilla go in.

The cupcakes adapt a Martha Stewart recipe with far more spice: cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, plus dark brown sugar and both maple and vanilla extract. Brown butter replaces plain melted butter, and they bake at 325°F.

Each one gets filled with caramel, and more caramel is whipped into the frosting. The batch makes 16.

Source details: burrataandbubbles.com

23. Chai Cupcakes

One spice blend does double duty. Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and a pinch of black pepper are mixed together, with 1 1/2 teaspoons going into the batter and the rest beaten into the frosting.

The cupcakes use cake flour and milk for a soft crumb, and a dozen bake at 350°F for 24 to 28 minutes.

A simple vanilla buttercream carries the remaining spice. Store leftovers at room temperature for two to three days, or freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to three months.

Source details: tasteofhome.com

24. Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot isn’t here for flavor. According to the recipe, it softens as it bakes and gives the crumb its signature tenderness without crumbling.

Shredded carrot joins drained crushed pineapple, a little of its juice, coconut, and chopped walnuts or pecans in an oil-based brown sugar batter with cinnamon. Baking soda plus a half teaspoon of vinegar gives the dense batter extra lift.

Twelve cupcakes bake for about 20 minutes. A fluffy cream cheese frosting and more chopped nuts go on top.

Source details: recipetineats.com

25. Soft and Fluffy apple pie cupcakes

Source details: teakandthyme.com

26. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cupcakes

Adapted from Duff Goldman’s most popular cake. Six egg whites instead of whole eggs keep the pumpkin batter light, and a full 1 1/2 cups of mini chocolate chips get folded in.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves season the mix of all-purpose and cake flour. The 24 cupcakes bake fast, just 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F.

Instead of Duff’s buttercream, these wear a cream cheese frosting with a hint of orange. The author admits she doubted pumpkin and chocolate together until the family taste test.

Source details: whatagirleats.com

27. Colorful Fall Leaves Cupcakes

The striped frosting trick is simple. Dip a toothpick in orange and yellow gel coloring and paint lines inside the piping bag before filling it with vanilla frosting. Every swirl from the 1M tip comes out streaked in autumn shades.

The chocolate leaves are piped from melted candy melts in a snipped baggie, traced over a free printable leaf template on parchment. Ten minutes in the fridge sets them.

Use any 24 baked cupcakes you like. Canned frosting whipped with a cup of powdered sugar works in a pinch.

Source details: pintsizedbaker.com

28. Apple Pie Cupcakes

Store-bought cinnamon roll dough is the crust. Each roll gets patted into a greased muffin cup with your fingers, then filled with a quick skillet apple pie filling.

Two diced apples, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji, cook in butter with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and a squeeze of lemon. A crumble of butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped nuts goes over the top.

They bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, often done in 12. Serve the eight cupcakes warm with ice cream or caramel sauce.

Source details: inspiredtaste.net

29. Butterscotch Cupcakes

Butter and dark brown sugar, the same two ingredients behind butterscotch sauce, give these their flavor. The recipe insists on all butter, no oil, plus cake flour and sour cream.

The batter comes out almost liquid, and that’s expected. Fill the liners only halfway, because these cupcakes are meant to bake flat rather than domed. Check them at 14 minutes.

Butterscotch buttercream made with three tablespoons of sauce goes on top, with extra sauce drizzled over. Homemade sauce is recommended, though store-bought works. The batch makes 16.

Source details: cupcakeproject.com

30. Pumpkin Churro Cupcakes

A churro’s cinnamon sugar crust, on a pumpkin cupcake. Once the spiced cupcakes cool, their tops get brushed with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.

The cake itself carries cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves with 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree. Twelve cupcakes bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

Cinnamon buttercream swirls on top, followed by a drizzle of melted milk chocolate squeezed from a small zip-top bag. A final sprinkle of the reserved cinnamon sugar finishes them.

Source details: anniesnoms.com