This easy Pumpkin Frosting Recipe has such a perfect pumpkin flavor, and would be amazing on a million different things!
This Pumpkin Frosting is incredibly popular because it is the perfect creamy frosting texture while having the best pumpkin spice flavor.
It is perfect on chocolate cupcakes, but if you decided to just eat it with a spoon I would totally understand.
Pumpkin Frosting Ingredients
This recipe comes together quickly with so many ingredients that are already in your pantry.
- Butter
- Pumpkin
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
How To Make Pumpkin Frosting
Did you know that frosting is incredibly easy to make. I’m not someone who thinks that all things need to be homemade, but with how easy frosting is to make, I never buy it. Homemade is a million times better.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat together room temperature butter and pumpkin puree.
- Mix in the spices and the vanilla extract.
- Next beat in the powdered sugar a little at a time until you get the right consistency.
Pumpkin Frosting Tips and Tricks
- Room Temperature Butter: You should be able to push your finger into the butter easily, but without it going all the way through. The correct temperature butter is important in this recipe.
- Measuring Powdered Sugar: When making this recipe, do not pack the powdered sugar into the measuring cup. You will end up with too much and a frosting that is too thick.
- Use Milk: If you end up with frosting that is too thick or difficult to pipe, use a tablespoon of milk to make it easier to work with.
Other Great Pumpkin Recipes
- These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are perfectly crisp on the outside and buttery soft on the inside.
- My Pumpkin Bread has the best cinnamon sugar atop a soft moist bread.
- These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are exactly what you want in a cookie.
If you make this great Pumpkin Frosting or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Pumpkin Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Slowly cream together the butter and the pumpkin with a handheld mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachement. (Note: I wasn't able to get it to a completely smooth mixture even after several minutes of my mixer on medium, so just get it as close to combined as possible.)
- Beat in the vanilla, then the cinnamon, then the nutmeg.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time until you are able to get it to the right consistency.
Nikki says
I am making cupcakes for my sons first birthday. I am wondering if this is good consistency for decorating cupcakes? Has anyone used it for that.
Mary says
I made this today and it was really sweet. I ended up using 1 stick of butter instead of half to counter the sweetness. It worked! Thanks for the recipe!
Julia says
I’m making pumpkin spice macarons for thanksgiving and using this for the filling! Thanks!
I hope you like it Julia!
Beth says
I am doing the cupcakes for my son’s wedding in 2 weeks. I’m thinking I will make the frosting a few days ahead of time and refrigerate it. I was planning on frosting the cupcakes the day before the wedding. Do you think I can leave them for one day unrefrigerated?
Hi Beth! Yes, you can leave them unrefrigerated, but I would store them in covered containers.
Kristyna says
I just followed this recipe to a T and it was complete soup. Taste is good but the consistency was more like batter. Any thoughts?
That stinks Kristyna! My best guess is that the butter wasn’t the right consistency, i.e. too liquidy. It should be room temperature, meaning that you should be able to gently push a finger in and dent it but not go all the way through.
Angie says
I found the texture to be a little grainy, so I beat in about 1/4-1/3 cup of milk and then slowly added icing sugar for the right consistency. Nice and smooth!
Great recipe. I really like the flavor. :)
Willow says
this didn’t work. It still tasted good but the butter was all chunky and the frosting was super runny.
I’m so sorry that this recipe didn’t work for you. From what you’ve described, it sounds like the butter was not soft enough. It needs to be room temperature. The best way to accomplish that is to cut it into one inch pieces and leave it on the counter for about a half hour. If it it isn’t soft enough it won’t cream with the pumpkin, and then the sugar. And then yes, absolutely the texture will be off.
Dani__Cakes says
I found this and wanted to think long and hard about what flavor cake to put it on. I decided on snickerdoodle cupcakes with this pumpkin frosting-OMG?! Delicious!
LOL! Thanks for coming back and telling me Dani!
Storm Arashi says
Oh I am so making this. I’m gonna make a Black Magic cake for Halloween but I’m allergic to a good chunk of food dye so dying vanilla buttercream orange is not good for my skin at all. This is naturally orange and looks naturally DELICIOUS. I think I’m gonna need to make a few “test” cakes… You know. For science. And frosting.
Lol!!! My favorite pairing with this frosting is a spoon ;)
Janet says
Cream the butter first, without the pumpkin, until it gets a lighter color. That will help with the texture. I love the pumpkin idea. Might add pumpkin pie spice for flavoring for a switch! Thank you!