Healthy Small Batch Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

 
Every year throughout elementary school, I always looked forward to Halloween. Our teachers allowed us to wear our costumes to class (as long as they followed the school’s regular dress code!), and they stopped their lessons after lunch for the school-wide Halloween parade.  

The teachers led their classes out to the asphalt courtyard, and their students lined up single file behind them. We walked around the entire campus and massive grassy field behind the fifth graders’ playground, and we waved to the front office staff, yard duties, and parents who left work early to cheer us on as our parade streamed past.
 

 
Often, a couple of parent volunteers slipped in during our lunch recess and festively decorated each classroom with paper jack-o-lantern, ghost, and black cat cut-outs on the walls and crêpe paper streamers hanging from the ceiling. They also organized a little refreshments table for our class parties—and we always looked forward to those the most!

When we arrived back at our classrooms, we found lots of sweet treats waiting for us: juice boxes, pumpkin-shaped crunchy sugar cookies with coarse orange sanding sugar, mini chocolate cupcakes with bright orange frosting and bat-shaped sprinkles, and bowls of miniature Halloween candy bars. Yum!

Although come to think of it, it makes perfect sense that our teachers cancelled afternoon lessons… It’d be nearly impossible to get little kids to concentrate with that many sugary sweets around!
 

 
As an adult, I kind of miss those innocent little Halloween classroom parties with all of the cute costumes and fun decorations… But if I decided to host one now as an adult, these Healthy Small Batch Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting would definitely appear on my refreshments table!

They’re supremely moist with lots of sweet pumpkin and warm spice flavors, and unlike the mini cupcakes from my childhood Halloween parties, these contain no artificial ingredients, food dyes, refined flour or sugar!

Festive fall colors. Perfectly sweet and moist. Super easy to make. What’s not to love??
 

 
Let’s go over how to make these healthy small batch mini pumpkin cupcakes!

You’ll start with whole wheat pastry flour (like this!) and lots of spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. These are some of the most common spices found in store-bought jars of pumpkin spice (short for “pumpkin pie spice,” or the spices used to make pumpkin pie—no actual pumpkin included!). I prefer to make my own for a few reasons… (a) I love this cinnamon and find it has a stronger, sweeter flavor than the cinnamon usually found in store-bought pumpkin spice; (b) it’s cheaper to make my own; and (c) I keep jars of those individual spices in my pantry already!

As for the whole wheat pastry flour, it has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, but it also has a lighter taste and texture! That’s because it’s made by grinding a special type of soft white wheat exceptionally finely. The lighter flavor and texture of white wheat lets the supremely moist texture and sweet flavor of these healthy small batch mini pumpkin cupcakes truly shine!
 

 
Unlike traditional pumpkin cupcake recipes that call for lots of oil or butter, you just need ½ teaspoon for these—and no egg yolks either! That really helps keep these healthy small batch mini pumpkin cupcakes low in calories (and low fat)!

Then the rest of their tender texture comes from pumpkin purée (like this—not pumpkin pie mix!) and Greek yogurt. If you’ve been around my blog before, you know how much I love using Greek yogurt! Just like the pumpkin, it adds the same moisture to your cupcake batter as extra oil or butter but for a fraction of the calories… And the Greek yogurt adds a protein boost to your healthy small batch mini pumpkin cupcakes, too!
 

 
You’ll skip the refined granulated sugar and sweeten your cupcakes with another one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). This is my current favorite because it doesn’t have any strange aftertaste like some other stevia products. Although you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)

Before you add the batter to your cupcake liners, you must coat the cupcake liners with nonstick cooking spray. Low fat cupcakes, like these healthy small batch mini pumpkin cupcakes, tend to stick to liners like superglue because they don’t contain a lot of butter or oil like traditional recipes… So misting your cupcake liners first enables them to peel away from the cupcakes much more easily!
 

 
While your cupcakes bake, it’s time to prepare the frosting! Originally, I planned on making a spreadable dark chocolate frosting for these healthy small batch mini pumpkin cupcakes… But I nixed that idea when the cupcakes rose really tall and I realized pretty swirls of frosting would look much better! 😉

So to make this pipe-able chocolate frosting that’s more like milk chocolate in flavor, you’ll need a couple of key ingredients: Greek yogurt, cocoa powder (this kind!), instant pudding mix (this kind!), and more liquid stevia (remember, I love this one!).
 

 
I know, I know… Instant pudding mix sounds like a really strange ingredient for frosting. But it works like magic! By mixing the Greek yogurt with it and then chilling for 2 hours, the instant pudding mix thickens the frosting to be a pipe-able consistency. Without it, this frosting wouldn’t hold its shape and would need to be spread on top of the cupcakes. Such a fun trick, right?

Tip: I’ve found that not all Greek yogurt brands are equally thick! This is my favorite one for my Greek yogurt frosting because it’s the thickest brand I’ve found, which means your chocolate frosting holds its shape so much better!
 

 
Time for dessert! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy small batch mini pumpkin cupcakes with chocolate frosting!

Healthy Small Batch Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 18 mini cupcakes

These cupcakes are perfect for fall! They’re full of sweet pumpkin and warm spice flavors, and the chocolate frosting pairs so well with the pumpkin. These cupcakes are supremely moist and tender, too! They’re best if eaten the same day that they’re frosted, but leftovers will keep for at least 2 days (if not longer) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients 

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp (135g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 tsp coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 large egg white, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
• 6 tbsp (92g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix!)
• 2 tbsp (30g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 6 tbsp (90mL) nonfat milk

FOR THE FROSTING

• 1 cup (240g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt (see Notes!)
• 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
• 1 serving (11g) sugar-free, fat-free instant chocolate pudding mix (see Notes!)
• ¼ tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)

Instructions

• To prepare the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 18 mini muffin cups with paper liners, and coat the liners with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg white, vanilla, and liquid stevia. Stir in the pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
• Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners. Bake at 350°F for 9-12 minutes or until the centers feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting. Add the Greek yogurt, cocoa powder, instant pudding, and liquid stevia to a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand-held mixer or stand mixer for 2 minutes. Cover the top of the bowl with foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe the chocolate frosting on top just before serving.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's really important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will dry out your batter and make your cupcakes dry too, instead of soft and moist.

 

FOR SWEETER CUPCAKES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: If you’d like sweeter cupcakes, then add 2 tablespoons of this granulated erythritol (or Truvia or coconut sugar) to the cupcake batter along with the liquid stevia.

 

I usually try to use just one sweetener to make life easier for you! However, some of my taste testers found that the pumpkin muted the liquid stevia’s sweetness. Once I added those 2 tablespoons granulated erythritol, the cupcakes tasted SO much sweeter, like true store-bought cupcakes—so I promise it’s worth using both! The baking time will increase by 1-2 minutes, if you add in any of these three sweetener options.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat pastry flour.

 

SPICES NOTE: For a stronger spice flavor (I always prefer stronger spice flavors!), then increase the ginger, nutmeg, and cloves by ⅛ teaspoon each (for a total of ¼ teaspoon each).

 

STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients (you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine!), and I buy it online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found.

 

If you prefer not to use stevia in the cupcakes, substitute 6 tablespoons (90mL) of agave, honey, or pure maple syrup for the liquid stevia and omit the milk. (The batter should be fairly thick, similar to muffin batter.)

 

If you prefer not to use the vanilla stevia in the frosting, then substitute ¼ cup of Truvia or powdered sugar.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

 

GREEK YOGURT NOTE: For the frosting, I’ve found that not all Greek yogurt brands are equally thick! This is my favorite one for my Greek yogurt frosting because it’s the thickest brand I’ve found, which means your chocolate frosting holds its shape so much better!

 

INSTANT PUDDING NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: This is the instant pudding mix that I use. You just need the dry instant pudding mix—do not prepare it according to the package directions! Also, remember that you only need 1 serving—not 1 box!

 

For a more classic spreadable (not pipe-able) chocolate frosting that does NOT use instant pudding (and is clean-eating friendly), use this recipe of mine.

 

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten free flour, use the following blend: ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (90g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) should work as well, if measured like this.

 

TO MAKE STANDARD SIZED CUPCAKES: This recipe is easily doubled to yield 12 standard size cupcakes! Remember to coat the cupcake liners with nonstick cooking spray first. Bake the standard size cupcakes at 350°F for 19-21 minutes or until the centers feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.

 

{gluten free, clean eating option, low fat, sugar free}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Small Batch Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
♡  Healthy Small Batch Apple Crumble Bars
♡  Healthy Small Batch Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Pie
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Bundt Cake
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
♡  …and all of Amy’s other healthy pumpkin recipes!