This coming Saturday my community is holding a pre-Thanksgiving celebration for families in need. I will be in charge of teaching the children how to bake and decorate cupcakes. This is the recipe I came up with along with the finishing decorating look that screams the colors of fall. Note to reader: These cupcakes are friggin’ delish and a perfect alternative to pumpkin pie for your T-giving dinner!
All photos taken by: Nicole Presley
Ingredients for Pumpkin Coconut Mini Cupcakes:
3 – cups of sugar
4 – eggs
1 – 15 ounce can Libby’s Pumpkin Puree
1 – cup vegetable oil
2/3 – cup water
3 1/2 – cups all purpose flour
1 – teaspoon salt
2 – teaspoons baking soda
1 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 – teaspoons ground ginger
1 – cup shredded sweetened coconut
Ingredients for Cream Cheese frosting:
8 – ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1 – cup butter (room temperature)
1 – teaspoon vanilla extract
2 – cups confections sugar (powdered sugar)
Optional:
1/2 -cup dried cranberries
1/2 – cup pumpkin seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Line mini cupcake sheet with cupcake baking cups. Set to the side.
In a mixer combine sugar, eggs, Libby’s pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and water. Mix until well combined about 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile in a medium bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger together. Once all dry ingredients are combined add in coconut and mix well.
Now add flour/coconut mixture to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time with the mixer set to medium low. Make sure to mix well.
Fill each mini cupcake baking cup with 1 tablespoon of mixture. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Once cupcakes cool…. make the cream cheese frosting.
In a mixer combine cream cheese and butter, and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add vanilla and mix till combined. Last add in confectioners sugar a little at a time till completely combined. Spread cream cheese frosting on top of each cupcake and decorate with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds for a festive holiday look. ENJOY!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Nicole… I have to stop reading your site in between breakfast and lunch. These look awesome! I love pumpkin and cream cheese frosting is my favorite! Love the pepitas on top as decoration, too.
These are so beautiful, simple and elegant. I will try these! Pumpkin is just so perfect right now.
I want, I want…and these would be perfect for my church dinner!
I see you and I indulging in about 24 of these in the near future. Maybe a brainstorming meeting? I’ll bring the coffee 😉
They look and sound fabulous. I think the toppings would be great for Christmas too because you could make it look like mistletoe.
Love these! So delicious and tastey. I wish there was scratch and sniff. Yum!
Love the touch of cranberry on those cupcakes!
Wow, this looks absolutely amazing! You always have me wanting more!
O M G – I think I just drooled on my keyboard. I want these now!!
These sound delicious. Love the idea of combining pumpkin and coconut.
Of course! I love how you added coconut. It’s a great Latino touch that compliments well with the traditional Thanksgiving flavors of pumpkin and cranberry. Fusion at its best!
They look amazing, and the decoration is perfect for xmas too. Thanks for the delicious idea!
Hola, gracias por la receta, ya estoy haciendo ahorita, a ver que tal me sale 🙂