Honey Pumpkin Cupcakes (Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free)
The days are getting a bit shorter and the nights a bit cooler. I’m remiss to say, but I believe fall is on the way. One thing I do love about autumn approaching is the ability to bake my days away. There’s something truly comforting about a warm kitchen filled with the sweet scent of a freshly baked sweet treat. And let me tell you…my kitchen smelled like fall heaven while these scrumptious dairy-free gluten-free honey pumpkin cupcakes were baked.
Note: This post contains affiliate links to which I earn a small commission, but don’t worry there’s no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting CAKED by Katie.
Gluten-Free Honey Pumpkin Cupcakes
Warmly spiced and naturally sweetened, these gluten-free honey pumpkin cupcakes are fluffy and moist.
Topped with a smooth, sweet, and slightly tangy whipped dairy-free cream cheese buttercream frosting that will make you consider licking every spoon, beater, spatula, and bowl clean.
This small-batch naturally sweetened honey pumpkin cupcake recipe is an easy and totally delicious fall sweet treat.
National Honey Month with BeeMaid Honey
Did you know that September is National Honey Month? It only makes sense to celebrate with a delectable dessert and I’ve fallen head over heels in love with Bee Maid Honey. Bee Maid Honey is Canadian-owned and produced honey co-op since 1954.
That means that they source the highest quality honey from over 300 Western Canadian Beekeepers. Each and every bottle is quality assured and stamped “Proudly Owned by Canadian Beekeepers.”
How To Use Honey In Baking
I’m no stranger to sugar. This is a dessert blog after all. With that said, anytime I can use honey instead of refined sugar in a sweet treat, count me in!
This recipe, much like my Honey Lavender Cupcakes and Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts, uses honey in both the batter and the frosting. And let me tell you, these honey pumpkin cupcakes are quite possibly my new favorite cupcake!
Small-Batch Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Life is busy. I get it. Back to school. Autumn cleaning. The hustle and bustle that fall always brings is so very real and so very stressful. And seeing as how life is busy, I kept this small-batch honey pumpkin cupcake batter super simple.
First, start by creaming together the butter and creamed honey. Let this mix together on high for 5 minutes until it’s smooth, fluffy, and lightened in texture and color.
Next, add the canned pumpkin puree, egg white, and vanilla extract. Let this mix together on high for 2 minutes.
Last, toss in all those dry ingredients and mix until just combined. There you have it! Super easy, super simple small-batch dairy-free honey pumpkin cupcake batter.
Easy Honey Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Can you make a honey pumpkin cupcake without topping it with a sweet and slightly tangy cream cheese frosting?! Ya, I didn’t think so either! I’ve taken it a step up and added a touch of liquid honey to give the known and loved cream cheese frosting flavor a bit of depth that matches well with the cupcake.
Most frostings will state that the ingredients should be at room temperature but this recipe is good right from the fridge. Dairy-free cream cheese frosting can be on the softer side and seeing as how I like me a mile-high cupcake swirl, I start this buttercream off with cold butter and cream cheese.
To start with, cream the cold butter and cream cheese together with the shortening and creamed honey on high speed with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes. You want this to be light and fluffy before the remaining ingredients get added in.
Next, add in the remaining ingredients and mix on low until combined then turn up to high and let it whip for another good 5 minutes.
Dairy-Free Honey Pumpkin Cupcakes
And there you have it folks, the easiest small-batch dairy-free honey pumpkin cupcakes. One might even call them healthy. There’s no refined sugar in the cupcake batter at all, just plain, simple, and delicious BeeMaid honey.
These naturally-sweetened honey pumpkin cupcakes will make for the perfect cozy autumn afternoon sweet treat or perhaps even a Thanksgiving dinner dessert. I can’t wait for you to try them!
Baking With Honey
Here are a few fun honey recipes to try:
- Honey Lavender Cupcakes
- Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts
- Honey Blackberry Cake
- Honey Blondies by Salted Plains
- Honey & Oat Cookies by Occasionally Eggs
- Pecan Butter Tarts by Bee Maid Honey

Honey Pumpkin Cupcakes (Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 60 Minutes
- Yield: 7 Cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
Naturally-sweetened with honey, these dairy-free and gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes are wonderfully fluffy and topped with a delicious swirl of whipped cream cheese buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Honey Pumpkin Cupcakes
- ⅔ cup (220g) BeeMaid creamed honey *can use any type of honey
- ¼ cup (58g) dairy-free salted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (112g) canned pumpkin puree
- 1 egg white, room temperature
- ¾ cup gluten-free 1:1 baking blend *can sub all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Honey Cream Cheese Buttercream
- ⅓ cup (75g) dairy-free cream cheese, cold
- ½ cup (116g) dairy-free salted butter, cold
- 1 tablespoon BeeMaid liquid honey *can use any type of honey
- 3 ½ cups (420g) icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- optional: gluten-free gingersnap cookies for decor
Instructions
Honey Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place 7 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and creamed honey and beat together on high until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes.)
- Add in the canned pumpkin puree and egg white and mix on high for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and begin to mix on low until just combined and smooth. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
- Fill each cupcake liner approximately ¾ full with the cupcake batter and bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Gently remove each cupcake from the pan and place it on a cooling rack to fully cool.
Honey Cream Cheese Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese, and liquid honey together on high for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in the icing sugar and salt and mix on low until combined.
- Turn the mixer to high and allow to beat for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Top the cupcakes with the frosting and enjoy. I used a Wilton 1m piping tip to pipe a swirl and topped each swirl with a gingersnap cookie and crumbles.
Notes
* Cream cheese frosting is on the softer side so if you find it too soft to pipe a stable swirl, pop it back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 40 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
- Calories: 431
- Sugar: 27 Grams
- Sodium: 212 Miligrams
- Fat: 28 Grams
- Saturated Fat: 10 Grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 Grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 43 Grams
- Fiber: 2 Grams
- Protein: 5 Grams
- Cholesterol: 80 Miligrams
Keywords: gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes, honey pumpkin cupcakes, gluten-free pumpkin cupcake recipe, dairy-free pumpkin cupcakes, dairy-free pumpkin cupcake recipe
Made these as soon as I got the email. Amazing!
★★★★★
Woohoo! That’s music to my ears, Diana!
I couldn’t stop eating this frosting.
★★★★★
Cream cheese frosting is my total weakness too.
How important is using the creamed honey in the cupcake batter? Would liquid honey work as a substitute?
Hi Amanda, I have not tested the recipe with liquid honey so I cannot guarantee results but my instinct is to say yes, it should still work. If you try, I’d love to hear.
I made these on a trial run for my daughter’s first birthday smash cake, and they are SO GOOD. The texture of the cupcake is dreamy. We will definitely be making these for her big day.
★★★★★
That thrills me to hear Gentry! And a happy early first birthday to your daughter!
I used regular honey and they turned out awesome.
★★★★★
I’m super glad you had success with regular honey!
Finally a honey cupcake that actually tastes like honey!
Right?! I wanted the honey to be the star of the show!
These are seriously amazing! I could eat the cupcakes without even frosting them but I could also eat the frosting on its own with a spoon. Absolutely making again and again
★★★★★
Haha you are a girl after my own heart Marissa. I, too, could eat this frosting with a spoon!
I’ve tried all your cupcake recipes and this one is my favorite so far.
★★★★★
Yay! That thrills me to hear Ingrid.
Okay this was definitely one of the best cupcake recipes ever!!!! Absolutely perfect!
★★★★★
I could eat these cupcakes year round!
Hi Katie, I was wondering if this cupcake recipe can be used for a layered cake? Or do you have another recipe for a GF pumpkin cake?
Yes, you can definitely use it as a layer cake or you can use this Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with gf flour as well. Both will work.
This recipe is incredible! I’ve made it twice and both times people remarked that they were better than bakery cupcakes. The icing is the perfect consistency for piping and they stay beautifully in the fridge. I doubled the recipe for the cupcake base, but didn’t double the icing. I found there was plenty of icing for my 14 cupcakes (using a medium cupcake pan). Thanks so much for this perfect fall cupcake. 🙂
Oh my goodness, that makes me jump for joy to hear Shannon. I wish I could sneak into your fridge and have one!