Pumpkin Nutella Cupcakes

Every year, I come up with at least one pumpkin-chocolate recipe for the fall.  This year, I combined two of my family’s very favorite flavors and made Pumpkin Nutella Cupcakes.  And bonus…I only frosted half of them and my kiddos had them as muffins for after school snacks three days in a row.  Two birds, one stone.

If you’re a big fan of the pumpkin-chocolate combination, here are some of my other creations:
PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHUNK CUPCAKES
WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES
CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN PIE WITH AN OREO CRUST
CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BARS
3 INGREDIENT PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
WHITE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN BARS
CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN ZUCCHINI BREAD

This recipe makes about 3 dozen cupcakes.

Shopping List
2 cups sugar
1½ cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
2 cups of Nutella, divided
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon or so of milk
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 3 (12-count) muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer the sugar, vegetable oil and eggs.  Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice with a whisk.

Slowly beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture.  Beat until just combined.  Next, beat in your pumpkin and one cup of your Nutella until just combined.

Divide batter between your muffin tins and bake cupcakes 14 to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting (I let mine cool on a wire rack after about 10 minutes of cooling in the muffin pan).

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, sugar, remaining cup of Nutella, milk and cinnamon with an electric mixer.  Add more milk if it’s too thick or more sugar if it’s too thin.  Frost cooled cupcakes and store in fridge if not serving immediately.

It’s the best of both worlds in one cupcake (or muffin!).

xo