28 Tasty Thanksgiving Cupcakes You Need to Try

Thanksgiving food is all about delicious and hearty autumnal tastes, and that goes for the desserts as well as the main course! 

Cupcakes are a fun and tasty way to get creative with your Thanksgiving desserts, whilst still offering those rich and warming tastes.

With this in mind, we are going to be looking at twenty-eight particularly noteworthy Thanksgiving cupcakes that are sure to be enjoyed by the whole family during the holiday season. Let’s get started. 

1. Apple Pie Cupcakes

Apple pie is a much loved Thanksgiving dessert, so why not transform it into some delicious cupcakes this festive season?

These perfectly spiced apple pie cupcakes are stuffed with an apple pie filling and topped off with a sweet and light whipped topping, which combines beautifully with the spice of the cake itself. 

2. Turkey Cupcakes

Turkey cupcakes are a fun way to get kids involved with baking during Thanksgiving, allowing them to create their own cute cake turkeys! That being said, baking these turkey cupcakes is a fun activity for the entire family too.

There are all sorts of ways that you can make your own turkey cupcakes, but this particular recipe utilizes candy corn for the turkey tails and beak and chocolate sprinkles for the feathers. 

3. Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Pumpkin is another highly popular flavor during Thanksgiving, being an autumnal flavor that is used in plenty of food and drinks during the fall. 

These pumpkin spice cupcakes perfectly blend hearty pumpkin spice with tangy and sweet cinnamon cream cheese to create the ultimate fall treat. 

4. Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes

If sweet potato pie is your go-to Thanksgiving treat, then these sweet potato pie cupcakes are sure to be a recipe you will want to try. 

The cakes themselves are made with a box of yellow cake mix and a can of sweet potato purée along with nutmeg and cinnamon for a touch of fall spice. 

The frosting is marshmallow based, featuring marshmallow crème along with powdered sugar, butter, kosher salt and pure vanilla extract. 

Top off the cakes with cinnamon sugar and toasted pecans to finish off the cupcakes. 

5. Pecan Pie Cupcakes

The pecan pie is another popular Thanksgiving pie that is turned into tasty cupcakes with this recipe. 

These cupcakes have toasted pecans that are baked right into the batter, making for a delicious nutty taste that isn’t just relegated to the frosting. 

The cupcakes are topped off with a cream cheese and brown sugar frosting, which works perfectly with the pecans in the recipe. 

6. Candy Apple Cupcakes 

Candy apples are associated with fall as a season in general rather than just Thanksgiving, but these cakes are suited to a Thanksgiving get together thanks to how delicious and autumnal they are. 

These cupcakes feature sweet caramel candies as well as cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and unsweetened applesauce to emphasize that fall flavor. 

You can even stick some popsicle sticks into the top of the cupcakes so that you can eat them just as you would a regular candy apple!

7. Pilgrim Hat Cupcakes

If you want to bring a little bit of history into your Thanksgiving cupcakes, then these adorable Pilgrim Hat cupcakes are a great choice!

Well suited for kids and for adults, these cupcakes have a simple white cake mix and pudding base with vanilla buttercream, whilst the pilgrim hat toppings are made from mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups along with Fudge Stripe cookies and some optional sprinkles if you so choose them. 

8. Chocolate Toffee Cupcakes

The rich and sweet combination of chocolate and toffee is another flavor combination commonly associated with fall, and they would make for an excellent addition to a Thanksgiving meal.

9. Candied Yam Cupcakes

If you are looking for a way to use your leftover yams at Thanksgiving, then these candied yam cupcakes are exactly what you need! 

Yams have a taste similar to sweet potatoes, with a neutral and starchy flavor that perfect for both sweet and savory dishes. 

The sweetness of the cream cheese frosting along with the chocolate shavings combine with the candied yams to create a cupcake that has a unique yet delicious nature. 

10. Hummingbird Cupcakes

Hummingbird pie is a popular Southern dessert that is enjoyed in the fall and during Thanksgiving, traditionally being made with canned pineapple. 

This recipe allows you to make your own cupcake version of the pie, featuring crushed pineapple, applesauce, mashed bananas and pecans to name a few ingredients.  

11. Maple Cupcakes With Pumpkin Pie Frosting

This next recipe combines the best of pumpkin pie with maple syrup- another popular fall ingredient- to create a deliciously sweet and tasty choice of Thanksgiving cupcake. 

The maple flavors can be found in the batter of the cake and are created using both maple extract and maple syrup. 

The pumpkin pie frosting blends with the maple cupcakes and has a warming spice to it, thanks to including pumpkin purée along with ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon in the recipe. 

12. Sweet Honey Cupcakes With Mascarpone Frosting And Caramelized Figs

If you are a fan of figs, then this next cupcake recipe is the perfect one to try out this Thanksgiving season. 

Combining the sweetness of caramelized figs with honey and tangy mascarpone, these cupcakes are a unique take on the better known Thanksgiving dessert flavors. 

13. Chocolate Pumpkin Cream Filled Cupcakes

These cupcakes take the lesser used autumn ingredient that is chocolate and combines it with pumpkin cream to create a truly decadent Thanksgiving dessert. 

The hidden pumpkin cream center of these cupcakes makes for a delicious treat with every bite, whilst also combining well with the rich chocolate of the cupcake base. 

14. Almond Cupcakes With Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Fall and Thanksgiving is all about revelling in sweet and nutty flavors, and this next cupcake recipe brings the fall flavors to life in a tasty treat. 

The sweet and salty nature of the salted caramel buttercream works well with the almond cakes, creating a balanced combination of flavors that are all very much reminiscent of Thanksgiving desserts. 

15. Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot cake is another dessert commonly consumed during Thanksgiving, so making some carrot cake cupcakes is a great way to condense the standard carrot cake recipe down into smaller, bite size treats. 

The carrots work well with the tangy and spiced sweetness of the cinnamon cream cheese frosting, making for a dessert that tastes as autumnal as it looks. 

16. Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Cupcakes

Pumpkin cheesecake is another popular pumpkin dessert enjoyed during Thanksgiving, and this cupcake recipe combines pumpkin cheesecake with pumpkin cake to create the ultimate, bite sized pumpkin dessert. 

These cupcakes are also a visually pleasing choice, thanks to the swirl design that the cakes themselves have. 

17. Chocolate Almond Acorn Cupcakes

These next cupcakes are a super cute choice of a Thanksgiving cupcake due to the sweet, decorative acorn that sits on the top of the frosting. 

The cakes themselves have a combination of fall like flavors, including almonds from the almond extract, chocolate from the cocoa powder and the semi sweet baking chocolate and vanilla from the teaspoon of vanilla. 

The frosting is also chock-full of almond and vanilla to emphasize the sweet nuttiness of the recipe. 

The acorns aren’t actually acorns, as acorns are quite bitter! Instead, these acorns are made from mini chocolate chips, almonds, Hershey Kisses and mini vanilla wafers. 

18. Apple Cider Cupcakes With Cider Buttercream Frosting

If you are looking for a Thanksgiving cupcake that has more of an adult, alcoholic taste, then these Apple Cider cupcakes are a must!

The cakes feature chunks of real apple that are scattered throughout the cider flavored cake, whilst the buttercream frosting has a lightly spiced, warming cider taste. 

Drizzle the cupcakes with some salted caramel to create a beautiful combination of sweet and salty flavors. 

19. Mississippi Mud Cupcakes

Mississippi mud pie might not be as popular as some of the other Thanksgiving pies that we have talked about, but it is equally delicious as still enjoyed by many during the festive season. 

If you want to turn your Mississippi mud pie into a bite sized cupcake, then this recipe is the one for you. 

The deliciousness of the chocolate ganache filling with the sweet marshmallow fluff and nutty pecans within the frosting makes for the perfect sweet treat. 

20. Spice Cake Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 

Thanksgiving desserts are all about that classical fall spice, and that is exactly what you get with this next choice of cupcake.

These cupcakes have a spiced cake base as well as a soft, tangy and sweet cinnamon cream cheese frosting. 

The creaminess of the frosting with the hearty and warming spiced cakes make for a decadent Thanksgiving dessert. 

21. Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Cinnamon is another popular flavor in the fall and during Thanksgiving, and this next cupcake recipe combines the best of cupcakes with cinnamon rolls to create the ultimate sweet cinnamon treat. 

These cinnamon roll cupcakes feature a vanilla and cinnamon swirl base, as well as a soft and velvety cream cheese frosting. 

The star of the show with this recipe has to be the mini cinnamon rolls that sit on the top of the cakes, which are covered in a tasty cream cheese icing. 

22. Cranberry Vanilla Cupcakes With White Chocolate Frosting

Cranberry sauce is often eaten alongside turkey during Thanksgiving, but why not incorporate it into dessert with this next cupcake recipe?

These cupcakes have a vanilla cake based and are chock-full of sweet and tangy cranberry filling. They are finished off with a swirl of sweet white chocolate frosting, which works brilliantly with the fruity tanginess of the cranberry. 

23. Apple Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Combining the fall flavor of apples with snickerdoodles, these cupcakes are a must for a Thanksgiving dessert thanks to their delicious and autumnal nature. 

The cupcakes are made with apple cakes that are layered with sweet and spiced cinnamon sugar, making for a cupcake that is chock-full of autumn flavors. 

The frosting itself is apple flavored, featuring a decent helping of apple butter for the perfect apple taste. 

Top off the cakes with either mini snickerdoodles or apple chips to emphasize the autumn tastes and make them perfect for a Thanksgiving celebration. 

24. Chocolate Fall Leaves Cupcakes

Doubling down on the fall theme, these cupcakes feature amazing colors and decorations to make them a stunning centerpiece at your Thanksgiving dinner table. 

As well as chocolate leaves, the cupcakes also feature fall colors in the frosting thanks to the use of red, orange and yellow gel food coloring. 

The cupcakes themselves can be ever flavor that you want them to be if you simply change up the recipe a little bit. 

25. Cornbread Cupcakes With Honey Buttercream Frosting 

Much like cranberry, cornbread is often used as a side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. This recipe allows you to turn cornbread into a delicious cupcake treat to enjoy for dessert.

The combination of the cornbread cakes with the super sweet honey buttercream frosting makes for a snack that is sure to go down a treat.  

26. Caramel Corn Cupcakes

These cupcakes combine sweetness and saltiness with the caramel frosting and the brown sugar butter cakes, but it also combines textures due to the crunchiness of the caramel corn and the smoothness of the frosting. 

Caramel is another popular fall flavor, so these cupcakes make for excellent Thanksgiving sweets. 

27. Maple Bacon Cupcakes

If the combination of maple syrup and bacon is your guilty pleasure, then these maple bacon cupcakes are a must for Thanksgiving!

These cakes are topped off with bacon bits and feature a maple and cream cheese buttercream frosting, making for a dessert that is sure to be as attention grabbing as it is delicious.

28. Sweet Potato Cupcakes With Toasted Meringue Frosting

Another take on sweet potato cupcakes, this recipe combines a sweet potato base with a sweet, toasted meringue frosting, making for a moist and delicious cupcake packed with warm spices and sweet flavors that are perfect to be enjoyed at Thanksgiving. 

Are there any autumn-themed cupcake recipes included in the list of 28 Tasty Thanksgiving Cupcakes You Need to Try?

The list of 28 Tasty Thanksgiving Cupcakes You Need to Try is complete with fall cupcakes for a taste of autumn. From pumpkin spice to caramel apple flavors, these autumn-themed cupcake recipes will add a cozy touch to your Thanksgiving celebration. Indulge in the warm spices and seasonal ingredients for a perfect fall treat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

There is so much that can be done with a Thanksgiving-themed cupcake, be it a fun turkey cupcake to make with your kids or a cupcake based on one of your favorite classic Thanksgiving desserts. 

No matter what you are searching for when it comes to a Thanksgiving cupcake, you are sure to find a recipe that suits you best from our varied list!