Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes are one of my favorite fall recipes, both because they are very tasty and because they are intriguing to people. The cupcakes have the same custardy texture as a pumpkin pie filling, but have just enough substance to them to hold together without a traditional crust. They’re delicious.
I get a lot of requests for video of this recipe and questions about the recipe. Many people have a hard time visualizing what the “crust” of these mini pies looks like. It is not a traditional pie crust, and it forms almost by magic when the cupcakes bake. The “crust” is formed by a small amount of flour in the batter that forms a firm crust-like layer on the sides and base of the pie – meaning that you can pick these pies up with your hands yet still enjoy the soft, traditional pumpkin pie filling in each bite. They’re called Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes because it is (almost) impossible that you can have such a delicate custard center without a traditional crust.
I put together a video that shows the whole recipe, from start to finish, where it is easy to see the texture of the batter and the cupcakes every step of the way. Just watching it puts me in the mood to bake another batch!
Elaine @ Cooking to Perfection
October 19, 2012I made these and they turned out great!! Very easy and very delicious. And a lot less calories than your traditional pumpkin pie. Great recipe all around!
Cindy
October 19, 2012Would they work in mini muffin pans? How long should minis bake?
Nicole
October 19, 2012Cindy – Minis aren’t really going to give you the same ratio of custard to “crust” as these. They might be a little more dense, but they would be very cute! 12-15 minutes should be good for minis, and the batter should be about 3/4 of the cup. It depends a little bit on your oven, so you might want to try a test batch first
Sara
October 19, 2012I love this recipe, it’s been my go to fall pumpkin dessert recipe since you first posted it 🙂 Pretty healthy too!
Kara
October 22, 2012So I tried this recipe and all the edges stuck to the paper liners… Anything I did wrong???
Nicole
October 23, 2012Kara – Chilling the cupcakes will help them not to stick to the paper liners. Some liners happen to be more “grippy” than others, unfortunately. I find that peeling very slowly around the top edge (where the cupcakes are the most likely to try and stick) can help with sticky liners. The bottom of the cupcake rarely sticks, especially after chilling.
Sara
November 2, 2012Have you ever doubled this recipe? I am going to make these (they look amaaaaaay-zing!) for a cupcake camp event and need to make more than 12, but get nervous about doubling and ruining recipes…
Sara
November 3, 2012I doubled the recipe, and it worked out just fine! (Except somehow the oven temp dial got turned up, so they cooked at 425 instead of 350 for at least part of the time, and the ones on the bottom rack got too burned for public consumption…however, my sister and I are still eating the burned ones at home!) (And they’re DELICIOUS!)
Lynnea
September 12, 2013I wanted to bring these into work but I have a coworker who can’t eat gluten, do you think I would be able to substitute a gluten-free all purpose flour and get similar results?