Chocolate Cupcakes (Made with Cake Mix)

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Semi-homemade chocolate cupcakes made with cake mix, instant pudding, water, and canned pumpkin—no oil, no butter, no eggs—topped with a creamy vanilla bean cream cheese frosting.

Easy Chocolate Cake Mix Cupcakes

If you love box cake mix but don’t want to use all the oil or butter in the directions, you’ll love this easy chocolate cake cupcake recipe that uses canned pumpkin, a package of chocolate pudding mix, and water instead. It contains no oil, butter, or eggs yet is still incredibly moist. Finished with a simple vanilla bean cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes feel extra special. They’re great when you want something sweet with less fat and fewer calories.

Notes from My Test Kitchen

I’ve been experimenting with box cake mixes for years, ditching the directions and swapping in ingredients like canned pumpkin, seltzer, crushed pineapple, or canned coconut milk. When inflation hit and box cake mixes shrank, some of my older recipes were thrown off, so I tested and tweaked this version to work perfectly with today’s smaller boxes.

Why This Cake Mix Hack Works

Canned pumpkin replaces the oil and eggs typically called for in box cake mix, adding moisture and structure without extra fat. The instant chocolate pudding adds richness and helps keep the cupcakes soft, while a little extra water balances the thicker batter from the pumpkin. This simple, reliable swap results in tender, moist chocolate cupcakes without any pumpkin flavor.

• Only 3 ingredients, plus water, are needed to make delicious chocolate cupcakes.
• Moist cupcakes without any oil, thanks to the canned pumpkin.
• Perfect for any occasion, from Valentine’s Day to kids’ birthday parties to quick weeknight desserts when you’re craving something sweet.

Can you taste the pumpkin in chocolate cupcakes?

No! Pumpkin puree doesn’t have a strong flavor on its own. It’s the pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves) that gives pumpkin baked goods their quintessential fall flavor.

The canned pumpkin in these boxed chocolate cake mix cupcakes is there only to provide moisture, since they contain no added fat. The cocoa powder and sugar overpower the pumpkin’s mild taste.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these chocolate cupcakes with cake mix. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

• Cake Mix: I wrote this cupcake recipe for Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge, which is 15.25 ounces. Because brands vary in size, if your mix isn’t 15.25 ounces, it could affect the final result.
• Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix for added moisture and even more chocolate flavor. Buy sugar-free, fat-free pudding.
• Canned Pumpkin for moisture and extra fiber with no fat
• Water thins the batter so you can stir everything together.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

• Reduced-fat cream cheese delivers the flavor and texture you want in frosting, with 1/3 less fat than traditional cream cheese. Don’t use nonfat cheese.
• Low-Fat Greek Yogurt makes the frosting creamy without adding many extra calories.
• Monk Fruit Sweetener has zero calories and few carbs, but feel free to use granulated sugar if you prefer.
• Vanilla Bean Paste has a more intense flavor than extract does.

How to Make Semi-Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes

Before you start making the cupcakes, take the cream cheese out of the fridge to let it soften. If you try to make the frosting with cold cream cheese, it won’t mix well, resulting in lumpy frosting. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.

1. Mix the wet ingredients (pumpkin and water) in a large bowl.
2. Add the dry ingredients: Stir in the pudding mix, then the cake mix.
3. Fill the cupcakes: Pour the batter into a muffin tin lined with oiled liners.
4. Bake chocolate cupcakes at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool before removing them from the pan.
5. Make the cream cheese frosting: Beat all the ingredients with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth.
6. Decorate the cupcakes: Scoop the frosting into a piping bag or a zip-top bag, then snip off the corner. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes. Alternatively, if you don’t want to pipe it, spread it on each cupcake with a spatula.

Tips for the Best Chocolate Cupcakes

• Spray the paper liners with cooking spray. Because these healthy chocolate cupcakes have no added oil or butter, they’ll stick to the liners.
• Don’t overfill the liners. Fill each cup 2/3 full to prevent overflow and ensure the cupcakes cook evenly.
• Don’t overmix the batter. It can make the cake’s texture too tough and dense.
• Don’t overbake, or they will dry out. Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake in the pan’s middle row. When it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

• Refrigerator: Because these chocolate cupcakes have cream cheese frosting, they need to be refrigerated. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• How to serve: You can eat them straight from the fridge, but I recommend letting them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
• Freeze them unfrosted for 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator, then frost and serve.

Variations and Substitutions

• Chocolate cake mix: If you can’t find Dark Chocolate Fudge, try Duncan Hines Devil’s Food cake mix.
• Triple chocolate cupcakes: Stir sugar-free chocolate chips into the batter. Or, make chocolate frosting by adding 3 to 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Chocolate not your thing? Substitute vanilla cake mix and instant pudding.
• No time to make frosting? Feel free to buy your favorite brand at the supermarket.
• Skip the frosting if you’re not a fan. The cupcakes are still delicious without it.
• No vanilla bean paste? Use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

More Easy Desserts Made with Cake Mix You’ll Love

For more dessert ideas, check out these cupcake recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Yield: 16 servings

Serving Size: 1 cupcake

Cook Mode

For the vanilla bean cream cheese frosting:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners and spray with oil, to avoid sticking.

• Combine pumpkin puree and water in a large bowl; mix to combine. Add chocolate pudding mix and mix well.  Add chocolate cake mix and beat 2 minutes.

• Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake about 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.

For the frosting:

• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth.

• Add to a piping bag or use a zip lock bag and cut the corner off, pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.

Last Step:

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Serving: 1 cupcake, Calories: 149.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29.5 g, Protein: 3.5 g, Fat: 3.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 9.5 mg, Sodium: 429.5 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 12.5 g