Fall is here! Fall, being my favorite season, encouraged me to create a recipe that reflected some of its most classic flavors. Although I am an amateur when it comes to baking desserts, baking these pumpkin spice cupcakes was surprisingly easy and definitely worth making. Whether you’re vegan, gluten-free, or just are looking to make something new, this recipe is for you. So, go rewatch “The Addams Family,” pour yourself a glass of apple cider and let’s get baking!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup of All-Purpose gluten-free flour (I recommend using the brand Bob’s Red Mill)
- ½ cup of coconut or brown sugar
- ¼ cup of organic cane sugar
- 3 tsp of pumpkin spice (can be store bought or made from a mixture of the following spices:)
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- ½ tsp of nutmeg
- ½ tsp of ginger
- ½ tsp of ground cloves
- ½ tsp of allspice
- ½ tsp of baking soda
- ½ tsp of gluten-free baking powder
- ¼ tsp of salt
- 3 tbsp of melted coconut oil (vegetable oil could work as well)
- ¾ cup of pumpkin puree
- ½ tbsp of vinegar (apple cider or distilled white)
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1 flax egg (if you don’t have flax seeds at home, then you can use unsweetened applesauce instead with varied results)
- 1 tbsp of flax meal*
- 3 tbsp of hot water
For the drizzled frosting:
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp of vegan butter (Earth Balance is the brand I used)
- 2 tbsp of plant-based milk (I used almond milk)
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make a flax egg by mixing flax meal and hot water in a small bowl. Leave the flax mixture aside for a 5 minutes.
- Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add wet ingredients into the bowl and incorporate all the ingredients together. The consistency should be thick and should appear dark-orange.
- Place cupcake liners into a cupcake tray that has been lightly coated with coconut oil.
- Scoop the batter into each of the cupcake liners two thirds of the way.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the tops of the cupcake spring back when pressed.
- Prepare the cupcake frosting while the cupcakes come out of the oven and cool down. Combine the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract and vanilla extract until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the frosting across the cooled cupcakes. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top if desired.
- Best served warm. Enjoy!
*Flax meal can be store-bought but can also be made by simply blending up whole flax seeds.
