Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 flax/chia eggs (or 1 cup mashed banana)
- 1 cup pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie puree)
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil (or 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce for less fat)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup (if not vegan, can substitute with honey)
- ¼ cup orange juice (or favorite nut/oat/hemp milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or 2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon)
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan/sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder + ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¾ cups GF flour (Bob Mill’s 1-to-1 is great)
Optional add-ins: cranberries, blueberries, crystalized ginger, chopped walnuts/pecans
Optional Orange Coconut Frosting/Glaze:
- 1 cup coconut butter
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (or more for sweeter version)
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice (or more for a glaze-like consistency)
- Zest from 1 organic orange (about 1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed with 5 tablespoons of filtered water. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken.
- Once flax has thickened, add in pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk together. Add in spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and whisk again. Fold in flour and add-ins (if using) until just combined.
- Divide into 12 greased/lined muffin tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in middle. Cool on rack.
- Serve as is or mix together frosting ingredients with a hand mixer. Adjust sweetness and flavor to your liking. Frost cupcakes and enjoy
- !Note: The pumpkin flavor intensifies after the muffins sit for a few hours. Store covered on countertop for 1-2 days or refrigerated for about 3-4 days. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Notes
Makes 12 muffins. Per Serving (based on using flax eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, orange juice & pumpkin spice blend):
Calories: 182 |
Total Fat: 7 g |
Total Carbohydrate: 30 g |
Dietary Fiber: 2 g |
Protein: 2 g
Ingredient Highlights
Coconut oil provides a boost of healthy fat that can energize and satiate. It is a strong antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial food.
Flaxseed meal is made by grinding fresh, whole flaxseeds. For maximum health benefit, grind flaxseeds in a coffee grinder or blender just before using as the oil in flaxseed breaks down quickly.
Maple syrup contains a number of minerals including manganese, zinc, calcium, and potassium. It also contains amino acids, antioxidants, and even some anti-inflammatory compounds.
One cup of fresh squeezed orange juice has 124 mg of vitamin C and 21 grams of natural sugar. It also contains 50% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.
Pumpkin regulates blood pressure and helps prevent degenerative damage to the eyes. Its beta-carotene reduces the risk of heart disease, asthma, and many cancers.
Pumpkin spice blend – While lots of stores sell pumpkin spice (aka pumpkin pie spice) ready-made, it’s super simple to make your own from spices you may already have on hand. It’s usually made with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and allspice.
Vanilla was once used in Europe as an aphrodisiac and in the production of certain medicines such as nerve stimulants.
Very delicious recipe, especially with the frosting..wish to prepare soon.. thank you !!
Hey Kerstin!
Thank you for being here so consistently. These cupcakes were yummy - even without the frosting. Reach out if you ever have a recipe request. :-)
Hello Kerstin,
Yes, these cupcakes are very delicious. We would love to hear how they turn out for you. Enjoy! :)
Hello Katrina,
Just want to let you know how much your recipes have added to the "healthy and nutritious" go-to mainstays that I love making weekly.
Adding the Organixx Clean Sourced Collagen Protein Powder to recipes has added options that make baking more enjoyable, and tasty.
I really look forward to your weekly emails...thank you for creating recipes that are delicious, without being too exotic. The ingredients you feature are always good in so many recipes...
You're a natural in these videos!
This makes me so happy to hear, Wendy! Thank you so much for reaching out and thank you for your kind words. Much love and health to you and yours!
Hey Wendy,
Thank you for the positive feedback!
We are thrilled to hear that you enjoy the videos and find the information helpful.
Yes, Katrina is absolutely a natural in these videos. :)
We appreciate you being here with us.
Have an awesome day!