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

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Make a flax egg by mixing flax meal and hot water in a small bowl. Leave the flax mixture aside for a 5 minutes. 
3. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients into the bowl and incorporate all the ingredients together. The consistency should be thick and should appear dark-orange.
5. Place cupcake liners into a cupcake tray that has been lightly coated with coconut oil.
6. Scoop the batter into each of the cupcake liners two thirds of the way.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the tops of the cupcake spring back when pressed.
8. 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.
9. Use a spoon to drizzle the frosting across the cooled cupcakes. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top if desired.
10. Best served warm. Enjoy!

*Flax meal can be store-bought but can also be made by simply blending up whole flax seeds.