Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These yummy, moist cupcakes are also dairy-free and you can always make the cream cheese frosting with goat cream cheese for people who can't eat cow dairy. Feel free to play around with spice combos and amounts- some folks prefer more allspice, some like a more nutmeggy treat. (I've included instructions for prepping the pumpkin at the bottom of the recipe- freshly roasted pumpkin really makes a difference!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and fill pan(s) with 18 cupcake liners.

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 3/4 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup arrowroot or white rice flour
2 TBS potato starch
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
3 large to extra large eggs (not jumbo)
1 1/2 cups pumpkin (roasted and pureed is best)*
1/2 cup almond milk
3/4 cup canola oil
1 TBS vanilla extract


In a smallish bowl, combine the pumpkin and almond milk. In another small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients and then mix in the pumpkin and almond milk.

Fill each cupcake three-quarters full and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the tops spring back to the touch and/or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 8 ounces of cream cheese with 1/2 to one stick of butter and one cup of powdered sugar. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and continue to mix until fluffy. Add a twist or two of freshly ground nutmeg if desired.

Roasting Pumpkin/Winter Squash for Various Recipes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut a sugar pie pumpkin, red or green kabocha, butternut, or acorn squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Brush the cut halves with olive oil and place, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet, jelly roll pan, or pyrex dish. Bake for one hour or so, until the juices are bubbling in the pan and the rinds are soft to the touch.

Let cool and then scrape the flesh from the rinds. Puree in blender of food processor. Freezes well so you can make a big batch ahead of time and then make cupcakes, breads, soups and of course, pie.