Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
Sneaking a little bit of fall into weekly baking is easy with the healthy vegan pumpkin cupcakes. I make them with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and creamy coconut milk. They are soft, fluffy, and full of autumnal flavors that are a welcome break from plain vanilla. I have them ready for my family in under 30 minutes, which makes them great for last-minute sweet treats.
Servings: 10
Calories: 139kcal
Ingredients
Cupcakes (for older nut free recipe see notes below):
- 1 cup oat flour
- 6 tablespoons almond flour , make sure it is fine grained
- 10 tablespoons cane sugar , 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (see note)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 10 tablespoons lite coconut milk , 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree , not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Optional topping:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to make sure to break up any clumps.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredient mix, and add the wet ingredients.
- Mix until combined.
- Place large spoonfuls of the batter into muffin tins lined with baking cups. Fill about 3/4 of the cup. I use foil baking cups as they don’t stick like paper does and also they don't trap in the moisture like paper does. If you use paper the end result will be a little more wet.
- Bake for 19 minutes. Depending on your oven, your baking time may vary by a minute or two. Start checking them at 17 minutes and take them out when the tops begin to get firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the muffin tins. Once cool to the touch, remove and continue cooling on racks until completely cool, about an hour.
- After cupcakes are cooled, you can frost.
- Enjoy! If stored in a plastic or glass container with a little bit of airflow, these will still be good the next day!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this healthy vegan pumpkin cupcake recipe is to use fine almond flour and whisk the dry ingredients really well before adding the wet ingredients. Almond flour can clump easily, and if it is not evenly mixed into the oat flour, the cupcakes can bake up with dense pockets instead of the airy crumb I look for.
- No pumpkin pie filling: I always use plain canned pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices, which throw off the flavor and texture of the cupcakes.
- Do not overmix: Once everything has come together and no flour streaks remain, I stop mixing. Overworked batter leads to dense cupcakes.
- Use foil liners: Paper liners tend to hold onto more moisture, which can make these cupcakes feel slightly wetter around the edges.
- Make frosting ahead: When I have the chance, I make the frosting a day in advance and keep it in the fridge until I need it. This gives it a chance to set properly, making spreading it over the cupcakes easy.
- Cool completely: I only frost the cupcakes once they are completely cool. The smallest bit of heat will cause the icing to melt and run off the tops.
Nutrition
Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 953IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg