These Gluten-Free Almond Sorghum Pumpkin Cupcakes will satisfy any sweet tooth with the added plus of being a little bit healthier.
A few weeks ago, my youngest son invited a friend over after school and I wanted to make something extra special for them as an afternoon treat. I don’t bake very often, but when Fall comes around, I love making pumpkin bread and muffins.
Recently, one of my friends made a Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting for my birthday. I loved the combination of pumpkin and maple, so fall-like. So, when I spotted some cute Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting on my friend Kate’s Diethood blog, I knew I needed to try making a gluten-free version for my kids.
I’m always looking for ways to make treats a bit healthier, so in the case of these pumpkin cupcakes, I used a mixture of gluten-free flours — almond flour and Sweet Sorghum Flour
(a whole grain flour) — in place of regular all-purpose flour. I also reduced the amount of oil in the recipe by swapping in applesauce for half the oil. This is a great trick that I use in quick breads all the time. Although the middles didn’t rise as much as regular cupcakes, no one will notice once they’re frosted.
I thought about making a healthier frosting using Greek yogurt, but decided against it because I didn’t think the yogurt would hold up. So, I indulged the kids with Maple Frosting on top, using low-fat cream cheese in place of full-fat cream cheese (I used 2 teaspoons maple syrup for extra maple flavor) to lighten up the frosting a bit. The kids were thrilled to have a sweet treat, and I felt good that these pumpkin cupcakes were actually on the healthier side. I managed to keep a few for my girlfriend and her family (the one had made my pumpkin birthday cake). They loved these gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes, and couldn’t believe they were actually on the healthier side.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Sorghum Cupcakes
Rating: 5
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12
Ice with your favorite frosting if desired.
Ingredients
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together almond flour, sorghum flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, pumpkin puree, applesauce, sugar, olive oil and vanilla extract. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix well. Portion into a 12-cup cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Source: Gluten-Free Almond Sorghum Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe – Jeanette’s Healthy Living.