Gluten Free Vegan Pumpkin Spice Muffins

For years pumpkin spice has been the hit flavor for the fall season. The trend seemed to begin with Starbucks’ wildly popular Pumpkin Spice Latte. As a result of successful sales, many other companies began to jump on thepumpkin spice band wagon. Coffee, alcohol and even Oreos are now available in pumpkin spice flavor.  Needless to say, most people who follow a vegan, gluten or dairy free diet can’t enjoy any of these specialty products. Rest assured, this recipe for gluten free vegan pumpkin spice muffins will have you falling in love with pumpkin spice all over again.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon baking powder mixed with 3 tablespoons of water (plus 1 additional teaspoon to add with dry ingredients later)
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cup rice flour (I used white rice flour)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mixture* (see spice mixture recipe below)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 dairy free, gluten free chocolate chips

*Spice mixture (yields about 3 tablespoons) :

• ⅓ cup ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 1½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1½ teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a cupcake tin or line with cupcake liners.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, vegetable 0il, baking powder/water mixture and sugar. Stir until well blended.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, pumpkin spice mixture, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill cupcake tins with batter 2/3 full. **Optional** sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips/sugar on top of the muffins before baking.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be removed cleanly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to rack to cool completely.