A few years ago, I shared my favorite recipe with readers for Pumpkin Muffins, but since I recently created this Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, these muffins have graduated all the way to cupcakes. My kids love them. Correction: LOVE them!
Allow me to backtrack for just a moment…
Kite Hill vegan cream cheese has been getting lots of attention lately, and there’s a really good reason for all this buzz. It’s delicious. What’s even more impressive to me is the ingredient list: almond milk, cultures, and that’s about it. The simplicity of ingredients and its delicate flavor actually inspired this delightful Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
So here we go, just in time for Thanksgiving…the reintroduction of these pumpkin cuties, transformed into scrumptious mini cupcakes with this very easy and delicious frosting.
MINI PUMPKIN CUPCAKES (with CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING)
1 cup canned cooked pumpkin
6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sucanat or organic whole cane sugar
1/4 cup plain unsweetened nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin pans with 42 paper liners (or regular size muffin pans with 12 paper liners).
In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, applesauce, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir together until ingredients are well combined, but do not over-mix.
Fill paper liners evenly. Bake mini-cupcakes for 12-14 minutes (or standard size cupcakes for 22 to 24 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1/3 cup vegan cream cheese (my preference is the Kite Hill brand)
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
In a small mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients, until smooth and creamy. Chill until ready to use, and frost cupcakes just before serving.
Copyright © Vicki Brett-Gach | Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen
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