If you love fluffy light cupcakes, you will want to make my Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes recipe. They are full of pumpkin spice flavors. I then topped them with a thick and creamy cinnamon buttercream frosting! They are the perfect cupcakes for fall!
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Pumpkin season is here, and there is so much to celebrate! Who can say no to light and fluffy Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes? These incredible pumpkin cupcakes are full of fall flavors, but they are so fluffy that they make the best dessert!
Half of my family goes nuts over pumpkin recipes Mr. Fearless Dining the most. One kid will eat anything pumpkin as long as it is sweet. My picky one; it really depends on what I made. She is a chocolate fanatic, so I tend to make this Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cake for her.
I share all of my tips and tricks to help you make cupcakes that turn out so fluffy that nobody will know they are gluten free! If you are a cupcake fanatic like me, check out all of my delicious gluten free cupcake recipes!
Oh my good ness these are absolutely fluffy and moist and delicious. I made batch today."
Janese S., blog reader
Allergen Information:
These gluten free pumpkin cupcakes are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free, so they are great for those with food allergies. (You can easily make the frosting dairy-free as well.)
Why These Cupcakes Are Great:
These cupcakes truly are incredible. So many pumpkin recipes tend to be dense, but not these gluten free pumpkin cupcakes!! They are so fluffy! Here is why you need to try these:
- They are topped with a creamy cinnamon buttercream frosting, and just WOW! They are so good!
- You don't need complicated spice mixtures; grab the basics like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon!
- There is a dairy-free frosting option for those who can't have dairy!
- This recipe is tried and true with several gluten free flour blends!
If you prefer more classic flavors of cupcakes, try my delicious, moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes or my Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes recipes.
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours, and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.
- Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add one teaspoon. See the Substitutions section below for a gum-free option.
- Brown Sugar, Cane Sugar, and Powdered Sugar.
- Pumpkin Puree - I prefer canned because it is smoother, but it will work if you roast pumpkin a lot. Just make sure it isn't too firm.
- Eggs - Use size large.
- Butter - I used unsalted butter.
- Non-Dairy Milk - I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work. But I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract.
- Light Oil - I used canola oil. Do not use strongly flavored oil.
If you want to learn what gluten free flour blends work in what types of recipes, check out my Guide to Gluten Free Flour.
Substitutions:
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use plant-based butter for the frosting.
- To make this recipe xanthan gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend. It uses psyllium husk as the binder.
Tips For Sucess:
- Do NOT use a standing mixer or electric mixer for this recipe. It will make your cupcakes turn out denser. Mix by hand.
- Use parchment paper cupcake liners. They don't stick to the cupcakes, so they come out of the papers cleanly.
For more cake-baking tips, check out my Gluten Free Cake (and cupcake)Troubleshooting Guide.
How To Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes:
Preheat your oven to 350º F and set the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large
Step 2: Add your wet ingredients to a smaller bowl and use a wire whisk to whip them.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 4: VERY gently mix the wet and dry pumpkin cupcake ingredients together. Be very careful not to overmix your batter. Mix it until it is just barely mixed. This is the true secret to making light and fluffy cupcakes!
Step 5: Line a muffin tin with parchment paper muffin liners. These are the best to use because your cupcakes will not stick to the paper. If you don't have them, spray the muffin tin with coconut oil spray (or use another light oil).
Fill each muffin cup about ⅔ full of batter.
Step 6: Bake the cupcakes at 350º F for 20-22 minutes.
Step 7: Test a cupcake to see if they are baked by inserting a toothpick into a cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cupcakes must be baked longer.
Step 8: Move the pumpkin cupcakes to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Step 9: Now make that yummy cinnamon buttercream frosting! Add butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, non-dairy milk, and vanilla in a large standing mixer. Mix until it is completely blended and fluffy.
Step 10: Put the frosting into an icing bag and use a star tip to frost each gluten free pumpkin cupcake. Dust with cinnamon.
If you are a pumpkin fanatic, don't forget to check out all of my incredible Gluten Free Pumpkin Dessert Recipes!
Variations:
- Add mini white or milk chocolate chips to the pumpkin batter.
- Drizzle them with icing made with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and non-dairy milk.
- Top them with Halloween sprinkles. Always check to be sure the gluten free sprinkles are gluten free!
- Add chopped nuts like pecans to the cupcake batter.
Recipe FAQ:
You can easily make this pumpkin cupcake healthier. Substitute coconut sugar for the sugars in the cupcake. Another way is to add 2-3 scoops of collagen protein powder (unflavored) to the dry ingredients. Lastly, add ⅓ cup of almond flour. Use only 1 /4 cup of the gluten free flour blend.
Store your pumpkin cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 4 days.
You can easily freeze these cupcakes. I recommend freezing them without frosting and then frosting them after they are thawed out.
There are two secrets to preventing your pumpkin cupcakes from turning out dense. 1. Don't use a standing mixer, and 2. Don't overmix the batter.
The cinnamon frosting also tastes amazing on these Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake Bars!
More Gluten Free Cupcake Recipes:
- Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes - Fluffy and full of rainbow colors.
- Fluffy Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes - With lots of ripe banana flavor!
- Gluten Free Champagne Cupcakes - Great for New Year or a celebration.
- Delicious Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes - Full of lemon flavor!
📖 Recipe
Fluffy Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger * use powdered
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs size large
- ⅓ cup light oil * see note
- ½ cup non-dairy or regular milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Frosting
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter *see note
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Add your dry ingredients to a bowl. Whisk to blend.
- Add your wet ingredients to a smaller bowl and whisk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- VERY gently mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Be very careful not to overmix your batter. Mix it until it is just barely mixed. This is the true secret to making light and fluffy cupcakes! Don't use a standing mixer.
- Line a muffin tin with parchment paper muffin liners. These are the best to use because your cupcakes will not stick to the paper. If you don't have them, spray the muffin tin with coconut oil spray (or use another light oil).
- Fill each muffin cup about ⅔ full of batter.
- Bake the cupcakes at 350º F for 20-22 minutes.
- Test a cupcake to see if they are baked by inserting a toothpick into a cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cupcakes need to bake longer.
- Move the pumpkin cupcakes to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Cinnamon Frosting:
- In a large standing mixer, add the butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, non-dairy milk, and vanilla. Mix until it is completely blended and fluffy.
- Put the frosting into an icing bag and use a star tip to frost each gluten free pumpkin cupcake. Dust with cinnamon.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- The cupcakes are dairy-free. To make the frosting dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- I recommend a very light oil like avocado or canola.
- I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cupcake needs to bake longer.
- These cupcakes will last up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- Add mini white or milk chocolate chips to the pumpkin batter.
- Drizzle them with an icing made with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and non-dairy milk.
- Top them with Halloween sprinkles. Always check to be sure the gluten free sprinkles are gluten free!
- Add chopped nuts like pecans to the cupcake batter.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Fearless Dining
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Misti
I made these for my MOPS/MOMSnext group. They were moist and delicious. I received many compliments! I'll make them again soon for my family. The icing is amazing.
I only used Cinnamon as I didn't have the other spices available at the time. They were still yummy.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved them! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know.
Ellen
Made these and they are so good, can't even tell they are gluten free.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Ellen, I am so glad you loved the recipe. When people can't tell something is gluten free, it is the ultimate compliment for me. Thank you!
Julie
These are excellent! Very moist, flavorful and deceptively gluten free. My friends and family don't have to be GF really loved them. I had a hard time with the icing though. Mine turned out more runny than fluffy and I even put it in the fridge for hours, but it didn't help. But, the flavor was awesome.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved the cupcakes, Julie. Next time, if the frosting is runnier, I would say to add more powdered sugar. That will give it more shape.
Tori Smith
These are delicious! My frosting didn’t turn out as fluffy- but only because I cut down the amount of powdered sugar, to help with the sweetness. Honestly- these are good even without the frosting! Easy to make as well!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much for coming back to tell everyone they are delicious. I truly appreciate comments from people who make my recipes. 🙂
Kaila
I made these yesterday and I omitted the nutmeg because it triggers my gerd and I use Just Egg pourable liquid as my egg substitute when baking. These turned out so good. My husband who doesn’t like pumpkin anything has been eating them up. They are so good and it doesn’t trigger my gerd so win win!!!!!
Sandi Gaertner
I love that you were able to make them egg-free too! Thank you for coming back to let others know!!
Lisha
I don’t have a standing mixer for the frosting..can I use a hand held one?
Sandi Gaertner
You can use a hand-held mixer for the frosting.
Karen
Not only simple and quick to make but very tasty too. The muffins turned out light and bouncy. None of the gluten eating family members knew it was GF.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved them, Karen! I love making these for my non-gluten free family b/c you are right, nobody can tell!
Janese
Awesome these are so moist and delicious!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved them. Thank you for coming back to let everyone know.
Eunice
A 20 min rest before baking gives these cupcakes a nice rise. I also subbed honey for the white sugar which I liked. I also made this for someone egg free. I substituted 65 gm of applesauce for one egg and 7 gm of baking soda mixed with 15 gm of vinegar for the second egg. The vinegar mixture contributes to the lightness of the cupcake. The applesauce contributes to the moistness. They had maybe 10% less loft but were still moist and delicious. There are multiple egg substitutes. These are just the ones that I tried.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how you were able to make this egg-free. It sounds great.