Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Snickerdoodle Frosting

I baked these delicious cupcakes last week for a co-worker's birthday and it was great to get back in the kitchen baking up another batch of cupcakes. Other than the 4th of July mini cupcakes, I haven't baked any cupcakes since living here. I baked them quite often living in Texas to contribute to our team's Cupcake Friday celebration. They're just so much fun to eat and there's such gratification when the whole process is finished. 

Plus they're cute and delicious.

 I was very pleased especially since I made them entirely dairy and gluten free! You can very easily make them "regular" using milk and flour where I used nondairy milk and gluten free flour.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (recipe adapted from Lil Sugar):

1/3 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup nondairy milk (soy, almond, or rice)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Snickerdoodle Frosting (recipe adapted from Simply Gluten Free):

1/2 cup Earth Balance (or other dairy free butter substitute)

2 2/3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch kosher or fine sea salt

1 1/3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 – 6 tablespoons almond milk (or other dairy free milk)

Topping:

3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Garnish- 4 cinnamon sticks broken into fourths (it's a bit tough to break them, thin ones are easier)

Directions:

1. To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk together oil, sugar, nondairy milk, and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently whisk flour mixture until well combined. Fold in pumpkin, but do not overstir or the batter will become gummy. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Fill liners two-thirds full. Bake for 24-26 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.
4. To make frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the Earth Balance until smooth. Add the powdered sugar. Cinnamon, salt, vanilla and 2 tablespoons nondairy milk. Start with the mixer or low and combine. Gradually add more nondairy milk until the mixture becomes a spreadable consistency. Turn mixer up to medium-high and beat for 30 seconds or so until very creamy.
   Frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle the frosting with the cinnamon/sugar topping. Insert a piece of cinnamon stick into each cupcake cake if desired.

The beauty of eating a cupcake...

A deliciously tasty fall dessert.

Today's Cupcake Pinspiration:

(source)