Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Muffins with Cranberries

It's October!  My favorite time of the year.  

This month is exciting for me.  With Halloween, my birthday, and the changing of the seasons, October is truly a magical month around here.

To celebrate the season I decided to create something pumpkinish, like pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes or muffins.

What I ended up with is a delicious recipe that is sure to become one of your go-to recipes for the season.

A Pumpkin Pie Muffin!

It's definitely a muffin by most standards, containing 1/2 cup of oat bran and some cranberries, but, it eats more like a dessert.  These have a moist density that when you bight into one, your mouth screams "Pumpkin Pie!!!"

They are a bit sweet so feel free to cut the sugar back on your second batch if you want to.  (I would try them as written the first time if I were you so as not to deny your taste buds the pleasure.)

They're so moist, the pictures make them look a tad bit ugly, but let me assure you they are so delicious, your non gluten-free friends will want the recipe.

• Notice, I did not use any xanthan gum, guar gum, or flax seed meal slurry.  No need for these additives in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup oat bran (be sure to get certified gluten free)
• 1/2 cup sweet white rice flour
• 1/4 cup sweet white sorghum
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1 can of pumpkin puree, 15 ounce (do not get pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil of your choice
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries  (you can use 1 cup fresh cranberries diced)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (and a little more for dusting the icing)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Step 1:

Add the dried cranberries to a container of water to rehydrate for a couple of hours.  (skip this step if using diced fresh cranberries or no cranberries at all)

Step 2:

Whisk all the dry ingredients, including the sugar and spices together in a bowl.  Set this aside.

Step 3:

In your stand mixer bowl, begin mixing together the wet ingredients.  The pumpkin puree, the eggs, the vanilla, and the oil.

Step 4:

Slowly mix in the dry ingredient mixture, one third at a time. (this is also the point to drain and add the cranberries if using them)

Step 5:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners. ( a good tip is to spray the paper liners with your favorite gluten free cooking spray for ease of removing the paper from the muffin)  Fill the cups 1/3 full. Bake for 30 minutes.  Test with toothpick in centers for doneness.

Step 6: 

Cool completely on the counter before frosting.  If not frosting, it's still a good idea to cool completely before trying one so the centers set up.

Step 7:

I made a simple cream cheese frosting (cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla).  Topped each muffin, then dusted with cinnamon.  

Enjoy!