HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY Ms. FitFood!!! I know I have neglected you at times, but I see wonderful things happening in your second year! Here is to changing lives, eating healthy/yummy food, and inspiring people to start their journey!

**I want to say thank you to everyone who reads these blogs every week and go out of their way to share their stories or tell me when a particular blog inspires them. It means so much, every single time. It inspires me to keep writing and to keep thinking of ways to make this blog better, and to help you all more! I love you all. From the bottom of my heart, thanks for supporting me.**

So…you know when you are having a really long day, and you come home and just want to eat a cupcake for dinner? Don’t act like you don’t. It happens to the best of us. Friday night was one of those nights. It was a really long week of late hours at work, and my seriously wonderful new roomie decided she was going to bake the day away! Andie, who was a vegan for a bit, decided to make one of her favorite vegan recipes! I ate the first one in like 3 bites and just kept saying, “this is the best thing I have ever eaten”, over and over again. I felt like I was in a basic white girl pumpkin spiced heaven. Not to mention, there is no oil or anything else that I am allergic to in this recipe. She also made gluten free brownies…those will be up soon, as will many other recipes from Miss Andie! It seems only appropriate that my roomie is a creative cook. I think we are going to be a healthy food power roomies!

Here’s what you need:

Cupcake

-2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour (you could also use 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour and ¼ cup pastry flour if you don’t care to be g-free)

-1 ¼ cup turbinado sugar

-1 tbsp. baking powder

-Pinch of salt

-1 tsp. cinnamon

-1 tsp. nutmeg

-1/4 tsp. allspice

-1/8 tsp. ground cloves

-1 can puree pumpkin

-1/2 cup applesauce

-1 tbsp. molasses

To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put cupcake liners in pans. Makes about 14-16 cupcakes all together (I know this is random)…

2. Mix together g-free flour, spices, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl

3. In separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.

4. After both are mixed into different bowls, combine them together.

5. Spoon cupcake mixture into liners and put in the oven on the middle rack. Cook for 18-20 minutes!

6. Let cool before you ice them!!!!

Frosting

-4 cups powdered sugar

-1/2 cup vegan butter (you can use regular #foodallergyprobs)

-1.5 tbsp. non-dairy milk (or regular milk)

-1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

-2 tsp. vanilla

-1/2 tsp. lemon juice

-Pinch of salt

To do:

1. Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer until blended together. Do slowly, so powdered sugar does not destroy your kitchen!

2. Store extra icing in fridge. Pipe cupcakes when cooled, so icing does not melt on the cupcakes.

3. Put icing in a big ziplock bag and cut a hole in the corner of the bag, if you want to get fancy.

I hope you all enjoy these fall treats! I think they will become a staple in my kitchen for the next few months when I need to whip up a quick dessert! Let me know how you like them!

P.S. Don’t be afraid of the word “vegan”, it makes for a great cupcake!!

With love and a happy tummy,

-B

HBD Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes