Pumpkin Cassava Flour Cupcakes (Paleo, Nut Free)

These pumpkin cassava flour cupcakes are Paleo friendly, dairy free, nut free and made with cassava flour.  This is a moist cupcake recipe, slightly sweet and full of pumpkin flavor.  If you're not already in the fall spirit, these healthy Paleo pumpkin cupcakes are sure to do the trick!

I don't know about you all, but pumpkin is one of my favorite fall flavors.  Well, it's actually one of my favorite flavors when it comes to any baked good! 

Knowing that, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I am kicking off September with this easy cassava flour cupcake recipe.

If you think cupcakes have to be unhealthy, think again.  These Paleo pumpkin cupcakes are most definitely healthy! 

Recipe Highlights

• grain free and gluten free - made with Otto's cassava flour
• Paleo friendly - no refined sugar, no vegetable oil, grain free & dairy free
• dairy free - made with olive oil and frosted with a coconut cream frosting
• healthy - lower in sugar than your average cupcake and made with real food ingredients
• fluffy and moist - basically a cupcake necessity!

This is why I love Paleo baking: you can create desserts that are healthy enough to share at the breakfast table!

And these aren't just healthy cupcakes, but they're also nut-free.  I know some schools require nut free items since nut allergies are quite common these days.  So, this is a great Paleo cupcake recipe without almond flour and that's perfectly acceptable for school functions.

Ingredients in Pumpkin Cassava Flour Cupcakes

Like I said, all of the ingredients in this cassava cupcake recipe are gluten free and Paleo friendly. Here's a list of what you need for the cupcakes:

• pumpkin puree
• eggs
• maple syrup
• olive oil 
• vanilla
• apple cider vinegar
• cassava flour
• Paleo baking powder
• cinnamon
• salt

Only 10 simple ingredients are needed for these easy cassava cupcakes.  They're dairy free, so made without butter.  In addition, they are sweetened with maple syrup rather than refined white sugar or brown sugar.  To lower the sugar content, feel free to substitute the maple syrup with a liquid, calorie-free sweetener such as THIS one.

The oil I used to make these cupcakes was olive oil.  However, avocado oil would be a great alternative.

I recommend Otto's cassava flour...the BEST brand of cassava flour in my opinion. It's the only cassava flour I bake with because of it's superior quality and high standards.

How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes from Scratch

These pumpkin cupcakes are made in one bowl, baked for 20 minutes, cooled and frosted.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

Next, add all wet ingredients to a medium-sized mixing bowl. This includes the pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla and apple cider vinegar. Whisk the wet ingredients until smooth.

Then, add in the dry ingredients. This includes the cassava flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until smooth.

Scoop batter into a lined muffin pan, making 9 cupcakes.  (About ¼ cup batter per muffin slot.) Then, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool to room temperature on a wire cooling rack. 

Once the cupcakes are cooled, they can be frosted. (I recommend frosting just prior to serving.)

This recipe makes 9 cupcakes and they are best stored in the fridge after 24 hours.

Best Paleo Cupcake Toppings

Frosting

First off, cupcakes need frosting.  I mean, that's basically what classifies a cupcake as a cupcake rather than a muffin. 

My favorite type of low sugar, Paleo frosting is made with coconut cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract and a little tapioca flour (for texture purposes). That's the recipe that I used for these gluten free pumpkin cupcakes (see recipe card for full details).

I also have a few other frosting recipes that I frequently use and they can be found in the following blog posts:

• tigernut flour chocolate cake - great chocolate frosting recipe made from coconut cream
• Paleo vanilla cupcakes - vanilla frosting made from palm shortening

Natural Food Dyes

To add a bit of natural color to the frosting, try using superfood powders.  Here are some easy ideas:

• pink: beet root powder
• yellow: turmeric root powder
• green: spirulina or matcha
• purple: maqui berry powder or acai powder

Decorations

Cupcakes can look pretty naked with just white frosting.  Some great topping options include:

• naturally colored sprinkles
• a dusting of cinnamon or pumpkin spice
• fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries…)
• dried fruit (chopped mango, raisins, cranberries, blueberries…)
• freeze dried fruit (raspberries, strawberries, apples)
• chocolate chips
• chopped nuts or seeds

These cassava flour pumpkin cupcakes were decorated with organic cinnamon, bee pollen and pumpkin seeds

Do Pumpkin Cupcakes Need to be Refrigerated?

Store bough cupcakes, you know the ones you see at your local grocery store that are loaded with refined sugar and pumped full of hydrogenated oils?  Yeah, those don't need to be refrigerated.  They are engineered to be shelf-stable.  But, they're also horrible for your health!

These paleo pumpkin cupcakes are not like that in the least.  I recommend refrigerating them after 24 hours.  They will last overnight in an air-tight container.  But, after that, I recommend keeping them in the fridge so they don't spoil.

Also, I don't recommend frosting and decorating the cupcakes until they're ready to eat.  If you use my homemade coconut cream frosting, it does not last long at room temperature (a few hours is fine). In the fridge, the frosting will harden - still tastes great but isn't ideal for serving.

This truly is the best Paleo pumpkin dessert recipe.  Healthy enough to serve at the breakfast table, depending on what frosting you use, but also perfect for a satisfying dessert. 

I'll definitely be making these again come October.  They'll make a great Paleo Halloween cupcake!

More Paleo Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Mug Cake
• Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups
• Paleo Pumpkin Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Protein Bars

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