1 Batter 2 Ways- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes

Fall always means the beginning of pumpkin season!!  For the month of October (and November for some) we get to indulge in all things pumpkin- lattes, cookies, cakes, muffins, pies, jack-o-lanterns, etc. 

I found a great recipe for a pumpkin bread on Food.com while prepping for my mother in law's birthday and I adapted it into two other great recipes that can lend themselves to a mini bundt cake desert, as well as a breakfast or on the go muffin recipe.  As I am not fond of overly sweet baked goods, neither of these recipes are too sweet, so feel free to enjoy one or two!

My daughters also had a birthday party to attend and to fancy up the muffins to make them birthday party worthy, I decorated them with chocolate cream cheese frosting.  I also found this great tip on Pinterest where you take a Mike and Ike's Candy and use half a tooth pick to make a whimsical cupcake topper. 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread, Muffins or Bundt Cake Batter

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp applesauce

1/2 cup sugar or agave nectar
1 large egg
1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of equal cloves, nutmeg and ginger)

1. Mix together butter, sugar, egg, canned pumpkin and vanilla extract. 

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.

3. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix. 

4. For bread, pour into a prepared loaf pan and bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes. 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes with Pecan Crumble

Batter from above recipe

4 tbsp butter melted

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans

1. Grease mini bundt cake pan. 

2. In a food processor combine the ingredients above until the pecans are small chopped size. 

3. Put a bit of crumble topping into the bottom of each mini bundt cake pan. 

4. Top with cake batter. 

5. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. 

6. Let cool a bit before turning pan over and removing bundt cakes or topping will stay in the pan. 

- Delicious served with vanilla bean ice cream!
 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins 

Batter from Above Recipe

1/2 cup Chocolate Cream Cheese Topping or Plain Cream Cheese with melted chocolate chips stirred in (I used the new Chocolate Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread)

1/2 cup icing sugar

1. Grease muffin tin and pour batter into sections. 

2. Bake at 350F for 25-30 mins. 

Optional Cream Cheese Frosting 

1. Allow muffins to completely cool. 

2. In a separate container, mix together cream cheese and icing sugar. Add to a piping container and decorate muffins. 

3. Get creative with topper ideas- we used Mike and Ike candy and inserted 1/2 a toothpick into them to create a popsicle topper.