Christmas is so close I can almost taste it! 😀

Christmas is without a doubt my favorite season of the year. Not only is it a time of love, cheer, and Christmas Music, but it’s the season of the year’s best spices. Gingerbread, pumpkin, peppermint, and eggnog- against these flavors, no other season even compares.

In fact I love gingerbread and pumpkin so much that I can’t resist eating them during the fall, summer, and even spring!

To demonstrate the extent of my love, let me let you in on a little secret: I wrote this post (and created this recipe) in July/August!!

One day, I had a serious gingerbread craving and had watched one two many episodes of cupcake wars, so I whipped up this recipe to highlight one of my favorite winter flavors in the form of a decadent, stunning cupcake!

And boy, were they scrumptious! With just the right balance of ginger, molasses, and cream cheese frosting flavor, this dessert is both savory and sweet– and will satisfy you after just one cupcake! And on top of that, it’s gluten free, lower in sugar than a classic cupcake, and doesn’t contain any butter or vegetable oil. Healthy and decadent– my favorite combination!

Bring these cupcakes to a Christmas dinner to make dessert a hit, or even enjoy them in your own home, cuddled up with a nice book and a roaring fire. Whatever you choose to do, two things are sure: you’ll be enveloping yourself with the flavors of the season with these cupcakes, and you’ll be perfectly content doing so. 🙂

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cupcakes

• 1/2 c coconut flour
• 1/2 c gluten free multipurpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/4 c coconut oil
• 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 c coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 tbs molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c milk of choice (I used unsweetened coconut milk)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add all dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir together. Add coconut oil, applesauce, coconut sugar (or brown sugar), molasses, eggs, and milk and stir until fully combined. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and lightly grease with cooking spray. Scoop spoonfuls of the batter into the muffin tins, fulling 3/4 the way full. Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting of choice.

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

(Yields a dozen cupcakes)

Nutrition information calculated without the cream cheese frosting, since calories will vary depending on what frosting recipe you use. Calculated using 1 tbs Pillsbury Cream Cheese Frosting each, it reads as follows: 206 calories, 9g fat, 29g carbs, 2g protein.