I know . . . you can’t wait to see the recipe for the incredible gluten free peppermint ganache cupcakes . . . but first, I need to tell you why my site looks a little different today:

It’s the first day of my

12 Days of Christmas Holiday Series and Group Giveaway!

Please welcome Devin, from Nom Yum & Free!  Devin is a wife and full-time working mom of a 4-year son and 1-year old daughter. If that isn’t enough, she spends (what should be her sleeping) hours creating yummy allergen free recipes to share with others.

Nom Yum & Free has pages of allergy friendly mouth-watering foods and beautiful baked treats inspired by Devin’s love for her daughter even more than her love for eating. After a midnight scare (when her newborn’s eyes swelled shut), Devin learned that her daughter had multiple food allergies. She created Nom Yum & Free when she had difficulty finding many safe (but yummy) foods to eat without causing repeat allergic reactions in her nursing daughter.

Take it away, Devin:

I am so excited to not only have the honor of helping kick off OneCreativeMommy.com’s 12 Days of Christmas Holiday Series and Group Giveaway event with a gluten free Christmas treat recipe, but also to be part of this week’s Gluten Free Monday – one of my favorite food allergy friendly recipe linky parties! – Devin @ Nom Yum & Free

Gluten Free Peppermint Ganache Cupcakes

In the Christmas spirit and because I LOVE cupcakes, I am sharing a wintry fresh recipe for peppermint candy cane cupcakes with chocolate peppermint ganache filling. Beyond just being gluten free, this recipe is vegan and free of the top 8 most common food allergens (gluten, dairy, egg, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, and shellfish). This allergy friendly Christmas cupcake unites a soft moist vanilla cupcake (with a hint of peppermint), the wintery cool of a homemade chocolate peppermint ganache filling, and a light melt-in-your-mouth buttercream frosting with fresh bursts of candy cane flavor.

For added Christmas décor, top your cupcakes with a delicious, easy-to-make allergen free chocolate peppermint bark. What makes this the perfect Christmas cupcake? It easily adapts to the wishes of all your holiday guests! Everyone from the ultimate chocolate lover (e.g., my mom who would love a chocolate peppermint ganache filled cupcake with a bit of cocoa powder in the batter) to those who wouldn’t touch chocolate with a stick (e.g., my son whose favorite is sans filling but loaded with candy cane buttercream) will enjoy the many combinations.

Easily convert this recipe to yummy allergy friendly stocking stuffers!

If you prefer smaller, stocking stuffer sized treats, use this recipe to make fun to eat chocolate peppermint candy cane cake pops! (I will share the simple steps to make these allergen free Christmas treats on a stick on Nom Yum & Free in the next few weeks, so be sure to LIKE my Facebook page or FOLLOW me on Twitter so you don’t miss out!)

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups gluten free flour mix (like Bob’s Red Mill)
• ½ cup quinoa flour
• 1 tsp. plus 1 pinch xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. ground sea salt
• 1 cup dairy free, soy free milk (vanilla or “Nog” flavor recommended)*
• 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. ground flax seeds
• ½ cup water
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. pure peppermint extract
• (optional – 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolate cupcake)

* For even more holiday flavor, I have even used ⅓ cup So Delicious Nog mixed with ⅔ cup of So Delicious vanilla coconut milk.

 Chocolate Peppermint Ganache

• 6 regular natural peppermint candy canes** [will be enough for ganache and icing]
• ½ cup dairy-free, soy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (like Enjoy Life)
• 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup dairy free, soy free milk (vanilla flavor recommended)
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract

** IMPORTANT: Be sure to check candy cane labels or with the manufacturer regarding allergens. I used naturally flavored Spangler candy canes, which are top 8 allergen free but have dye and report to have a “trace amount” of soy oil (with all proteins removed) in the lubricant in its cooking kettles. Next time, I may try these natural, dye free, allergen free candy canes available online.

Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting

• ½ cup dairy free, soy free shortening (like Spectrum Foods)
• ½ cup dairy free, soy free buttery spread (like Earth Balance)
• 4 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp. dairy free, soy free milk (vanilla flavor recommended)
• 3 tbsp. very fine peppermint candy canes powdered flakes [reserved from ganache]

Note:This recipe makes quite a bit of icing, so you likely will have some remaining after frosting your cupcakes. You can freeze the excess or use it in some chocolate peppermint candy cane cake pops. LIKE me on Facebook or FOLLOW me on Twitter so you don’t miss when I share this quick and easy Christmas cake pop recipe!

Peppermint Bark

Top your candy cane cupcakes with easy-to-make allergen free peppermint bark

For added Christmas décor, top your candy cane cupcakes with allergen free chocolate peppermint bark. Visit Nom Yum & Free for today’s peppermint bark recipe (also linked below on OneCreativeMommy.com’s Gluten Free Monday #11).

Directions

Cupcakes

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners and preheat oven to 350° F. Whisk together flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (For the ultimate chocolate lover, you can add 2 tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder to make a chocolate cupcake.) Set aside dry ingredients mixture. Stir lemon juice into milk and set aside (coconut milk should curdle some). Set aside. In a small saucepan, stir together flax seeds and water. Heat mixture on stove over high heat until it begins to boil. Then, lower temperature to medium high heat and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Cooked mixture will resemble the texture of egg whites. Set aside.

Use a hand mixer or electric mixer on medium speed to beat together oil and sugar until fluffy (about 1 minute). Beat in vanilla and peppermint extracts. Add flax seeds mixture in 2 parts, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add milk mixture. Then add flour in 3 parts, beating well after each addition until batter is combined. Use a spatula to scrape sides of bowl after each addition and make sure ingredients are well combined.

Use a medium cookie scoop to fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ to ¾ of the way full. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick entered in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove muffin pan from oven and let cupcakes cool in pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then remove cupcakes from pan and place on cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Peppermint Ganache

Lightly crush candy canes in a blender or food processor. Reserve about 2 ½ tbsp. of roughly crushed pieces and flakes, and set aside for garnishing finished cupcakes. Puree remaining candy canes into super fine flakes – powder.

In a small saucepan, warm milk on medium-high heat. Once milk begins to boil, remove from heat and, immediately, stir in chocolate and maple syrup with a plastic spatula until smooth. Add 3 tbsp. of peppermint candy cane powder and extract and stir for about 1 minute longer. Let ganache sit (at least 10 minutes) until ready to fill completely cooled cupcakes. I used a pasty filling tip to fill my cupcakes. (The stronger your love for chocolate, the more ganache filling you can use.)

Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting

On medium-high speed, use an electric hand beater or mixer to beat together shortening and buttery spread until fluffy (about 1 minute). On low speed, add ½ the sugar and beat until fluffy (about 1 ½ minutes). Add vanilla extract and milk, and then beat to combine (about 1 minute).  Beat in remaining sugar on low speed. On high speed, beat frosting until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add reserved candy cane “powder” and continue beating on high for 1 minute.

Place frosting in refrigerator for 1 minute, and then remove from fridge and stir. Spread or pipe frosting over completely cooled and filled cupcakes. Sprinkle larger pieces of candy cane over frosting. For even more festive flavor (appealing to your eyes and taste buds), top each cupcake with a piece of allergen free chocolate peppermint bark. You can refrigerate your Christmas treats until you’re ready to enjoy, but let them sit at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes before sharing with family and friends. (Freezing is recommended if not serving the same day.)

Again, I invite you to come over to Nom Yum & Free to pick up today’s simple allergen free peppermint bark recipe (good for topping your candy cane cupcakes or enjoying as is). And don’t forget to LIKE me on Facebook for a chance to win OneCreativeMommy.com’s awesome 12 Days of Christmas GIVEAWAY prizes and to be among the first to get the easy steps for making your own allergen free chocolate peppermint candy cane cake pops, just in time to prepare your stocking stuffers! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

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