Chocolate Pumpkin Tartlet Cupcakes
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
The pumpkin in these individual desserts makes the chocolate very rich and "grown-up" in flavor. If you prefer a sweeter fudgy filling, you can double the sugar. But go ahead and taste-test the melty mixture before to see what you think before adding more!
Author:
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Crust
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup finely crushed crunchy sugar cookies* (I use Enjoy Life Sugar Crisps)
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using regular all-purpose flour)
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Big pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoons palm shortening (like Spectrum or Nutiva)
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Chocolate Pumpkin Filling
  • ⅔ cup dairy-free semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life Mini Chips) + additional for garnish
  • ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • ½ tablespoon non-GMO cornstarch or arrowroot starch
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line 6 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
  2. To make the crust, place the flour blend, crushed cookies, sugar, xanthan gum, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined.
  3. Add the shortening and maple syrup and whisk until well dispersed and the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
  4. Add 2 level tablespoons (not packed) of the crumb mixture to each of the cupcake liners. You should have some leftover for the topping. Pack the crumb mixture very firmly into each cupcake liner.
  5. For the chocolate pumpkin filling, melt the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin, brown sugar, starch, spice, and salt. If the pumpkin is cool at all, heat the mixture just a bit to keep the chocolate from seizing up. It should be very thick, but creamy and easy to stir.
  6. Divide the filling evenly atop the crusts and tap or shake the muffin cups to level the filling.
  7. Top each with the remaining crumb mixture and a smattering of chocolate chips. Very lightly press the crumb mixture just a little bit into the tops.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes.
  9. The tartlets can be enjoyed at room temperature, but I prefer to chill them in the refrigerator for an hour or more. I like the taste and texture better once cool. Gently peel off the cupcake liners to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen.
Notes
*To get very fine crumbs, I recommend grinding the cookies in a spice grinder. If you don't have one handy, you can place them in a baggie, seal, and pound with a mallet until the break into fine crumbs. The latter option is quite therapeutic!
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/chocolate-pumpkin-tartlet-cupcakes