Are you a Meatless Mondays enthusiast but not ready to take the plunge for the rest of the week? Maximize your meat-free meals with personal chef (and Whole Foods Market Cooking recipe tester) Natalie Barbarese's column, The Sometimes Vegetarian, where she shares a mouthwatering, vegetarian recipe every other Monday.

This week: Natalie introduces us to a gluten-free pumpkin cupcake with a split personality.

Photo by Natalie Barbarese

- Natalie

If you’re gluten-free or have Celiac disease you’ll definitely want to check out Silvana's Kitchen, a totally gluten-free cooking and recipe site that its founder, Silvana Nardone, started after her son became unable to tolerate gluten and dairy. She shares all types of recipes from family dinners to weekend breakfasts and offers many resources for people with special dietary needs. I came across her pumpkin cupcakes around this time last year and thought they’d be perfect for one of my best friends, who is gluten-free.

Carly and her new husband, Josh, attend the cookie extravaganza held at my parents’ house every Christmas, and since she can no longer eat gluten I’ve made it my mission to find a decadent gluten-free dessert that will stand out amongst the literally hundreds of flour-laden cookies that my mom bakes. I knew I’d found a keeper when she, as well as the other gluten-eating guests, raved -- no one could tell they weren't eating gluten.

For these pumpkin cupcakes you can even replace the cream cheese with your favorite dairy-free version and swap out the eggs for an egg replacer to make them vegan as well as gluten-free. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour which can be used to replace regular flour on a 1:1 basis. There are a few other recipes I’ve made for Carly where I’ve replaced regular flour with Bob’s blend and I’ve found that desserts with stronger spices and more intense flavors lead to the greatest successes. For example, I’d stick with something like carrot cake instead of plain vanilla cake where the gluten-free flour taste may be a bit too exposed.

As a personal chef, I strive to be empathetic and understanding of the dietary needs of my clients, family, and friends, which can drastically affect their lifestyle, food habits, and health. Of course it’s important to make sure you get enough nutrients regardless of your dietary restrictions, but it’s also important to celebrate this festive time of year with a treat that all your guests can enjoy.

Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Cupcakes

Recipe from Silvana's Kitchen

Makes 12 cupcakes

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Like this post? See Natalie's previous topic: Bulgur and Black Bean Burgers with Yogurt Sauce.

Natalie is the chef/owner of Broccoli Rose, a personal chef business serving healthy meals to locations within 60 miles of Montclair, New Jersey.