Yes two weeks in a row, I've got cupcakes for you. Last week it was my husband's birthday, in which we celebrated with healthy rich Dark Chocolate Cupcakes and today it is mine. It seems like it was just yesterday that my husband threw me a surprise 40th birthday party and now I am 41. How that happened, I don't know, as I feel like I was just in my 20's. At any rate, it's my birthday and birthday cake or rather cupcakes are in order.
“Healthy” Vanilla Cupcakes
Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free & Low-Carb
Printable Recipe
Healthy Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting
Over the weekend, I was inspired to do a recipe makeover for a simple vanilla cupcake and then decided to spice the recipe up a little and make a mocha cupcake as well. Hence, the title of today's post, not one, but two, healthy cupcake recipes that are gluten-free, sugar-free and low-carb. Just for fun I did a little side-by-side comparison of ingredients and nutritional information. Remember it's not just about the calories, but what those calories do to our body and our blood sugar.
Side-by-Side Vanilla Cupcakes
Healthy Cupcakes
145 cals 13g fat /4g carb/ 2g fib/ 4g pro
Ingredients
- 1/8 tsp. Stevia Extract
- 1/4 c. Ghee, Melted
- 3 Eggs
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 c. Coconut Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 c. Coconut Milk + 1/4 c. Water
- Pinch Celtic Sea Salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 º F and line muffin pan with paper liners & spray with non-stick spray.
- In medium bowl, sift together, coconut flour, stevia, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs and slowly drizzle in melted ghee, along with vanilla extract, coconut milk and water.
- Add wet to dry and whisk until well incorporated.
- Fill each cupcake with 1/4 c. batter and bake for 22 minutes.
- To check for doneness, cupcake should spring back when touched or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Un-Healthy Cupcakes
210 cals 9g fat /30g carb/0g fib/ 3g pro
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. White Sugar
- 1/4 c. Butter
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 c. White Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 c. Milk
- Pinch Salt
Onto healthy cupcake recipe number two….even though the Dark Chocolate Cupcakes I made last week are divine, I got a few requests from my paleo friends for a recipe that is not made with beans. I was happy to oblige, as I don't eat beans myself (unless they are in cupcake form). And if you are shrugging your shoulders going, what's wrong with beans, I'll send you off to read what Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, has to say: Beans & Legumes.
“Healthy” Mocha Cupcakes
Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free & Low-Carb
Printable Recipe
Mocha Cupcake with White Frosting
To go from Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes to Healthy Mocha Cupcakes all we need to do is add a little cocoa and coffee. It really is that simple. Follow the basic recipe above and to that add 1/4 c. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder and instead of 1/4 c. water add 1/2 c. decaf dark roast coffee. Baking directions are still the same, however, this will yield a few more cupcakes, making 8 instead of 6. Are you properly confused, no worries, you can print out the recipe, where it's all spelled out for you.
Once again, we can thank Lauren at Healthy Indulgences for the frosting recipe. I used her Healthy Buttercream Frosting, only this time I split the recipe in half and left half white and then added cocoa to the other half. Oh yeah, and skipped the coconut milk all together.
Ingredients
- 7 Tbsp. Spectrum Naturals Organic Non-Hydrogenated Shortening
- 1/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. Smart Sweet Non-GMO Erythritol Granules, Powdered
- 1/16-1/8 tsp. NuNaturals Pure White Stevia Extract Powder
- 3 Tbsp. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt
Directions
- Powder erythritol by placing granules in a coffee grinder, Magic Bullet or other high-powered blender and pulsing until it resembles powdered sugar.
- With a rubber spatula, gently mix powdered erythritol, stevia, salt and vanilla extract with shortening, once incorporated, use electric mixer to fluff.
- Divide into two equal portions and set one aside.
- Add cocoa powder to one half, first mixing with spatula and then mixing with electric mixer.
Recipe Notes
*I am currently abstaining from dairy as I outlined in my Casein Confession. In place of butter I have been using Ghee with no signs of intolerance or sensitivity. If you can handle dairy, go ahead and use unsalted butter in your cupcakes and in your buttercream.
*If you want more of a coconutty flavor, you could use coconut oil instead of ghee. While you are at it you could use coconut extract instead of vanilla extract as well.
*Again if dairy suits you, go ahead and sub out the coconut milk for heavy cream or even sour cream. Either way, there is enough liquid and fat in these recipes to yield a very moist cupcake. Which isn't always easy when baking with coconut flour.
God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. ~Voltaire
