These dense and delicious cupcakes are filled with a surprise of sweet and creamy, healthy chocolate chip cookie dough! Topped with a high protein chocolate frosting, these healthy cookie dough stuffed cupcakes are mouth-wateringly good!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the link there is no additional cost to you, but I will make a small commission that allows me to keep bringing you delicious healthy dessert recipes!

Bust out the flip-flops, pull out your short shorts, and take out your tank tops because it’s summer time! And as much as you hate the heat of the oven in the summer, you’re going to want to turn it on for these decadent and deceivingly healthy Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes.

I’ve come to terms and accepted that if I was given the choice I could live off of cookie dough. I’m probably going to start a support group. If you’d like to join CDA – cookie dough anonymous – the only requirement is to make these cupcakes ;)

So let’s talk about them!

1st: the cookie dough

This cookie dough is a bit different from any of my other cookie dough recipes. This one uses cashews as the main ingredient, while my edible eggless cookie dough, my “brookie” brownie cookie dough bars, and my no-bake chocolate chip cookie dough bars use protein powders, whole grain flours, or fruits.

The cashews give the cookie dough a nice, neutral but slightly buttery flavor, and the rest of the ingredients help transform it to that traditional cookie dough taste. Plus cashews are full of vitamins, minerals, and good-for-you fats that will help keep you full and satisfied.

2nd: the cupcakes

Technically, these treats are closer to a muffin than a cupcake because they’re more on the dense side than light and airy. But “cookie dough muffin” just doesn’t have the same ring to it, right!? You’re really not going to care what they’re called once you take a bite of them though. The cupcake/muffin (muffcake?? cuppin??) really needs to have that dense structure to hold in all that creamy cookie dough goodness.

To get the cookie dough into the middle of the cupcakes, we have to form a nice little pocket for the cookie dough to go into. I found it easiest to use the back of a spoon to spread the dough up the sides of the muffin liners.

Pro Tip: use silicone muffin liners. You can definitely make them with paper or parchment ones, but the silicone ones just hold their structure so well that is makes shaping the cupcake dough a breeze!

Another thing I love about these cupcakes is that they are packed with nutritious whole grains, healthy fats, and protein, and are practically free of refined flour and sugar!

I used soy protein powder in them to get that protein boost. When I buy protein powder I always look for ones that don’t have any added sugars, fillers, or artificial ingredients.

Some of my favorite brands are:

• Earth Fare Soy Protein Powder
• My Protein Soy Protein Powder
• Bob’s Red Mill Soy Protein Powder

I haven’t tested it in these healthy cookie dough stuffed cupcakes, but usually any other plant-based protein powder could be swapped out for the soy if you wanted to. I’d recommend using rice protein since it doesn’t affect the flavor. But, it does have a bit of a grittier texture. I also find that pea and hemp protein can overpower the taste of the other ingredients, but if you like their flavor you could try those too!

Some of my other plant-based protein faves are:

• Hemp Protein – Mannitoba Harvest
• Pea Protein – Naked Pea
• Rice Protein – Nutribiotic Rice Protein; Naked Brown Rice Protein

3rd: the chocolate frosting

If you’re a frosting lover like me (and let’s be real…you probably wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t…) you might want to make a double batch of this ultra creamy, high protein chocolate frosting so you can eat some by the spoonful and still have enough for the cupcakes!

Making the chocolate frosting is super easy. Just add all the ingredients to a bowl and use an electric hand mixer to combine. You can do it by hand, but make sure you haven’t done your arm workout for the day yet because you’re going to want to whisk it together for quite a bit to make sure there are no lumps and the frosting gets silky smooth. Last thing you want to do is bite into your decadent cupcakes and end up with a chunk of plain avocado (yes, avocado…just trust me!) in your mouth.

Also, to save time, you could make the frosting and bake the cupcakes the day before you plan on eating/serving them. Just wait to frost them until you’re going to serve them. The frosting might separate a bit, so you’ll want to give it a quick stir before assembling. And if the frosting sits on the cupcakes for that long it could make them a bit soggy.

Just keep them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge.

Who is excited for to try these healthy cookie dough stuffed cupcakes!?

Got a friend’s b-day coming up? A summer BBQ? Let me know who/what you’re going to make these delicious treats for!

Kaylie | Healthy Hacks

Yields 12 cupcakes

Healthy Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

High Protein; Gluten Free; Whole Grain; High in Healthy Fats; Diary Free

45 minPrep Time

17 minCook Time

1 hr, 2 Total Time

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Ingredients

Cookie Dough
• 1 cup cashews, soaked
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 Tbsp granulated sweetener of choice
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp butter (any kind - dairy, non-dairy, light, etc.)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Cupcakes
• 1 cup almond butter
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup oat flour
• ¾ cup soy protein powder
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
Frosting
• 1/2 block (~182 grams) silken tofu
• 1/2 cup granulated sweetener of choice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup avocado
• 1 tsp vanilla paste (can sub for vanilla extract)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners (preferably silicone ).
2. For the cookie dough, in a food processor or high speed blender, add the soft (soaked in water overnight is best) cashews, applesauce, sweeteners/sugars, cornstarch, butter, vanilla and almond extract, and salt.
3. Blend until the mixture is smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Fold in the mini chocolate chips and put in the fridge while you prepare the cupcake batter.
5. In a large bowl, add the almond butter, applesauce, maple syrup, molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
6. In a separate bowl, add the oat flour, protein powder, tapioca flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Whisk together to combine.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until all the lumps are gone.
8. Add a spoonful of the batter into a muffin liner and, using the back of a spoon, spread the dough up the sides of the liner (*see pic above).
9. Add 1 Tbsp of the cookie dough into the cavity of the cupcake batter you created.
10. Top it off with more of the cupcake batter until you fill the liner up to the top with batter. Smooth the top out with the back of the spoon or your fingers to remove any bumps.
11. Repeat steps 8-10 until all 12 cupcakes are done. (You might end up with extra batter. You can store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours and bake some extra cupcakes!)
12. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the edge of the cupcakes (not through the cookie dough part) has 1-2 crumbs.
13. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 30 min. then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
14. For the frosting, in a medium-sized bowl, add the tofu (don't press/squeeze out water from the tofu), sweetener, cocoa, avocado, and vanilla paste/extract.
15. Using an electric hand mixer, combine the ingredients until completely smooth (about 1 min.)
16. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting.
17. If you’re not serving the cupcakes right away, store them in the fridge unfrosted, and frost them right before serving.
18. Enjoy this decadent and deceivingly healthy dessert!

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https://HealthyHacks.net/healthy-cookie-dough-stuffed-cupcake/

You might also like:

Healthy Turtle Brownies

Healthy Caramel Oatmeal Bars

If a chocolate cake and a brownie had a baby, it’d be this fudgy Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake! It’s a hybrid between light and fluffy, and dense and fudgy, with fresh strawberries and strawberry jam on top.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the link there is no additional cost to you, but I will make a small commission that allows me to keep bringing you delicious healthy dessert recipes!

Have you ever seen the Friends episode where basically Joey’s whole storyline is that he doesn’t share his food? Yeah, I can relate. As much as I’d like to have every single bite to myself, sharing is caring after all. And, really, what better day to be sharing than Valentine’s Day!

Typically, if you’re getting a Valentine’s Day dessert, you’re either going to have to go the route of purchasing an entire cake or just a slice of one. And, as I said before, sharing one personal slice of cake is a no-no, if you ask me!

Which is why this 6” fudgy dark chocolate strawberry cake is the perfect dessert for you and your sweetheart! Not only is it big enough to share, but it’s not toooooooo big that the two of you will be eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next day.

I think two layers is perfect for this cake, because you get those delicious, juicy, fresh, strawberries and wonderful jam filling in the middle as well as on the top. But, the nice thing about this recipe is that the recipe makes 1 – 6” round, so you can make the recipe as many times as you want to create your desired amount of layers. More layer = more chocolate = more strawberries = more goodness (= more to share and more for you 😉)!

What makes this Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake healthy:

• Low in added sugar
• High in fiber
• Rich in antioxidants
• Low in saturated fats
• High in vitamins and minerals
• Low in refined flour

Unlike traditional cakes or brownies, this layered cake is full of nutrients! The pumpkin adds to its’ fudginess and is full of fiber, potassium, and vit C, which is all good for your heart. There is less refined sugar in this cake, because it’s replaced with dates. I love dates! And I don’t mean the Valentine’s Day kind 😉. Dates, besides being naturally sweet and scrumptious, are chock full of antioxidants, which can protect against chronic diseases, like cancer.

And, while the recipe calls for an egg (which is a great source of protein and lends to a smoother, creamier, texture), you could easily replace it with a flax egg, which gives you a great plant-based source of Omega-3’s.

If you make this delectable dark chocolate strawberry cake for you and your sweetie, be sure to snap a pic and share it with me @HealthyHacksRD!

Kaylie

Yields 1 - 6" cake

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Gluten Free; Dairy Free; Low in Added Sugar; Low Fat; High Fiber; Vegan

30 minPrep Time

32 minCook Time

1 hr, 2 Total Time

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Ingredients

Strawberry Jam
• 1/4 cup strawberry puree
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
Chocoalte Cake
• 1/3 cup (about 8 whole) dates
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp heart healthy oil (i.e. canola, safflower, sesame)
• 1/3 cup pumpkin or sweet potato puree
• 1 large egg (or 1 Tbsp flax meal + 3 Tbsp water)
• 2 Tbsp granulated sweetener of choice
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp instant coffee - optional
Garnish
• 8-12 strawberries
• 2 oz chocolate chips of choice

Instructions

1. For the chia jam: puree the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Stir in the chia seeds.
2. Place the mixture in an airtight container and refrigerate until the mixture thickens and becomes gel-like (at least 2 hours and up to overnight). (If making more than one layer of cake, increase the jam recipe by that many layers.)
3. For the cake: preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 6” round pan.
4. In a food processor or blender, blend the dates, water, and oil together until the dates are almost completely blended.
5. Add in the pumpkin, egg (or thickened flax egg mixture), sweetener, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and instant coffee.
7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until well incorporated. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well to get any hidden dry ingredients.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. The dough will be pretty thick. Smooth the top of the batter to reduce any bumps baked into the top.
9. Bake for 30 – 35 min. or until the edges are firm to the touch and the middle is slightly squishy. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will come out with some wet dough on it.
10. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
11. Repeat these steps as many times as you’d like to get your desired amount of layers.
12. Feel free to garnish the cake any way you’d like, but if you want to make the chocolate covered strawberries: place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet tray.
13. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, starting with 1 min., and then continuing with 15 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melted and smooth.
14. Pour the chocolate in a small, deep bowl. You want to be able to dip the washed and dried strawberries straight in and out of the chocolate. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off the strawberry and back into the bowl. Then, place the strawberry on the wax paper.
15. Once you’ve coated all your strawberries (you’ll need about 8 to decorate the outer rim of the cake like in the picture), place the tray in the fridge for a few minutes to harden.
16. If making a multi-layer cake, thinly slice as many additional strawberries as you’d like to place in between the layers of your cake.
17. To assemble a 2-layered cake: spread half of the chia jam on the top of one cake layer. Add the thinly sliced strawberries on top of the jam.
18. Place the second cake layer on top.
19. Spread the remaining chia jam on top. Then, add your chocolate covered strawberries around the edges.
20. Slice up your delectable dark chocolate strawberry cake and share away!

Notes

The recipe makes 1 - 6" cake with jam on top. For more layers, repeat the cake recipe, as is. I haven't tried doubling or tripling it all at once, so I can't say if it comes out the same or not. However, the jam recipe can be doubled or tripled without a problem.

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https://HealthyHacks.net/dark-chocolate-strawberry-cake/

Some products I used for this recipe:

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Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

High Protein Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

Enjoy the light, fluffy, deliciousness of a traditional crumb cake, but with a pumpkin-y twist! The cake is perfectly sweetened with the help of nature’s candy – fruit! It also has that dense, melt-in-your-mouth goodness of a crumb topping.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the link there is no additional cost to you, but I will make a small commission that allows me to keep bringing you delicious healthy dessert recipes!

We all know pumpkin is just about the most popular foods for the winter holidays…particularly Thanksgiving. But, I say, stock up on those cans of pumpkin now, so you can have pumpkin all year long. Especially when you have recipes like this Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake to make! Why would you only want to eat something so delicious during the cooler months!?

When you sit down to eat something delicious, I’m pretty sure the last thing you’re thinking is, “These antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, and fiber sure are scrumptious.” But, you could! You could totally be thinking that while you eat this fluffy-like-a-cloud coffee cake that could rival any from a coffee shop.

Crumb cakes/coffee cakes have always been one of my favorite desserts. The buttery, silky cake with the sweet, slightly crispy/crunchy topping just complement each other so well. Plus, they’re always loaded with cinnamon. And if it didn’t make you cough or gag I’d probably eat cinnamon by the spoonful.

There are also two options for this cake. Oddly enough, switching out one simple ingredient changed the whole texture of the cake! For all the pics above I used oat flour. You can see the cake is a little denser and it has more of a creamy, pumpkin pie texture. But if you switch the oat flour out for buckwheat flour you get a lighter, fluffier, more traditionally textured crumb cake. Personally, I like the buckwheat flour version better.  But, I really loved them both so much, which is why I had to share both versions! You can see the cake-y texture of the buckwheat version in the pic below.

Whichever version you choose, you won’t be disappointed!  Now run to the kitchen and get your pumpkin on!

Kaylie

Yields 9 squares

Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake

Vegan; Gluten Free; Low FODMAP; low fat; high fiber

30 minPrep Time

22 minCook Time

52 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Crumb Topping:
• ¼ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup oats
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
Cinnamon Topping:
• 2 Tbsp granulated sweetener of choice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
Pumpkin Cake:
• ½ cup pumpkin
• ½ cup banana, mashed
• ½ cup yogurt, vanilla
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup buckwheat flour (or oat flour)
• 2 Tbsp brown rice flour
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8”X8” square pan with cooking oil or parchment paper.
2. For the crumb topping: in a small bowl, combine the rice flour, oats, and salt. Using a fork, mash in the coconut oil and the maple syrup. You should end up with a crumbly mixture.
3. Place the mixture in the fridge to harden slightly.
4. In another small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together.
5. For the pumpkin cake: in a bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, mashed banana, yogurt, and maple syrup.
6. In a separate large bowl, combine the buckwheat (or oat) flour, rice flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, spices, and salt.
7. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
8. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the batter out evenly.
9. Crumble the crumb topping over the cake batter, then sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the crumb topping.
10. Bake the cake for 21-24 minutes or until the top is browned slightly and a few crumbs come off a toothpick if inserted into the center.
11. Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan (about 10 minutes), then remove it and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack.
12. Cut the cake into squares. Drizzle it with some powdered sugar + water mixture if you like (and who wouldn’t!), grab a cup of coffee and enjoy your perfectly spiced pumpkin crumb coffee cake!

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Some products I used for this recipe:

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This super light and decadent German Chocolate Cake is smothered in a creamy and healthy coconut pecan frosting, and is the perfect size for two!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

I actually never had German Chocolate Cake until a few weeks ago when there was a sample of it at the grocery store. And who doesn’t love a good grocery store sample!? I usually pick my grocery store based on which one has the best samples. Is that too crazy?? I’m going to say no for my own sanity’s sake. And also, because had I not gone to this particular grocery store on that particular day, I still wouldn’t know how amazing chocolate cake with pecan coconut frosting could be! And that making it without any oil, butter, or refined flour could make it even better!

However, I did know that German Chocolate Cake actually got its name from an American whose last name was German. Confused yet? Well, that’s OK because we’re not really here for cake history. We’re here for cake eat-ery.

The recipe for this chocolate cake really couldn’t be any easier. It only has a handful of ingredients, but does require some quick working hands to get it to rise properly. After the dry ingredients are mixed together, you’ll add the wet ingredients like normal. But, once you add the boiling water, the rising agents will start to foam and bubble. Fold that foaminess in quickly and pop it right into your preheated oven. Basically, some fancy science stuff happens and causes a chemical reaction which gives us bubbles and we want to bake those bubbles into the cake to get it light and airy. Didn’t think you came here for a history AND a science lesson, did you?? Don’t worry, I’m done with that now ;).

Once your cake is baking away in the oven, it’s time to work on the frosting. It’s totally optional, but I highly recommend toasting the coconut and pecans before mixing them into the frosting. It really brings out the flavor and makes everything just that much more delicious.

The steps for the frosting might seem a little strange. Typically, a frosting would include just mixing everything together with a whisk or electric mixer. This one will be made on the stove top. If you just mix everything together, the frosting will be thin and runny instead of thick and frosting-like. So, don’t try to cut corners and skip that crucial step! (I only say this because if I was reading the recipe, that would probably be the first thing that came to my mind. Just call the me the Queen of Convenience!)

Also very important – make sure that the cake and the frosting are both cooled before slathering the frosting all over your cake. No one wants a melty frosting. And, if you want to make a multi-layered cake like the one in the pictures, just repeat the steps for the cake recipe as many times as you want layers! Or, bake it in a cute little heart shaped tin. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, either way!

I love to see your creations! If you bake this cake (or anything else from Healthy Hacks!) be sure to tag me @HealthyHacksRD!

Kaylie

Yields 1 - 6" round cake

Healthy German Chocolate Cake

Gluten Free; Vegan; Low Fat; Egg Free; Low FODMAP

30 minPrep Time

22 minCook Time

52 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Frosting
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup milk of choice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup yogurt, vanilla (dairy or non-dairy)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
Cake
• 1/4 cup milk of choice
• 1/3 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup oat flour
• 1/8 cup cornstarch
• 2 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water, boiling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 6" round cake pan.
2. For the frosting, spread the pecans and coconut out on a cookie sheet and bake in the 350 F oven for 3-10 min. Coconut can brown quickly, so depending on the baking sheet you use times may vary. Just keep your eye on it.
3. In a medium sized saucepan, add the milk and cornstarch. Whisk together to get rid of any lumps. Turn the stove top on to medium-high heat, and continue to whisk the mixture occasionally until thickened.
4. Reduce the heat the low and whisk in the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract. Make sure the vanilla yogurt is one that you like the flavor of by itself, since it will significantly impact the flavor of your frosting.
5. Allow the frosting to cool slightly, then transfer it to a heat safe bowl and put it in the fridge to cool completely and thicken up.
6. For the cake, in a medium bowl, stir together the milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for at least 10 min.
7. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt.
8. Add the oil and vanilla the milk mixture and stir together.
9. In a microwave safe mug, microwave the water just until boiling (about 1 1/2 min).
10. Add the milk mixture and the boiling water to the dry ingredients. Stir together immediately, and continue stirring until everything is combined.
11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and put it in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
12. Once the cake and the frosting have cooled completely, fold the coconut and pecans into the frosting. Generously spread the frosting over the cake. NOTE If you plan on having left over cake and frosting, store the cake in the fridge un-frosted. The frosting tends to separate a bit when stored and can benefit from some a quick stir before eating.
13. Grab a fork (or two) and dig in to your perfectly shareable sized cake!

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https://HealthyHacks.net/healthy-german-chocolate-cake/

Some products I used for this recipe:

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Two of my favorite types of foods include:

1. Caramel
2. SURPRISES!

These caramel apple muffins have both! They’re like the Kinder Eggs of healthy foods….only not banned in the U.S. ;)

First, you’ve got a springy, slightly cinnamon-y, apple muffin. Second, you’ve got a hidden surprise of date “caramel”. And if the filling wasn’t great enough, the fact that it’s safely enclosed inside the muffin makes them easily portable. They’re great to take to work for a snack or pack in the kids’ lunches.

And, just like anything else that looks fancy here on the blog (like my chocolate orange marble loaf cake), there is really an easy way to do it! The muffin batter is pretty straight forward. Bowl + dry ingredients + wet ingredients + stir. An apple will have to be chopped up at some point. But, there’s no need to peel it.

The caramel is as easy to make as throwing a few ingredients in a food processor and letting it do all the work. Then, once you’ve got the batter and caramel ready, all you have to do is spoon some of the batter into the muffin cups. After that, plop on a little bit of the caramel and cover with some more batter. The caramel is thick so you can just spoon it onto the batter and it’ll stay in place. No need to worry about it being runny and messy. Also, no need to pipe the caramel into the center or dig out the middle of the muffin after they’re baked. Crumbly mess avoided! It’s “clean” eating in all senses of the word ;)

Even though, I’m not a huge fan of the term “clean” eating because it implies that other types of eating are dirty, and I fully support the “everything in moderation” motto. BUT! Let’s not get side tracked here because I’m the first person to take us on a long and winding journey before getting back to the point I’m trying to make which is….
MUFFINS! Delicious caramel apple muffins!

The classic Fall flavors in these muffins would make the perfect finish to your holiday meals, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or otherwise.

Kaylie

Yields 12 muffins

Healthy Caramel Apple Muffins

Gluten Free; Vegan; Low Fat; Low Sugar; Soy Free

25 minPrep Time

14 minCook Time

39 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Caramel:
• 3/4 cup (~12) dates, pitted
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp agave (or other sticky sweetener)
Muffins:
• 1/8 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup oat flour*
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour*
• 1/3 cup tapioca flour*
• 1/8 cup granulated sweetener of choice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/8 cup coconut oil
• 1/8 cup molasses
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• *or you can substitute with 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour for a non-gluten free option

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
2. For the caramel: place the dates, cashews, oil, vanilla, and salt in a food processor or blender. Blend until the mixture is in small, smooth pieces. It won't be cohesive like a nut butter just yet. (But, don't skip this blending step before adding the next ingredients or you might have problems getting the mixture completely smooth.)
3. Add the water and agave and blend until completely smooth.
4. For the muffins: in a small bowl, stir together the flaxseed meal and water and set aside.
5. Chop the apple into small pieces (~1/2" squares).
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, granulated sweetener, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, and salt.
7. Add the applesauce, oil, molasses, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Stir together until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet.
8. Fold in the apple pieces.
9. Scoop 1 Tbsp of the muffin batter into each of the prepared muffin liners.
10. Place 1 tsp of the caramel into the center of the batter in each muffin cup.
11. Top each caramel filled cup with another 1 Tbsp of muffin batter.
12. Bake for 14 min. or until the edges of the muffins darken a bit and a toothpick inserted into the muffin batter comes out with a little bit of wet dough on it, but no crumbs.
13. Allow the muffins to cool in the tine for about 10-15 min. then transfer them to a wire rack.
14. Let the muffins cool completely, or dive in while they're still a little warm and heavenly!

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https://HealthyHacks.net/healthy-caramel-apple-muffins/

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There is only one thing better than chocolate, and that’s melted chocolate.

And if you ever wanted to live off just chocolate, these healthy chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting are the closest you’re gonna get to reaching that life goal.

Muffins might technically be a better way to describe these guys because, while they are light and airy, they’re a bit chewier than a cupcake. But, cupcake sounds so much more delectable. And, you puts frosting on a muffin!? (side note: probably me. I’d probably frost a muffin…)

Another side note, who decided creamy whipped toppings should be named after cold things?? FROST-ing. ICE-ing. I just now realized that, but I’m assuming there’s a reason.

Watch out, because this train is getting waaaaaayyyy off track. Anyways….

CUPCAKES! We’re talking about cupcakes.

Like I said, these cupcakes have a bit of a chewier texture, but are still sweet and chocolate-y. They get a lot of their sweetness naturally from dates and, SURPRISE, sweet potatoes! The sweet potato puree also gives these cupcakes their creaminess and is used, in part, as a flour replacement. So, you’re getting tons of health benefits like Vitamin A and fiber.

But, for me anyways, the star of the show here is the chocolate frosting. It literally takes only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to make. Also, it’s packed with protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants. So, for all those times you have wanted to grab that tub of icing and eat it by the spoonful, here is your chance! It’s rich and creamy and pretty close to eating straight up melted chocolate, if you ask me.

Chocolate on chocolate couldn’t get any better, but you could really eat this frosting with anything and it’d be a-mah-zing. Spread it on toast; mix in some fresh fruit; use it as a salad dressing. Okayyyy….maybe that last one went too far, but if you were ever going to make a dessert salad, this would be the way to go!

Make your tummies happy and whip these chocolate cupcakes up today!

Kaylie

Yields 12 cupcakes

Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Gluten Free; Vegan; Low Sugar; High Protein; Egg Free; Dairy Free

40 minPrep Time

16 minCook Time

56 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Cupcakes
• 3/4 cup sweet potato puree
• 2/3 cup oat flour
• 1/3 cup hemp protein powder
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup granulated sweetener of choice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 9 dates
• 2/3 cup water, warm
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
• 1/2 block (~182 grams) silken tofu
• 1/2 cup granulated sweetener of choice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup avocado
• 1 tsp vanilla paste (can sub for vanilla extract)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
2. For the cupcakes, fill a medium sauce pan about 1/3 full with water. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Add about 2/3 of a medium sweet potato, chopped, to the boiling water, cover, and reduce the heat to keep the water at a simmer.
4. Cook the sweet potato until it is fork tender (about 10-12 min).
5. While the sweet potato is cooking, in a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, protein powder, flaxseed meal, cornstarch, sweetener, baking soda, and salt.
6. Once done, drain the sweet potato and puree it, along with the dates, in a food processor or blender. If needed, as a few splashes of water to get the mixture completely smooth.
7. Warm the water, but don't bring it to a boil.
8. Add the cocoa to the warm water and stir until there are no clumps of cocoa.
9. Add the potato puree/date mixture and the cocoa mixture to the dry ingredients.
10. Add the oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir just until everything is combined.
11. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full (equal to about 1/6 cup of batter).
12. Bake for 16 min. or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a little bit of batter, but no big crumbs.
13. Allow to cool completely before icing.
14. For the frosting, in a medium-sized bowl, add the tofu (don't press/squeeze out water from the tofu), sweetener, cocoa, avocado, and vanilla paste/extract.
15. Using an electric hand mixer, combine the ingredients until completely smooth (about 1 min.)
16. Frost your cooled cupcakes with your deliciously creamy icing.
17. Eat and enjoy! (and maybe share ;) )

7.8.1.2

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https://HealthyHacks.net/healthy-chocolate-cupcakes-chocolate-frosting/

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