Healthy Cooking Series: Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes (Vegan + GF)

Who said sweets can't be both delicious and healthy for you? Let’s get festive with some vegan and gluten-free chocolate peppermint cupcakes!

Shhhh . . . These cupcakes have a secret: They're full of fiber! Each cupcake has about 4 grams of fiber. Fiber is great for regulating digestion, lowering cholesterol, feeding good bacteria to your gut, regulating blood sugars and reducing risk for certain cancers. 

This healthy holiday treat is one everyone will love!

Check out the full recipe for chocolate peppermint cupcakes and dairy-free buttercream frosting:

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes (Vegan + GF) recipe 

Ingredients

• 1/2 scant cup unsweetened almond milk or any dairy-free milk
• 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
• 5 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter 
• 1 cup applesauce (or sub roasted beet puree)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 -1/2 tsp peppermint extract 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (if clumpy, sift)
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend (or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Blend)

Instructions

1. FOR CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a muffin tin with 11 paper liners
2. Measure out almond milk and add vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and let curdle while moving onto the next step.
3. Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Add baking soda to the almond milk and vinegar mixture and stir.
5. Add the sugar, maple syrup and almond milk mixture to the flax egg and beat to combine. Then add melted coconut oil, applesauce, salt, and peppermint extract, and mix.
6. Add cocoa powder, almond meal, oat flour, and gluten-free flour blend and beat to combine. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk, but it should be perfect. If too thin, add a little more gluten free flour blend + cocoa powder. Taste and adjust amount of peppermint extract as needed.
7. Divide batter evenly between lined muffin tins (should be enough for 11 as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), filling generously 3/4 full.
8. Bake for 29-34 minutes or until puffy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let rest in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Don’t try to sample early because they need to fully cool or they tend to stick to the wrappers.

Dairy-Free Buttercream Frosting recipe 

Ingredients

• 1 stick vegan butter (1 stick = 1/2 cup)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ – 3 cups sifted organic powdered sugar (ensure vegan-friendly as needed)
• 3-4 Tbsp full fat coconut milk or other dairy-free milk 

Instructions

1.  Add softened vegan butter to a large mixing bowl and use an electric hand mixer to cream butter until light and fluffy – about 1 minute. Then add vanilla and mix once more to combine.
2. Add sifted powdered sugar in 1/2 cup measurements and continue mixing until well combined and fluffy, scraping down sides as needed.
3. If too thick, add 1 Tbsp at a time of dairy-free milk until desired consistency is achieved (optional).
4. Use immediately or store frosting in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month.