Grain-Free Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Almond Butter Chocolate Frosting
A while ago, I had the most amazing Snickers cupcake from a gluten free bakery here in Colorado called Coquettes. And I’ve thought of nothing but how amazing that dessert was ever since. Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration but in all seriousness, this cupcake is nothing short of divine! So, over the weekend, my life’s mission was to duplicate this cupcake using Paleo ingredients. While Coquette’s is completely gluten-free (and I believe soy free?), it’s not grain or refined sugar free and they do serve peanuts in some of their dishes. Like the snickers cupcake. It had a fabulous peanut butter frosting on top!
When I was experimenting with a new strawberry-chocolate chip cookie recipe a bit ago (which was an utter failure. See my Instagram story HERE), I discovered that cassava flour makes the best grain-free cake! But not cookies, it’s too soft and fluffy. I’ll be experimenting on those chocolate chip cookies with a heartier flour like almond in the near future! But I just knew the cassava would be perfect for this cupcake recipe I had in mind. And a coworker’s birthday was coming up so I also had the perfect excuse for why we needed cupcakes in our lives!
I’ve always enjoyed baking a bit more than regular cooking. It’s soothing for me and I feel like I’m better at it than savory recipes. But I’ve never been much of a sweet tooth. I don’t crave cookies or cake or ice cream (though my dad does, he’s an ice cream-aholic!). I’ll usually reach for salty treats over sweet. Popcorn, chips and salsa, and pickles are my downfall. I’d probably die if I couldn’t have those at least once in a while! So, when I do make sweet treats, they almost always go in to work with me or to a gathering of some sort. The last few jobs I’ve had, I’ve become known as the Baking Queen. Even since going gluten-free/Paleo this past year, my team at work still rejoices when I bring treats in for them to taste. They don’t seem to mind the dairy-free and gluten-free versions I create. They’re always enthusiastic recipients of any food I bring them!
These cupcakes came out perfectly. Seriously, you wouldn’t know they were grain-free and not from a Duncan Hines box mix! They have that same fluffy texture that you would get from any of the box mixes from the grocery store. There’s no dairy in either the cupcakes or the frosting but there are eggs, so this is not a vegan recipe. I haven’t experimented on whether an egg replacement works but if you do, let me know!
- Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup Cassava Flour
- 3 T coconut flour
- 1 c coconut sugar
- 3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- .
- Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup califia farms unsweetened almond/coconut creamer
- 1/2 c water
- 1/4 cup nutiva palm shortening, melted or coconut oil
- 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup enjoy life mini chocolate chips
- .
- Frosting Ingredients
- 1 C Coconut shortening (I used Nutiva)
- 1 C mini chocolate chips, melted
- ¼ C almond butter
- ½ C coconut sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line with baking cups.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk all wet ingredients together and then add to dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Fold in chocolate chips. Pour cake mixture into cupcake tin, filling about ½ way up. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.
- While cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting. Combine all ingredients with a hand beater. Chill in refrigerator for an hour to set. Frosting softens very easily!
- Frost cupcakes and keep in refrigerator until you want to serve as frosting will melt pretty quickly! Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips or nuts as desired.