Healthy Treats for National Chocolate Cupcake Day
Over the weekend I found out about a very tasty holiday - National Chocolate Cupcake Day. Inspired by this new holiday, I decided to make some chocolate cupcakes.
Recently my husband and I had our niece and nephew over our house for the weekend. In preparation, we stocked up on a variety of healthy treats. This included a box of Simple Mills Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffin and Cake Mix that I didn't end up using. Simple Mills products are all-natural, preservative free, and low in sugar. They also don't include any ingredients that I am sensitive to. That's why they are my go to products for the occasional indulgence if I am not making baked goods from scratch.
I don't always do well with eggs so I followed the directions for the muffins since they called for the least number of eggs. I used unbleached, chlorine-free large baking cups to line my muffin pan for easy clean up. I followed the directions on the box without adding any additional sweetener.
After allowing the cupcakes to cool I tasted one and decided that I wanted to put frosting on them. Without frosting, the cupcake was still moist and flavorful with the right about of sweetness for my taste buds. However, cupcakes without frosting are just muffins and I was prepping for National Chocolate Cupcake day.
Many of the packaged frosting available in local grocery stores are made with hydrogenated oils, preservatives, artificial coloring and other questionable ingredients. They also tend to have too much added sugar. Rather than compromise, I decided to make my own frosting using items already in my pantry and refrigerator.
Here's my chocolate frosting recipe:
Place the following ingredients in a large bowl
6 Tbsp softened Vital Farms Grass Fed Butter
3 Tbsp Organic Coconut Palm Sugar ( a naturally low glycemic sweetener)
⅓ cup Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 tsp Bulletproof Vanillamax
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
Mix until smooth and fluffy. You can use the icing immediately or let it cool in the fridge for a firmer texture. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy. Happy National Chocolate Cupcake Day!