Cupcakes for Me and My Girls {Paleo}

About a month ago I decided to investigate for myself just what a Paleo diet would do for me. So after reading some books, surfing the internet and collecting a variety of recipes, I decided to give it a go. The truth is, I’m not about cutting out any food groups or restricting. I just wanted to see what it would be like to forgo whole grains, legumes, beans, refined sugars, etc. (Stay tuned for an upcoming post on What the Paleo Diet Did for Me).

To be honest, I didn’t go a Whole30 route because my ‘sweet tooth’ is part of me and I don’t let it get the best of me. I embrace it. It gives me pleasure to enjoy the sweetness of ripe, in-season fruits. And, well, I love to bake (and come up with no-refined sugar options that still taste sweet but actually offer some good nutrition).

So after making sweet potato pancakes, paleo-friendly chocolate chip cookies using Lily’s Stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips and PaleoPro Sweet Potato Recover Powder in the mix, and delicious cocoa sweetened ‘Paleo Bread’ inspired by Alana’s Pantry (which has become a go-to recipe), I decided to give cupcakes a go.

Cupcakes were a no brainer – nearly same recipe as my cocoa sweetened Paleo bread. The frosting is tricky because most of the recipes I’ve come across for a paleo-friendly frosting include an insane amount of Erythritol and frankly thats even too sweet for me (its cloyingly sweet).

A No-Refined-Sugar Frosting Recipe That Works!

I come up with a frosting quite by accident when I discovered an avocado that was a bit too ripe (perfect for guacamole but I didn’t feel like guac). I gave it to my girls to mash up anyway as they love this type of kitchen prep. Then they asked if they could have one of my Paleo muffins. The idea came like a lightbulb! Why not make avocado chocolate frosting with avocados, unsweetened cocoa and a little Swerve (the sweetener Quick & Easy Ketogenic Cooking author Maria Emmerich recommends). I had already put lime juice in the avocado but somehow with the cocoa and vanilla extract, and of course the Swerve 0-calorie sweetener (confectioner style). Somehow it worked. Probably the same way you can’t actually taste the Vinegar in the Paleo bread (nor my cupcakes).

And so we made the cupcakes and frosting. My girls and I enjoyed every last bite, last crumb (and even licked the frosting bowl). See the recipes for the cupcakes and frosting below. Enjoy!

Recipe for Cocoa Sweetened Paleo Cupcakes

Cocoa Sweetened Paleo Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Alana's Pantry 'Paleo Bread'

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Prep Time 7 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

• 1 3/4 cups almond meal
• 2 Tbsp Coconut flour
• 3-4 Tbsp Cocoa unsweetened
• 1/4 cup Flax meal
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Swerve confectioners style 0-calorie sweetener

Instructions

 

• Place paper cupcake holders in cupcake pan and preheat oven to 350ºF.
• In a food processor, pulse almond meal, coconut flour, flax meal, cocoa, baking soda, salt and Swerve.
• Add cider vinegar and pulse.
• Pulse in eggs, one at a time and then vinegar until well combined.
• Distribute evenly into paper cupcake holders.
• Bake at 350ºF for about 20 minutes, until batter fully cooked.
• Cool completely.

Avocado Chocolate Frosting Recipe {Paleo}

• 1 medium, over-ripe avocado
• squeeze of lime
• 2-3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup Swerve, confectioners style 0-calorie sweetener
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/16 tsp salt (wee pinch)

Mash an over-ripe medium avocado in a bowl until creamy.
Mix in lime juice.
Then combine cocoa, Swerve, vanilla and salt using a whisk.
Blend until creamy.