Grain-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Lauren — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 10:30:50 +0000

Grain-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes are naturally sweetened with maple syrup for a wholesomely sweet treat. Paleo option included!

These grain-free cupcakes were a happy accident. I was trying to make paleo brownies but they came out light and fluffy. (That probably had a little something to do with my complete inability to follow a recipe as written.) Although the brownies were a bust, I was super excited about the prospect of cake!

It only took a little bit of tweaking to come up with a final recipe that I’m absolutely obsessed with. These grain-free chocolate peanut butter cupcakes taste like a richer, more mature version of Funny Bones, which are basically the most perfect junk food ever.

It never ceases to amaze me how a few real-food ingredients can come together so easily to make something this delicious. I’d take one of these wholesome cupcakes over traditional cake any day.

I tested this grain-free cupcake recipe a few times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke and I’m happy to report that it’s just as delicious when you make it with cashew butter or sunbutter. (Let’s be honest, I also really wanted an excuse to eat more cupcakes.) Whichever you use, be sure to look for a natural butter without any added sugar or oils. And remember, if your nut better is salted, you don’t need to add any additional salt to the batter!

Along with the nut butter, these cupcakes use unsweetened cocoa powder. I love Ghirardelli’s cocoa powder and have been going through it like it’s my job between these, my Coconut Cranberry Chocolate Cups, and hot chocolate. Natural maple syrup adds the perfect kiss of sweetness. I also added a few scoops of collagen peptides for good measure. I’ve started sneaking them into everything lately and for the first time in my life I have decent nails! (You can use my affiliate code HEALTHYDELISH10 for 10% off your first purchase of Further Foods Collagen Peptides if you want to try them out.)

While these cupcakes are made with good-for-you ingredients, they still aren’t something you want to eat all the time – the calories in all of that nut butter adds up fast! I scaled the recipe down to make six cupcakes, so it’s easier to resist temptation. You can also use the same batter to make mini cupcakes – just adjust the baking time to 12 to 15 minutes.

Top the chocolate peanut butter cupcakes with a simple peanut butter glaze, sprinkle them with chopped nuts or chocolate if you’re feeling fancy, and you’ll be well on your way to happy snacking.