These Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes Curb Cravings Without Blowing Your Diet
We get it; you’re on a diet but craving your fave comfort foods like ice cream and chicken noodle soup. With our new food series, #NotCheating, we’re turning these cheat-day dishes into compliant recipes. If you’re dabbling with gluten-free, vegan, keto, paleo, Whole30, or other plans, allow these takes to curb your hankerings healthfully.
Whether you’re new to the gluten-free lifestyle or a seasoned vet, healthy makeovers of your favorite comfort foods are a staple in your diet. Yes, you may have already dabbled in gluten-free desserts, but all of those substitutions don’t quite mean the final result is healthy. Gluten-free flours, like all-purpose wheat flour, may be refined, and GF baked goods usually contain a lot of sugar. With the#NotCheating chocolate cupcake recipe below, you won’t use those two ingredients at all. They only require three items total: dark chocolate, butter, and eggs. Here’s how we make them.
Instead of flour, fluffy, foamy beaten eggs are folded into melted chocolate and butter to give the fatty ingredients structure (which is what flour normally does). We filled the batter inside the new Silpat muffin mold as it results in easier removal of the finished cakes (leaving no crumbs behind), but we also experimented with a standard muffin tin and had good results too.
Instead of caloric buttercream frosting, dress the dessert with something lighter like freshly whipped cream (unsweetened), a small dollop of jam, and a light dusting of chocolate shavings. These are only suggestions, of course. These versatile cakes can be decorated any way you like to keep them compliant with your diet.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
(Makes 12 cupcakes)
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
- 12 ounces high-quality dark chocolate, plus more for garnish
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 pint whipping cream, for garnish
- 4 tablespoons raspberry jam, for garnish
- 12 raspberries, for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a Silpat muffin mold generously. If using a standard muffin tin, line it with foil or paper baking cups.
2. Combine chocolate and butter in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. While the chocolate is melting, beat eggs with an electric mixer in a separate bowl for 8 minutes, or until they have doubled in size and become light and fluffy.
4. Once chocolate and butter are melted together, transfer to a large bowl.
5. Fold egg mixture into melted chocolate in 4 parts, until fully incorporated and batter is smooth.
6. Using a spring ice cream scoop, divide and fill buttered molds just below each rim.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until tops of cupcakes bounce back when pressed into and toothpick test comes out clean.
8. Let cool 5 minutes in mold before removing them to cool fully on a rack.
9. Meanwhile, in a very clean, cold bowl, whip whipped cream (with a whisk or electric beater) until soft peaks form.
10. Once cakes are completely cool, top each with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, 1 teaspoon jam, and a raspberry. Shave chocolate above all cupcakes with a microplane or cheese grater.
Show us how you top your chocolate cupcakes by tagging us on Instagram @BritandCo.
(Recipe via Magdalena O’Neal; photos via Brittany Griffin / Brit + Co)
