Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

I recently made these yummy chocolate cupcakes for my son’s birthday and they were a hit. I adapted the recipe from Teresa Cutter from The Healthy Chef. Not only are these cupcakes gluten free, they are also free of refined sugar and I use date paste as one of the sweeteners, the ultimate natural sweetener! They are also easy to make! As always, where possible, I use organic and fair-trade ingredients.

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• 8 eggs
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut oil / macadamia oil / olive oil
• 2 tablespoons date paste
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

Ganache topping (optional):

• 250 g (8.5 oz) good quality dark eating chocolate, chopped (70 – 85 % cocoa solids).
• 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) coconut milk

Directions:

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine coconut flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
3. Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, milk and honey then mix well to form a smooth batter.
4. Spoon into 12 cupcake tins.
5. Bake for 25 minutes until puffed and cooked through – make sure not to over cook.
6. Serve alone or topped with ganache, Greek yoghurt or raspberry puree.

Ganache:

1. Chop your chocolate finely.
2. Pour the coconut milk in a pot over a medium heat and simmer until just before boiling – do not boil.
3. Remove the pot from the heat.
4. Add the chocolate to the milk and a pinch of salt
5. Stand for 3 minutes without stirring.
6. Stir gently until smooth for about 2 minutes – you don’t want to overwork the ganache and the mix should look glossy and smooth.
7. Cool your ganache to room temperature.
8. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache one at a time and let them stand for the ganache to set.