Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
One food misconception I hear all the time is that eating healthy means sacrificing the foods you love most. For example, a bunch of my friends don’t like to let their kids have snacks like cake or cupcakes for all the obvious reasons and so the kids have to miss out on fun things like chocolate cupcakes at birthday parties. I can’t think of many things more heartbreaking than seeing a little one at a party having to eat a banana while all the other kids’ faces are covered in chocolate frosting. Well, here at weelicious, we’re always up for a challenge. Is there a healthy cupcake with absolutely no refined sugar that parents can be happy to serve their kids and even the most discriminating chocoholic will love?
Well, after testing these cupcake and ganache ( a fancy word for icing) recipes over a dozen times this past week, I can confidently say the answer is yes! Not only is this recipe delicious, it’s also the easiest version we tried. All you have to do is dump the ingredients into the mixer, stir, pour and bake! And by using agave instead of sugar, you sacrifice none of the flavor of traditional chocolate cupcakes. Another bonus? You can even make them vegan by using oil instead of butter and rice, almond or soy milk instead of cow’s milk. Either way, what you get is a light, perfectly sweet chocolate cupcake that every kid will love. I took a whole batch over to Kenya’s sports group on Monday and they disappeared in minutes and even the most health conscious moms were happy!
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes (12 Cupcakes)
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup Butter (melted) OR Oil
2/3 Cup Agave
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Tsp Vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place ingredients in a mixer or mixing bowl in the order listed and mix well to combine. Batter should be free of lumps. (No need to sift the dry ingredients or place in separate bowls. This is a dump in the bowl, mix and bake recipe).
3. Line muffin tins with paper liners or bake in silicone muffin cups.
4. Fill cups 3/4 full with batter.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes for regular sized and 15 minutes for mini cupcakes.
6. Cool.
Chocolate Ganache
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/3 Cup Agave
2 Oz Unsweetened Chocolate, shaved
3 Oz Butter
1. Heat the cream and agave in a small saucepan just to a boil, whisking to combine.
2. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate to the pan.
3. Whisk thoroughly until chocolate is melted.
4. Pour into a bowl and add the butter 1 tbsp at a time until icing is smooth and butter is incorporated.
6. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing.
7. Serve.
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[...] Breakfast: Egg in the Hole and Yogurt with Apricot, Peach and Raisin Puree Lunch: Elvis Panini and Strawberry Spinach Salad Dinner: Baked Ziti and Steamed Asparagus Snack: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes [...]
[...] has only been one other recipe that I’ve tested for weelicious — the Dark Chocolate Cupcake — that took as many tries to perfect as this recipe. It required 9 tries to make the perfect [...]
Thank you for such a superb recipe! I’m eager to try the ganache at our daughter’s next birthday party.
LOVE,LOVE,LOVE these!!!! Super easy and yummy!
Hi!
Everything you post is amazing! We love it all. Do you have a vanilla version of these cupcakes? My daughter’s birthday is coming up as well, and I would like to offer a variety.
Thanks so much!
-Jessica (Gwen 23 months)
Yes we have Vanilla Cupcakes on weelicious! http://weelicious.com/2010/03/29/mini-vanilla-cupcakes/
I am so excited I found this recipe — is there a way to make it a cake instead of cupcakes? Also, would it work to use organic sugar instead of agave (for both the cake and the ganache)?? My son turns one tomorrow and his birthday party is this weekend!!
Thank you!! (I LOVE your website!!)
Melanie (Gabriel, one year)
You can definitely pour this into a cake pan bake until a toothpick comes out smooth. You can try to use organic sugar although I have not tested it with sugar, the consistency might be different. You can also use honey as well.
Do you think the chocolate cupcakes would work with the cream cheese icing from the vanilla cupcake recipe? Choc cupcake seems easier to make and white icing seems easier to clean… also, your little colored liners are so cute. can I buy online? THANKS FOR ALL THE INSPIRATION!!!
Yes! That sounds so good! They are silicone liners – you can find them online
Does the icing harden if refrigerated? I want to decorate these with using a white icing (possibly the cream cheese one as I’m going for sugar-free here) to do monkey faces by combining some of each icing but I would need the base icing (the dark chocolate) to be firm. Is it doable or is this just a soft icing?
What kind of flour can we use for this recipe?
I use AP flour for this recipe
Dumb question. Tsp= teaspoon or tablespoon? I’m used to tsp=teaspoon and Tbsp=tablespoon or t=teaspoon and T=tablespoon. I’m assuming teaspoon, but want to double check.
Tsp = teaspoon and Tbsp =tablespoon
My son and I made these yesterday and they were delicious! We didn’t even bother with the ganache.
Only problem is he wants to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Luckily it only makes a dozen.
wow, these are awesome! thank you for finding a healthy way to get my chocolate fix.=)
Oh my goodness, Catherine, you did not disappoint with this recipe. I made these into a cake and it turned out divine. My 9 year old birthday boy was impressed with the taste and so was the rest of the family. Thanks for helping us to keep birthdays yummy and healthy!
I just wanted to say… I’ve been searching for an easy, delicious chocolate cake recipe for several days for my daughter’s birthday this weekend. I started out on all of the “fancy” cooking blogs with no success (no, I am not driving to a specialty cooking store for the imported chocolate and somehow I think putting a cup of coffee in a two-year-old’s cake isn’t a good idea). I decided to look over here before giving up for good. Why didn’t I look here first?? Once again, you’ve hit the nail right on the head. Thank you for providing awesome recipes that I feel good about feeding my family.
Thank you for this great recipe!! And all your recipes, I have to admit I am a little obsessed. Ok a lot obsessed I make at least one of your recipes a day, but usually for every meal.
The best part about this recipe is that you (I mean errr…my child) can lick the bowl. I use the mini muffins and they did come out a little drier (than regular cake) and a bit heavy. Still delicious, but I was wondering if that was just the recipe or if I had messed it up. Is there anything I can do next time to make them more moist next time?
Hi, this looks fantastic! But i was wondering, if i use honey instead of agave (because i have to order agave online but honey i can buy in the store and i wanna try this out before my sons birthday (in 3.5 months lol so i have time!)) would i just use the same amount of honey as the recipe calls for agave?
You can use honey
Just made these again for the third time! They are so moist and delicious! I substituted 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup apple sauce for the butter.
how many percent fat does heavy cream has got?
Is the Cocoa powder sweet or unsweetened? I need to make these on Friday, if you could send a quick response. Thank you!
What kind of vinegar did you use?
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absolutly love this recipe! (and all the other weelicious ones) its not super sweet which is great for my 1 year olds first cake and it is super easy to make not weird ingredients or time consuming details. thanks for another go to recipe!
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Hello. I would like to make these, but I need to know if they will hold up if shipped by mail. I have to and these to Florida and Colorado. Also, is it okay to use regular mail, or should I go to a mail shipping store?
Thank you for your speedy reply.
Sincerely,
Marisa DiFalco
Can these be sent through the mail? Do you suggest over night? Is it better to use a shipping store, rather than the US Postal Services?
Thank you for your speedy reply.
Sincerely,
Marisa DiFalco
Is it correct for me to assume that the Cocoa Powder is unsweetened and the vinegar is white vinegar? Thank you!
Yes, I always use unsweetened cocoa powder so I sometimes forget to specify! Yes, white vinegar! Oy, sometimes this mommy’s brain gets a little scrambled!
If I wanted to make this a cake what size pan would I use? And long would you bake it. I live in Colorado so at high altitude?
These are soooo easy and perfect for freezing…thank you!! I subbed banana for the oil and they were great as a choc banana cupcake! Perfect for kiddos that can’t get enough banana.
Is it possible to substitute the ap flour for whole wheat flour? I would actually love to use coconut flour but I know the consistency is different. So looking forward to making these!!
These look so good. I am going to try them. I added this link to my site. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Marcie
I found this recipe very salty. I reduced the salt by at least half. 1 banana instead of the butter works great too. Just be sure to spray your liners so the cupcake doesn’t stick to it.