This is a really special week for us because it’s my hubby’s birthday AND Valentine’s Day. To celebrate, I wanted to come up with a recipe that Kenya and I could make together to both impress Daddy and be enjoyed by the whole family. Although it would be so much easier to break out a huge box of chocolates or cupcakes to celebrate, these Raspberr-Wee Pancakes seemed like a much more healthy and festive choice.

To get our ingredients, we went to our local farmer’s market where Kenya was so excited to be tasked with picking out a few baskets of fresh red raspberries especially for Daddy. It let him take ownership over the process right then and there. Then, we went home to test the recipe, pulling out heart shape cookie cutters, placing them in the pan, filling them with batter and berries and then cooking them up. Cooking with your kids is always a priceless experience, but doing it for a holiday or special occasion makes it all the more special. Suffice to say, the pancakes went over big with Daddy (which is a good thing since he’s getting them again on the 14th)!. I think you will agree that this is the kind of recipe will say, “I love you” all over your loved one’s face.

Raspberr-Wee Pancakes

1 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted (plus more for cooking)
1 1/4 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs, whisked
2 Tbsp Agave
6 Oz Package Raspberries (almost 1 cup)

1. Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl combine the butter, buttermilk, eggs and agave until combined.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (it’s ok if there are a few lumps).
4. Heat a large pan or griddle on medium heat and grease with butter.
5. Pour about 1/4 cup of the pancake mixture onto the griddle and top with 3-4 raspberries (if using cookie cutters, place the cookie cutter in the pan after step 4, pour in several tablespoons of batter, add the raspberries and cook as directed in step 6).
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. Serve
* You can keep pancakes warm on a sheet tray in a 250 degree oven until all the pancakes are cooked.
* I also tested this batter in a waffle iron and they came out gorgeous, crispy and fluffy!

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.