Coming up with this recipe was a happy accident. I was working on some exciting new Peanut Butter and Jelly school lunch recipes and thought the idea of Peanut Butter Pancake Sandwiches (coming soon) with preserves in the middle sounded like something I would have flipped for as a kid. I ended up testing them several times to arrive at the perfect combination, but I still had a ton of batter leftover. I hate wasting food, but I was also too lazy to make 100 pancakes. So, just to see what would happen, I poured it all into mini muffin tins and popped them in the oven. I couldn’t believe the results. Why hadn’t I thought of this before! They had become the perfect “muffin” as Chloe called it or “cupcake” as Kenya chimed in. Inspired to take things one step further, I whisked together some strawberry preserves and cream cheese to make “icing” and — voila — the Breakfast Cupcake was born!

They’re light and fluffy like a pancake and with the airy “frosting” it’s a treat that you can happily serve any time of day and your little one will adore them. The best part is that you’ll have a new good morning surprise for your family and they’ll never know these cupcakes aren’t loaded with sugar. Accidents happen and aren’t they delicious!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Breakfast Cupcakes (Makes 20 Mini Cupcakes)

1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter (you can also use almond, cashew, or sunflower butter)
1 Large Egg
2 Tbsps Sugar
1 1/4 Cup Milk (low fat or whole)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the peanut butter, egg and sugar until combined, then whisk in the milk until incorporated.
4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (you don’t want to over beat the mixture).
5. Grease or line mini muffin tins and fill 2/3 of the way up with the batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool.
8. Spread the top of each cupcake with frosting (recipe below) and serve.

*This batter can also be used to make pancakes

Jelly Frosting (Makes about 2 cups)

1/2 Cup Whipped or Regular Cream Cheese (softened in a microwave or at room temperature)
1/4 Cup Jelly, Jam or Preserves

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until throughly combined (you want the mixture to be smooth like frosting).
2. Spread on cupcakes and serve.

There’s nothing as magical as your child’s first birthday party. I’m sure that Chloe won’t remember much from her big day, but I’ll certainly remember every moment.

We decided to do something simple to celebrate — just a bunch of babies Chloe’s age lounging around on blankets, musical instruments scattered about for playing, pink and white balloons hovering in the trees above, bubbles drifting through the air and of course, some delicious weelicious food! The party was called for late in the afternoon, so I figured light snacks seemed appropriate: Benedictine Sandwiches, Fruit Kabobs, Chewy Granola Balls and finally, these Mini Vanilla Cupcakes. For the cupcakes, I really wanted something white, light, airy and tiny in size. I literally spent weeks working on the perfect recipe, which also had to be simple enough to be weelicious. I first tried using agave to sweeten them, but that was a big ol’ flop. Then I experimented with different combinations of eggs, flours and sugar, but still nothing tasted quite right until I arrived at the balance for this version.

I love making miniature cupcakes for kids’ birthday parties, because they’re the perfect size for small hands, and even if your little one goes back for seconds (or even thirds), it’s still won’t equal the amount of one regular size cupcake. Plus, I’ve tried so many vanilla cupcake recipes over the years and I’m always taken by how overly sweet they are. These came out sweet — but not too much. Just the perfect amount in my opinion.

When you’re looking for an unforgettable cupcake recipe that will only add to the magic of your little one’s special day, try these minis and experience maximum deliciousness.

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes (Makes 36 Mini Cupcakes)

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Whole Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time and vanilla and beat on low speed until combined.
5. Slowly add some of the flour mixture and then some of the milk, alternating until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you go.
6. Pour the batter into mini muffin cups (I like to use a mini ice cream scooper) lined with paper or foil liners until 2/3 full.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.
8. Cool and frost.

*Refrigerate cupcakes after frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting (Makes About 1 Cup)
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
4 Tbsp (1/4 Cup) Butter, softened
1 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla

1. Place the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and beat for 30 seconds on low to medium speed using a hand mixer.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and continue to beat for 1 minute or until frosting is smooth and creamy.
3. Frost the cupcakes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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.

I’ve been getting tons of emails from parents asking for cake recipe ideas for 1st birthday parties. I still find it amazing how one’s family’s social calendar completely changes after one has a kid. Our weekend schedules are packed with kids’ birthday parties whereas we used to get invited to them about twice a year. Birthday parties for little ones can be loads of fun, but the last thing a parent wants on the ride home is their little one on a sugar high from all the birthday cake.
These carrot cupcakes are delectable. They’re made with agave nectar instead of sugar. Agave nectar comes from the agave plant. It is a sweet liquid with a consistency a bit smoother than honey. Agave is also low on the glycemic index and is metabolized by your body slower than sugar so it has a less severe effect on blood sugar fluctuations. You can find it at any health food store and I bet you’ll find many ways for it to replace sugar in your kitchen.
Instead of baking one big cake, I prefer to decorate a platter with tons of cupcakes. I think this is ultimately more fun for the kids (and parents) since they all get their own cupcake they can decorate with nuts, sprinkles or whatever suits their fancy. It’s also a good way to manage portion control. Anyway these are a blast to make for a birthday or any special occassion and heavenly tasting to eat!


Carrot/Pineapple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing (Make 14 Cupcakes)

1 1/2 Cups Flour
3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
3/4 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Agave
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Carrots, peeled and shredded
1/4 Cup Pineapple, drained, crushed in juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a medium sized bowl.
3. Using a mixer, beat the agave, oil and eggs until throughly combined.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
5. Add the carrots and pineapple and beat until all the ingredients are throughly combined.
6. Line 14 1/3 cup muffin cups or mini muffins with paper liners.
7. Scoop batter into cups, filling 3/4 full.
8. Bake for 30 minutes for regular 1/3 cup muffins or 15 minutes for mini cupcakes.
9. Cool (cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead, cover and store at room temperature).
10 Spread top of each cupcake with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese icing and serve.

Cream Cheese Icing (Make 2 Cups)

1 8 oz Package Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/2 Cup Butter, room temperature
4 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 Tsp Vanilla

1. Place all the ingredients in a mixer and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy.
2. Spread on cupcakes.

We used these to make this recipe:

KitchenAid Precision 24-cup Mini Muffin Pan