20 Jul Three Fabulous Freshly Baked Vegan Cupcakes

Being Vegan doesn’t mean you can’t bake up a storm with the best of them and winter is the perfect weather to warm up your kitchen with some home-baking.  Take a look at these healthy delish recipes for Vegan Cupcakes handpicked for you to enjoy, starting off with a delectable gluten-free option:

Simply Divine Gluten-free Vanilla Cupcakes

Gluten-free and Vegan and oh-so-delicious with that delicate vanilla fragrance that will envelop your kitchen.

You will need:

Chocolate Cupcakes With Avocado Icing

Eureka Unbleached Stone Ground Brown Bread Flour

Irresistible chocolate and avo all in one tasty little cupcake bundle, there’s no excuse not to.

You will need:

• 1¼ cups wholewheat flour
• ¾ cup agave syrup
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup milk (dairy, almond, or soya)
• 3 tblspns coconut oil
• 1 tspn apple cider vinegar
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
• ½ tspn salt
• ½ tspn cinnamon
• 1 tspn baking powder

Icing

• 2 ripe avocados
• ¼ cup chopped cacao paste
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup almond or soya milk
• pinch of salt

How to:

Nielsen-Massey Organic Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract

• Mix the wet ingredients
• Mix the dry ingredients
• Mix together
• Spoon into prepared cupcake tray
• Bake for 15-18 minutes at 160 degrees C

Icing

• Mix all ingredients together in a food processor
• Put it in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes or so
• Smear this yum healthy topping onto your delightful little cupcakes.

A perfect treat for when you want a treat that is low-GI and scrumptiously decadent at the same time.
Adapted from: http://www.loveandlemons.com/2013/01/09/chocolate-cupcakes-avocado-frosting-vegan/

Banana Choc-Chip-Cream Cupcakes

Heaven-sent and full of goodness that will curl you toes with delight!

You will need:

Creeds – Gluten-Free & Aluminium Free Baking Powder

• 1 cup pitted medjool dates
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup oat flour
• ¼ cup cacao powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ cup non-dairy milk (such as almond or soya)

Banana choc-chip cream

• 2 ripe bananas
• ¼ tsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup cacao nibs

How to:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C
• Combine the dates and water to form a past in a food processor
• Add the cacao powder, baking powder, flour, and non-dairy milk and process further
• In a separate bowl, blend the bananas with the cornstarch until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips
• Line or oil your cupcake pan
• Fill each cupcake halfway with chocolate batter
• Make a shallow indentation in the center of each cupcake
• Fill it with about 1 tablespoon of the banana chocolate chip cream
• Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top
• Bake for approximately 22 minutes at 180C

Oats flour is generally much better tolerated by those with wheat- intolerance, but if you can’t do gluten at all, substitute some gluten-free flour. Yum yum!

Adapted from: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/black-bottom-banana-cupcakes

You can make your own almond milk:

• Soak a cup of almonds overnight
• Rinse them then add to blender with zap with 2 cups water and blend
• Strain through cheescloth or nutbag into a glass jar, squeezing out all the excess fluid.
• You have a creamy and calcium-rich milk replacement!

Baking your own treats means you can choose all the cleanest, healthiest ingredients (not all baking ingredients are created equal!) and also have some home fun. Haul out your spoons and bowls and get the homely aroma of cooking cupcakes wafting through your home.