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Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
PREP: 30 minutes
COOK: 20 minutes
YIELD: 18 cupcakes

Topped off with crushed peppermint and Natural Delights Truffles, these Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes are bright, festive, and the perfect addition to your holiday spread!

 

Ingredients

  • For the cupcakes:
  • 2 ½ cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups of organic cane sugar or granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup of cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of espresso powder
  • ⅔ cup of melted coconut oil (get unrefined if you want it to be virtually tasteless), vegetable or coanola oil also work
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon of almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups of milk, any kind, at room temperature
  • ½ cup of apple sauce unsweetened, at room temperature
  • For the frosting:
  • ½ cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature (vegan as desired)
  • 2 cups of confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract
  • 2 tablespoons of milk of choice
  • Crushed peppermint for garnish
  • Natural Delights Truffles for garnish

Preparation

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake tins (makes roughly 18-20 cupcakes) and spray the inside of the liners with cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the apple cider vinegar and milk. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with an electric mixer or even just a whisk), combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Mix.
  4. Add in the oil, milk/ apple cider vinegar mixture, vanilla, almond extract, and apple sauce. Mix until just combined (be careful not to over mix), scrapping down the sides as needed.
  5. Pour the batter evenly between your cupcake tins filling each about 3/4 of the way full. I’ve made this where I filled them pretty high and got 18 cupcakes and another time where I ended up with 20.
  6. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool.
  7. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting by adding the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer (this can also be done with a hand mixer). Cream for 2 minutes until lighter in color and smooth. Add in the milk, extract, and sugar. Beat on medium/ high speed for 2 full minutes until the frosting is fluffy and airy. As needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency.
  8. Pipe the icing on the cupcakes and top with crushed peppermint and Natural Delights truffles. ENJOY!

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.