Gluten Free Sugar Free Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe

A group of my gluten-free blogger gal pals and I have joined together to throw a surprise baby shower for our friend Amy Green of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Many of these ladies I have met in person and trust me, there are no better gals to hang with!

We are throwing a virtual pot luck shower and the rules for the food were simple, everything needed to be gluten and refined sugar free.

Since this is a baby shower it seemed like cupcakes or “baby cakes” was an appropriate thing for me to share. Amy is having a boy so I started to think of what flavors represent BOY to me.

I raised two boys so I do have a little experience with the species. Little boys don’t tend to stay pristine for very long, they get scuffed and dirty and even muddy at times. They can also melt your heart in a nanosecond.  So of course these baby cakes had to feature chocolate.

I like to mix fruit with chocolate wherever I can but boys are not pure sweet like say a strawberry – they can have a little tart thrown in with the sweet, so raspberries instantly came to mind. Unfortunately a trip to the grocery store yielded only flavorless, un-ripe raspberries. Undeterred, I used no-sugar added, freeze dried raspberries instead. This turned into a happy circumstance as I was able to crush the dried raspberries, mix them into the batter and have a lovely, subtle raspberry flavor running all through the cupcakes.

Since the ladies attending this shower all tend to eat on the healthier side (and it is always a good idea to be respectful of the diets of those to whom you are serving food) I made these with a combination of brown rice and coconut flours with a little tapioca starch to lighten it all up. Of course you can use your favorite gluten free flour blend instead. I also lowered the fat by using fat free Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce and low fat (2%) milk – never a bad idea if you want a bunch of women to actually eat your cupcakes! Even though this is a healthier version of chocolate cupcakes, trust me – no one is going to eat of these babies and feel in the least bit deprived!

Another factor that makes these cupcakes a great treat for a “real” (as opposed to virtual) baby shower is that you can make the cupcakes and frosting ahead of time – the frosting will keep for up to 5 days covered and refrigerated and the cupcakes will be just fine if made a day ahead and stored wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature.

Please join us in our virtual baby shower for Amy. Hop over to these blogs and see what else is on our fab gluten and sugar free baby shower menu!

Hallie from Daily Bites
Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake
Alta from Tasty Eats At Home
Lexie from Lexie’s Kitchen
Kelly from The Spunky Coconut
Cara from Cara’s Cravings
Ricki from Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Alisa from Alisa Cooks
Kim from Cook It Allergy Free
Jen from Gluten free Life
Helen from Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Cybele from Cybele Pascal

And of course don’t forget to pay a visit to our guest of honor, Amy from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free to pass on your good wishes!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Sugar Free Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 Cupcakes

Calories: 221kcal

Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• ▢ 1⅓ cups freeze dried raspberries (1 ounce)
• ▢ ¾ cup brown rice flour (preferably superfine)
• ▢ ¼ cup coconut flour
• ▢ ½ cup tapioca starch
• ▢ ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
• ▢ ½ cup fat free Greek yogurt
• ▢ ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
• ▢ ½ cup low fat (2%) milk
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoons grapeseed (or other neutral flavored) oil
• ▢ 1 cup coconut sugar

Frosting

• ▢ ¾ cup dark agave nectar
• ▢ 3 large egg whites
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cupcakes

• ▢
  Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
• ▢
  Pick out 12 of the prettiest freeze dried raspberries and set aside to garnish the cupcakes, keep them sealed in a plastic bag until ready to use. Place the rest in a plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin until crushed into coarse crumbs.
• ▢
  In a large mixing bowl whisk together the brown rice flour, coconut flour, tapioca starch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and crushed raspberries.
• ▢
  In another mixing bowl whisk together the yogurt, apple sauce, milk, eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, oil and coconut sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until they feel firm to the touch and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Frosting

• ▢
  Bring the agave to a boil in a heavy saucepan and continue to boil for 3 or 4 minutes or until big fat bubbles form (225 degrees on a candy thermometer).
• ▢
  While the agave is cooking, beat the eggs whites with 1/8 teaspoon of salt until stiff peaks form. Carefully pour the agave into the egg whites with the mixer on low speed. After all the agave has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the frosting is completely cool, about 7 minutes. The frosting should be thick, glossy and smooth. Sift the cocoa powder into the frosting and beat on medium-high just until the cocoa has been incorporated. Use a spatula to ensure all the cocoa has been thoroughly combined.
• ▢
  To assemble, frost the cooled cupcakes with the frosting and garnish with the reserved raspberries.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Gluten Free Sugar Free Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 221 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 42mg14%

Sodium 290mg12%

Potassium 185mg5%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 79IU2%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 68mg7%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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